The project being undertaken is an engineering project. The overall goal of engineering is coming up with innovative ideas or improving on ideas that already exist. In this case, the concept of a dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC) will be experimented upon and modified using different components that make up the cell.
The deliverables of this project are a total of five DSSC's. Each of the cells will use different ingredients, with the primary variable being different organic dyes. Two of the cells will use chlorophyll based dyes (from green leaves) while the other three will use anthocyanin based dyes (from berries). One of the cells of each dye type (two cells total) will be models with minimal cost and time invested into them that will still function and produce a reasonable amount of current. These cells will serve as the baseline for the other DSSCs being constructed. The remaining cells will be models that produce the highest amount of current given the experimental conditions. Another area of investigation will be the use of a lens to concentrate sunlight on the cell.
The overall goal of this project is to improve upon the basic concepts of dye-sensitized solar cells in order to get the most energy out of the cell. The target is to create at least one cell that is running at 7.5% efficiency (Roughy 7% less than the average commercial cell). The efficiency of the solar cell can be given by dividing the cell's power output (in watts) at its maximum power point by the input light times the surface area of the solar cell.
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