Fabrication and Characterization of a Nano Crystalline Natural Dye-Sensitized Solar Cell and Design of an Artificial Solar Simulator

Abstract

The present thesis investigates the performance of a dye-sensitized solar cell (DSC) under both idealized and outdoor conditions. Different electrical behavior under varying compositions of TiO2 is found. An understanding of the cell behavior with respect to the change in different compositions of TiO2 paste has been sought by experimental investigations and following data analysis. The efficiency, behavior of the cell with different molarity of acid, effect of using industrial grade TiO2 instead of laboratory grade TiO2, life time of the cell with variation of the film thickness of electrolyte are also carried out in this chapter. The performance of Red Spinach (Amaranthus cruentus) has been investigated for the first time ever. The experimental investigations have been carried out in the laboratory under controlled conditions and the influence of one performance parameter could be determined. The cells investigated show very different electrical behavior under varying conditions. An artificial solar simulator has been built using a 450W Xenon lamp that produces a light of intensity from 200W/m2 to 1200W/m2. It has been made using all the cheap materials available in Bangladesh. The system can produce AM 1.5G which is the standard to measure the solar cell performance in a condition with no sunlight. The main purpose of making this solar simulator is to measure cell performance under AM 1.5G as most of the time around the year it is very difficult to get continuous solar radiation of 1000W/m2 in Bangladesh.