A generalized mathematical modeling and performance analysis of GaAs, m-Si and Ge single - junction solar PV cells

Abstract

Earlier theoretical approaches have analyzed the performance of semiconductor materials for the influence of temperature and band gap which is implemented in solar photovoltaic systems. This paper investigates the detailed mathematical analysis of single junction semiconductor materials such as Gallium Arsenide (GaAs), mono-crystalline Silicon (m-Si) and Germanium (Ge) solar cells parameters namely, Band gap (Eg), reverse saturation current (Io), shunt resistance (Rsh), Short circuit current (Isc), open circuit voltage (Voc), Fill factor (FF), Maximum Power (Pmax) and Efficiency (Ƞ) for temperature ranging from 273K (≈0°C) to 373K (≈100°C). The optimized cell parameters values are obtained under Air Mass 1.5 Global spectrum (Area = 100cm2 and Irradiance = 100 mW/cm2 for the semiconductor materials (GaAs, m-Si and Ge)) at 300K (≈25°C) are compared to identify the higher efficiency and open circuit voltage. Among the semiconductor materials, the single junction GaAs compound semiconductor material is identified with better efficiency and optimized open circuit voltage. A generalized mathematical model of semiconductor materials is developed using single diode equivalent circuit model under SIMULINK platform and it is used to observe the effect of different temperature, irradiance levels, series resistance and shunt resistance values on the performance of solar cells. The discussion is extended for a 2KW PV array for the semiconductor materials (GaAs, m-Si and Ge) under different temperature and irradiance levels. Evaluating the performance of a PV array, rather than individual cells, provides a more comprehensive understanding of how the chosen semiconductor materials function as part of a larger solar energy system.