Balita
Tiny solar cells integrated into cloth at Nottingham Trent
“Clothing would look and behave like any other textile, but within the fibres would be a network of miniaturised cells which are creating electricity,” according to project lead Professor Tilak Dias of the School of Art & Design.
Nottingham-Uof-solar-cell-for-clothThey are 3 x 1.5mm.
200 of them in 50 x 50mm , said Nottingham Trent, can generate 2.5-10V at up to 80mW “Researchers say if 2,000 solar cells were incorporated into a textile it would generate enough power to charge a smart phone”.
How is it done?
Lots of 10 solar cells, spaced apart, are connected in parallel using fine copper wires and Pb-free reflow soldering.
Each individual cell is then encapsulated inside a transparent resin cylinder just bigger than the cell, researcher Achala Satharasinghe told Electronics Weekly.
The strands of copper-connected encapsulated solar cells are finally covered by textile fibres using a tube-shaped knitted structure to complete the solar cell embedded yarn for weaving.
Nottingham-Uof-solar-cell-for-clothThey are 3 x 1.5mm.
200 of them in 50 x 50mm , said Nottingham Trent, can generate 2.5-10V at up to 80mW “Researchers say if 2,000 solar cells were incorporated into a textile it would generate enough power to charge a smart phone”.
How is it done?
Lots of 10 solar cells, spaced apart, are connected in parallel using fine copper wires and Pb-free reflow soldering.
Each individual cell is then encapsulated inside a transparent resin cylinder just bigger than the cell, researcher Achala Satharasinghe told Electronics Weekly.
The strands of copper-connected encapsulated solar cells are finally covered by textile fibres using a tube-shaped knitted structure to complete the solar cell embedded yarn for weaving.