Photovoltaic-thermoelectric temperature control using a closed-loop integrated cooler

The closed-loop integrated cooler (CLIC) is a novel technique deployed on experimental apparatus to accurately measure, monitor and control the temperature of optoelectronic devices. Demonstrated here within a concentrator photovoltaic-thermoelectric (CPV-TE) hybrid device, the thermoelectric module was used as a solid-state sensor and heat pump in order to control the operational temperature for a triple-junction solar cell. The technique was used to achieve stable, reproducible and repeatable standard test conditions of 25 degrees C cell temperature, with 1000W/m(2) irradiance and AM1.5G spectrum. During testing with secondary optical element (SOE) optics in a solar simulator, the CLIC enabled accurate temperature control of the CPV cell. This would otherwise be unfeasible due to the spectral, reflective and diffusive effects of the SOE optics. The CLIC was used to obtain temporal and spatial constant temperature of the CPV-TE hybrid receiver during current-voltage measurement. This method highlights the future potential of the CLIC for accurate temperature control of optoelectronic devices both during testing and in future semiconductor device applications where temperature control is essential to performance or lifetime.