Complete Report - University of New South Wales

ARCPHOTOVOLTAICSCENTRE OFEXCELLENCE2010/11ANNUAL REPORTThermal image of experiments determining theefficiency and heat loss to the environment of variouscooking devices.Image of one groups insulated potcooking food.There are many solar lanterns are available in themarket. The performance of these lanterns varieswidely making it difficult for consumers to selecta product.In this project students have studiesa range of solar lanterns commonly available indeveloping contries. Using a set of tools theycompared performance of solar panel, ballastelectronics, charging-discharging circuits, lightoutput and efficiency.Solar Cookers ProjectStand alone PV systems (PV/diesel/battery) supplypower to many households in remote parts ofthe world. Remote households in Australia and inparticular Aboriginal communities utilise such PVsystems. Cooking is an energy load that needs asubstantial amount of energy. In many instancesdesigners for stand-alone PV systems advocate useof gas or microwave cookers for cooking. However,often gas bottles are a very expensive way to getenergy for cooking.Is it possible that as the price of PV falls that someform of electric cooking could be the best option? Ismicrowave cooking the most efficient technology?To answer this question we asked students: Whatis the most efficient way to cook? This projectexplored low energy approaches to cooking and PVsystem design to supply the energy to power suchsystems. One approach investigated “slow cookers”.Typically they are cooking systems that utilise lowenergy but for long periods of time. Typically theyare uninsulated, so at present not very efficient!Students investigated various approaches toinsulate their cooking devices and used PV panelsto charge a battery and then use the energy to heata pot of food. Energy flows (current and voltage)were monitored, as well as the temperature of thefood. Students investigated, designed, built andmonitored whether small PV systems are capable ofsupplying such cooking systems.5.1.2.2 Silicon Thin-Film SolarProcessing Equipment ProjectThis project aims to give students a broadexperience in enhancing and maintaininga world-class thin-film solar cell researchlaboratory. This is achieved through a twostageprocess. Firstly, students develop afundamental understanding of equipmentand systems within the Centre’s thin-filmlaboratory, including vacuum systems, gasdelivery systems, leak testing equipment,and plasma processing machines. Thesecond stage involves the studentsintegrating what they have learnt, by applying it toa specific project in the thin-film laboratory.In 2010, six second-year students undertook thisproject. A group of three students worked onupgrading a vacuum test chamber to redesign thevacuum control interface and build it. A secondgroup of three students worked on halogen lampvacuum annealing stage, with the aim of beingable to anneal samples at up to 1000°C. Thisgroup successfully designed and built a halogenlamp assembly that was both functional and easyto maintain.Both groups benefited greatly from the courseas they learnt to integrate project managementand engineering problem solving to successfullycomplete their projects.5.1.2.3 Cuprous Oxide Thin-Film SolarCells ProjectStudents this year revived a decades-oldphotovoltaics technology that was once theglobally leading technology, before silicon came tothe fore in the 1950s. The manufacturing process forcuprous oxide cells is relatively simple and studentsmade and tested their own cells from scratch.5.1.2.4 Water Pumping ProjectA group of students was charged with the taskof demonstrating the pumping of water withphotovoltaic power from ground level to theCake successfully cooked!109