Modeling and simulation Dye Solar Cells: extraction of parameters and trap states

The Dye Sensitized Solar Cell (DSC) is a very promising third generation photovoltaic device [1]. The light conversion mechanism is, however, quite different from any other solid state solar cell, resulting from the strong interplay between molecule excitation, electron transport and electrochemical processes involving ions. This complexity needs a reliable transport model able to catch the device as a whole and to describe experimental data. Moreover, DSCs are a prototype of electrochemical energy device and any model and simulation effort in this context can be easily transferred to other system such as fuel cells, batteries, water splitting devices etc. In this communication we report on the work made to extend the multiscale simulator TiberCAD [2] to simulate DSC cell going beyond the simplifying assumption used so far. In fact, we treat transport on equal footing. The developed model is also compared with experimental data and a sensitivity analysis is performed for the physical parameters entering in the model as a function geometrical/technological quantities such as the thickness of TiO2 layer or the type of electolyte .     «

The Dye Sensitized Solar Cell (DSC) is a very promising third generation photovoltaic device [1]. The light conversion mechanism is, however, quite different from any other solid state solar cell, resulting from the strong interplay between molecule excitation, electron transport and electrochemical processes involving ions. This complexity needs a reliable transport model able to catch the device as a whole and to describe experimental data. Moreover, DSCs are a prototype of electroch...     »