Ambient Air Conditions Research Articles

Performance improvement for air-cooled open-cathode proton exchange membrane fuel cell with different design parameters of the gas diffusion layer

Air-cooled open-cathode LTPEMFC (AO-LTPEMFC) has been developed as a new power source for the portable power supply. The effect of the gas diffusion layer (GDL) on AO-LTPEMFC operation in challenging ambient air conditions was investigated in the present study. The effect of the content of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) on the substrate layer and microporous layer (MPL), the thickness of GDL and the pulse width modulation (PWM) of the fan on cell performance as well as the cathode outlet surface temperature distribution were investigated. The polarization curves, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and dynamic voltage test were used to correlate the structural characteristics of GDL with heat dissipation, oxygen transport and water management in AO-LTPEMFC. The results showed that GDL with appropriate PTFE content in the substrate layer and MPL could significantly optimize cell performance. In addition, the thickness of GDL also had a certain impact on the mass and heat transfer of the fuel cell, while the water management in GDL was affected by PWM of the fan, simultaneously. Combined with the practice process, the optimum values of the substrate layer PTFE content, MPL layer PTFE content and thickness of GDL were identified to be 10%, 40%, and 200 μm, respectively.

Steam turbine bottoming cycle deterioration under different load conditions

This paper investigates the performance diagnostics and the deterioration analysis of the steam cycle, which is the bottoming cycle of a combined cycle power plant. A proposed model has been created to simulate the steam turbine (ST) performance at various loads and working conditions in order to estimate the deterioration percentages of the steam cycle components. Performance modeling and degradation analysis have been performed on 2650 reading points over five operational years (2013–2017). The deterioration percentage was studied for different load conditions including full load (100%) and part loads (75% and 50%). The degradation of the steam cycle components has been investigated namely: the high-pressure steam turbine, the low-pressure steam turbine, and the condensate extraction pump. Besides, the effects of the degradation of the components on the ST generated power, and the overall steam cycle thermal efficiency have been studied. This analysis has been performed according to the actual logged data obtained from the power plant; this gives a realistic value to this study. The results indicate that the deterioration percentage increase with time and operational load, whereas the degradation rate decreased with time. Moreover, ambient air conditions affected the low-pressure steam turbine (LPST) performance and degradation by increasing the air-cooled condenser backpressure. Furthermore, the maximum degradation of the steam turbine components reached −2.1% in the LPST and the maximum overall deterioration of the steam turbine reached −2.97% at the full operational load.

Plasma Treatment Limits Human Melanoma Spheroid Growth and Metastasis Independent of the Ambient Gas Composition

Simple SummaryDespite recent advances in therapeutic options, melanoma remains a deadly disease with a poor prognosis. Physical gas plasma has been proposed as a promising technology for the treatment of melanoma. This study aimed to develop and investigate a convenient test system based on three-dimensional cell cultures (spheroids) of two melanoma cell lines in response to physical gas plasma. The experimental approach combined high-content imaging technology and different gas plasma treatment modalities (direct and indirect, gas compositions). Our results revealed that plasma treatment was toxic for both cell lines predominantly dependent on the treatment time. Furthermore, we addressed the question of safety and morphological changes in response to physical gas plasma exposure and found no support for metastatic progression. Treatment with physical gas plasma effectively limited the growth of human 3D melanoma spheroids and provided a versatile test system for more in vivo-like tumor tissue.Melanoma skin cancer is still a deadly disease despite recent advances in therapy. Previous studies have suggested medical plasma technology as a promising modality for melanoma treatment. However, the efficacy of plasmas operated under different ambient air conditions and the comparison of direct and indirect plasma treatments are mostly unexplored for this tumor entity. Moreover, exactly how plasma treatment affects melanoma metastasis has still not been explained. Using 3D tumor spheroid models and high-content imaging technology, we addressed these questions by utilizing one metastatic and one non-metastatic human melanoma cell line targeted with an argon plasma jet. Plasma treatment was toxic in both cell lines. Modulating the oxygen and nitrogen ambient air composition (100/0, 75/25, 50/50, 25/75, and 0/100) gave similar toxicity and reduced the spheroid growth for all conditions. This was the case for both direct and indirect treatments, with the former showing a treatment time-dependent response while the latter resulted in cytotoxicity with the longest treatment time investigated. Live-cell imaging of in-gel cultured spheroids indicated that plasma treatment did not enhance metastasis, and flow cytometry showed a significant modulation of S100A4 but not in any of the five other metastasis-related markers (β-catenin, E-cadherin, LEF1, SLUG, and ZEB1) investigated.

Thermal neutron radiography of a passive proton exchange membrane fuel cell for portable hydrogen energy systems

A proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) for portable applications is studied with thermal neutron radiography. The PEMFC operates under passive conditions, with air-breathing cathode and dead-end anode supplied with static ambient air and dry hydrogen, respectively. A columnar cathodic plate favors the mobility of water drops over the cathode surface and their elimination. Thermal neutron images show liquid water build-up during operation of the cell in vertical and horizontal position, i.e. aligned parallel and perpendicular to the gravity field, respectively. Polarization curves and impedance spectroscopy show orientation dependent cell response that can be related with the water profiles. In vertical position, the elimination of drops sliding over the cathode surface as well as natural convection favor lower water contents in the cathode and improve oxygen transport. The vertical cell can be operated for hours in ambient conditions, providing steady power densities above 100 mW cm−2. In horizontal position, natural forces are less effective for water removal leading to 17% decrease in peak power density. The horizontal position is especially adverse if the upper electrode is the cathode, because anode flooding causes cell failure after production of a small amount of water (5 mg cm−2).

Surface Properties of Precipitated Aerosol Microparticles of Indium(III) Oxide under Conditions of Ambient Air

Adsorption and photosorption properties of precipitated indium(III) oxide aerosol particles are studied under conditions close to those of ambient air. The composition of the adsorbed surface layer of precipitated aerosol particles is analyzed. The quantum yields and their spectral dependences of oxygen photosorption and carbon monoxide photocatalytic oxidation are determined. Photocatalytic activity in the reaction of carbon monoxide oxidation is detected during the absorption of light quanta from the region of indirect electron transitions (quantum energy of <2.9 eV).

Feasibility and efficacy of lung ultrasound to investigate pulmonary complications in patients who developed postoperative Hypoxaemia-a prospective study

BackgroundPostoperative pulmonary complications (PPCs) and hypoxaemia are associated with morbidity and mortality. We aimed to evaluate the feasibility and efficacy of lung ultrasound (LUS) to diagnose PPCs in patients suffering from hypoxaemia after general anaesthesia and compare the results to those of thoracic computed tomography (CT).MethodsAdult patients who received general anaesthesia and suffered from hypoxaemia in the postanaesthesia care unit (PACU) were analysed. Hypoxaemia was defined as an oxygen saturation measured by pulse oximetry (SPO2) less than 92% for more than 30 s under ambient air conditions. LUS was performed by two trained anaesthesiologists once hypoxaemia occurred. After LUS examination, each patient was transported to the radiology department for thoracic CT scan within 1 h before returning to the ward.ResultsFrom January 2019 to May 2019, 113 patients (61 men) undergoing abdominal surgery (45 patients, 39.8%), video-assisted thoracic surgery (31 patients, 27.4%), major orthopaedic surgery (17 patients, 15.0%), neurosurgery (10 patients, 8.8%) or other surgery (10 patients, 8.8%) were included. CT diagnosed 327 of 1356 lung zones as atelectasis, while LUS revealed atelectasis in 311 of the CT-confirmed zones. Pneumothorax was detected by CT scan in 75 quadrants, 72 of which were detected by LUS. Pleural effusion was diagnosed in 144 zones on CT scan, and LUS detected 131 of these zones. LUS was reliable in diagnosing atelectasis (sensitivity 98.0%, specificity 96.7% and diagnostic accuracy 97.2%), pneumothorax (sensitivity 90.0%, specificity 98.9% and diagnostic accuracy 96.7%) and pleural effusion (sensitivity 92.9%, specificity 96.0% and diagnostic accuracy 95.1%).ConclusionsLung ultrasound is feasible, efficient and accurate in diagnosing different aetiologies of postoperative hypoxia in healthy-weight patients in the PACU.Trial registrationCurrent Controlled Trials NCT03802175, 2018/12/05, www.ClinicalTrials.gov

Ice Regime of the Kozłowa Góra Reservoir (Southern Poland) as an Indicator of Changes of the Thermal Conditions of Ambient Air

Ice phenomena are construed as the occurrence of ice in water irrespective of its structure, form, and duration. One of the most frequently discussed research problems is the possibility of using long-term ice phenology as an indicator of changes of the thermal conditions of ambient air. The study used correlation analysis and regression models in order to determine changes in the parameters studied over time. In order to compare the ice regime of the study reservoir and other lakes in the region, discriminant function analysis, principal components analysis (PCA), and canonical redundancy analysis (RDA) were applied. During the 52 winter seasons studied (1964–2015), there were weak but still statistically significant trends concerning the increase in air temperature in the region (by 0.3 °C per decade), the reduction in the number of days with ice cover (by 8.6 days per decade) and the decline in the maximum and average thicknesses of lake ice (by 2.0 cm and 1.2 cm per decade). The low average depth and volume capacity are reflected in the rapid freezing rate of the reservoir, and its location results in a longer duration of ice cover, greater ice thickness, and later dates of its melting.

Ultra-low-cost all-air processed carbon-based perovskite solar cells from bottom electrode to counter electrode

Despite impressive power conversion efficiency (PCE) climbing up to 25.2%, complex processing and high cost of perovskite solar cells (PSCs) associated with hole transport material (HTM), Au counter electrode and transparent conducting oxide (TCO) electrode limit the commercial applications of PSCs. We herein fabricate an ultra-low-cost HTM-free C-PSC with the structure of AgNWs-graphene (AgNWs-G)/SnO2/perovskite/carbon by using 1D-2D hybrid AgNWs-G transparent electrode instead of conventional ITO electrode. The optimized AgNWs-G film (AgNWs-G-2 film) with a relatively high transmittance (~86%) achieves a sheet resistance (Rs) of 11.0 Ω sq−1 lower than that of ITO (13.5 Ω sq−1). Compared with AgNWs film, the AgNWs-G-2 film exhibits fantastic stability of Rs within the entire duration of air exposure, even though at high temperatures or continuous illumination. Such the low-cost AgNWs-G based C-PSC achieves an outstanding PCE of 15.31% and a long-term stability of 87.5% for 60 days in air conditions. It is worth noting that all preparing processes from bottom electrode to counter electrode in the total PSC device are operated in actual ambient air condition, and the annealing temperature for each functional layer is no more than 150 °C, hence leading to the construction of ultra-low-cost PSCs.

Surface functionalization and shape tuning of carbon fiber monofilament via direct microplasma scanning for ultramicroelectrode application

Surface functionalization and shape tuning of carbon fibers (CFs) are important for microelectrode applications with ideal sensing performance. However, this process is often hindered by the poor controllability and site-selectivity of conventional fabrication methods. In this study, a facile, site-selective, all-dry and controllable method is proposed to fabricate CF ultramicroelectrodes with different shapes and surface properties, using direct atmospheric pressure microplasma scanning technology with the aid of varying the gas composition. Localized shape tuning, surface roughening and oxidation of CF monofilament were realized using controlled oxygen microplasma etching and modification. With chloroauric acid introduced into the microplasma, metallic gold nanoparticles can be also directly decorated on the fiber surface in the ambient air condition. Electrochemical performance of the developed ultramicroelectrodes was examined by selective detection of dopamine (DA). Compared with conventional fabrication method, ultramicroelectrodes processed by microplasma exhibit excellent electrocatalytic activity toward DA with high sensitivity and selectively. This direct microplasma scanning technology provides an efficient and simple method for the selective and multifunctional fabrication of CF ultramicroelectrodes with controlled shape, size and surface properties, which show great potential for ultrasensitive detection and biosensing applications.

Ultraviolet-protecting, flexible and stable photovoltaic-assisted piezoelectric hybrid unit nanogenerator for simultaneously harvesting ultraviolet light and mechanical energies

Owing to the ecological destruction and the energy crisis, harvesting green energy from the environment has become a hot issue in modern times. Here, a facile, flexible and stable hybrid unit nanogenerator (NG) with ultraviolet (UV) protection based on poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) piezoelectric nanogenerator (PENG) unit and ultraviolet photovoltaic (SC) unit is fabricated. Specially, self-made thiophenyl soluble conjugated polymer (scp)/zinc oxide (ZnO) quantum dots nanocomposite film was prepared by spin-coating in ambient air condition as UV photoelectric and UV-protective thin film. The flexible photovoltaic films were found to exhibit good photovoltaic performance with a dominating fraction of UV absorption. Under external mechanical forces and UV LED illumination, and the open-circuit output voltage and short-circuit current of the device were significantly enhanced by UV LED constant light exposure. To specify this device performance, the effects of different external mechanical forces and UV illumination on the output of hybrid unit are also analyzed, the open-circuit output voltage of the device was significantly influenced by UV illumination. To demonstrate the practical applications of flexible hybrid unit NG, it exhibits high performance with a maximum power density of 0.97 mW/cm3. The device is able to charge a 33-μF capacitor to 3.6 V within a short time span (60 s) and drive a red LED for a few seconds. This work explores new prospects for UV-protective energy harvesting which can eventually boost up the self-powered electronic robotics and wearable systems based on renewable energy.

Seasonal Variation, Pollution Indices and Trajectory Modeling of Bio-monitored Airborne Particulate Around Two Smelting Factories in Osun State, Nigeria

This study determined the seasonal variation of the elemental contents of airborne particulates in the exposed lichen and moss samples, estimated the pollution status and established the air mass trajectories of the airborne particulates around two smelting factories in Osun State, Nigeria. The exposed lichen and moss samples were analyzed for elemental contents, employing X-ray fluorescence (XRF) technique. The pollution status was estimated using various indices: pollution load factor (PLF), degree of pollution load factor (DPLF), pollution load index (PLI) and relative accumulation factor, and the trajectories of pollutants were modeled using hybrid single-particle lagrangian integrated trajectory (HYSPLIT 4.0). The average concentrations of Ca and Fe were above 1000 μgg−1 showing their affinity and natural abundance in moss and lichen bio-monitors. Elements such as V, Cr, Co Ni Sr and Rb were below 100 μgg−1 in both seasons for the two sites. The elemental concentrations of moss and lichen samples, for most of the elements, were similar in trend for both sites due to similar production processes. The PLF values of Sc, Cr and Cu, Zn, Ni and Mn and Fe, Rb and Se were > 6, 3 ≤ PLF < 6 and 1 ≤ PLF < 3 for lichen and moss in both seasons and sites. The dry and wet seasonal values of the degree of pollution load factors (DPLF) are 112 and 122 for lichen and 89 and 104 for moss in Ile-Ife site; while, respectively, observed to be 90 and 113 and 93 and 97 for Ikirun site. These values showed very high degree of contamination conditions. The PLI for all the sites and seasons was above 3, indicating a progressive deterioration of the ambient air conditions of the study areas. The RAF values of Sc, Cr, Mn, Co, Ni and Cu were greater than unity, signifying accumulation property and preferential absorption from the deposited airborne particulates on the exposed lichen and moss. The backward trajectories showed arrival of air masses transport from the southwest direction, while forward trajectories showed air masses transport in northeast directions. The trajectory analysis indicates that pollutants contribution were from nearby sources with all season dispersion mostly in the southwestern parts of the smelting factories.

Comparative analysis of air-to-water and ground source heat pumps performances

ABSTRACT A comparative analysis of the Coefficient of Performance (COP) and the Energy Efficiency Ratio (EER), based on the technical data of 430 different models of air-to-water heat pumps (AWHPs) as well ground-source heat pumps (GSHPs), at certain conditions of ambient air, ground source and water outlet from the heat pump (HP) temperatures, is performed. The results, presented in graphical and tabular form, give the COP and EER values against the HPs nominal capacity and the correlation between COP and EER with the temperature rise ΔΤ along the HP. By averaging the performance values of all AWHPs or GSHPs models, equations of polynomial regression that give the relationship between average COP or EER and ΔΤ values were also calculated. It is shown that inverter-driven HPs generally have higher COP and EER as compared to the fix-capacity HPs, for the same heating or cooling range. Also, performance is highly depended on ΔΤ.

Direct Utilization of Geothermal Energy in Menengai, Kenya: Pilot Project for Drying Food Commodities in Lesiolo, Nakuru

Kenya is a developing country highly dependent on economic rotation in agricultural sector with main commodities corn, tea and fruits. In order to maintain quality of commodity within a certain period, a drying process is needed. Purpose of drying is to reduce moisture content of a commodity to a certain level. Alternative energy that can be used for drying activities in Kenya is geothermal energy. In assessing direct utilization of geothermal energy, a pilot project was made in Lesiolo, Nakuru by utilizing heat energy from the Menengai geothermal waste fluid area, Nakuru.&#x0D; &#x0D; Drying process can utilize brine from separator or condensate from power plant by using a heat exchanger to get required drying temperature. One drying room can hold about 20 tons in ambient air conditions. This dryer is shaped like a tunnel where hot air will flow from each side of drying chamber. Food commodities used in this project are wheat, corn and barley. Heat energy needed to dry each of these food commodities comes from geothermal waste fluid that enters heat exchanger with a minimum input temperature of 130oC and an output of 93oC. Mass flow rate needed to dry every 30 m3 of commodity is 2 kg/s

Boosting Solar Cell Performance via Centrally Localized Ag in Solution-Processed Cu(In,Ga)(S,Se)2 Thin Film Solar Cells

Fabrication of Cu(In,Ga)(S,Se)2 (CIGSSe) absorber films from environmentally friendly solutions under ambient air conditions for use in solar cells has shown promise for the low-cost mass production of CIGSSe solar cells. However, the limited power conversion efficiency (PCE) of these solar cells compared with their vacuum-processed counterparts has been a critical setback to their practical applications. This study aims to fabricate solution-processed CIGSSe solar cells with high PCEs by incorporation of Ag into the precursor layer of the CIGSSe absorber films. The results showed that Ag doping promoted grain growth by accelerating Se uptake irrespective of location within the CIGSSe film. Nevertheless, uniform Ag doping formed crevices that lowered the PCE of the cells, while centrally localizing the doped Ag prevented the formation of crevices, resulting in high PCEs up to 15.3%. Our results demonstrate that carefully doping Ag into a selected area of the precursor layer of CIGSSe films can realize solution-processed chalcopyrite solar cells with high PCE.

Luminescent Nd3+‐Based Microresonators Working as Optical Vacuum Sensors

AbstractGlass microspheres embedded with Nd3+‐doped nanoperovskites based on yttrium orthoaluminate are synthesized and used as optical vacuum sensor. Under 532 nm excitation, the microspheres show two emission bands centered at 820 and 890 nm, corresponding to the 2H9/2,4F5/2 → 4I9/2 and 4F3/2 → 4I9/2 transitions. When the microspheres are heated by laser excitation in air (ambient conditions), the positions of the Stark level transitions shift toward red or blue spectral regions. Additionally, the full width at half maximum of these peaks increases. Furthermore, due to the specific geometry of the microspheres, it is possible to trap the emitted light inside the microsphere resonator, in the form of whispering‐gallery‐modes (WGM). When the microspheres are heated, these resonant modes present higher shifts toward lower energies than those for the Stark levels. As pressure decreases, the thermal exchange (convection process) between the microsphere and the surrounding air molecules decreases, which leads to an increase on the temperature of the microsphere. Based on this effect, the response of the WGM spectral positions as a function of pressure level is used to calibrate the luminescent microspheres as optical vacuum sensors. Relative sensitivity and limit of detection are obtained and compared with other optical vacuum sensors.

Modeling of the PM10 pollutant health effects in a semi-arid area: a case study in Zabol, Iran

This study investigated the short-term effects of exposure particulate matter (PM10) in Zabol, Iran, from 2013 to 2015. The concentrations of PM10 recorded from 2013 to 2015 were given as the input to the software (AirQ 2.2.3) developed by the World Health Organization (WHO) to estimate the attributed proportion of the health effects and the number of excess cases related to total mortality (TM), cardiovascular mortality (CM), respiratory mortality (RM), hospital admissions due to cardiovascular disease (HACD), and hospital admissions due to respiratory disease (HARD). According to the data, 73 days during 2013–2014 and 144 days during 2014–2015 in Zabol exceeded the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) guideline limits. This finding indicates the impact of the windy period on the ambient air condition of Zabol’s airshed. Moreover, the number of excess cases attributed to TM, CM, RM, HACD, and HARD per 100,000 people was estimated as 182, 96, 18, 94, and 243 individuals during 2013–2014. However, these values increased by about 50% during 2014–2015. This significant level of health effects of PM10 on the residents of Zabol necessitates urgent controlling/management actions to reduce dust storms in this region.

Antisolvent Additive Engineering Containing Dual-Function Additive for Triple-Cation p–i–n Perovskite Solar Cells with over 20% PCE

In this work, we attempt to improve the quality of the perovskite film using a functional additive in the perovskite antisolvent, which is known as antisolvent additive engineering (AAE). An AAE additive, 2-hydroxyethyl acrylate (HEA), that includes −OH and CO functional groups is introduced into the antisolvent. Its effect on the perovskite film and devices is then systematically studied. Comprehensive analyses including cell performance, carrier transport dynamics, and perovskite surface and morphology measurements were performed to prove that this HEA-based AAE leads to better perovskite films with a larger grain size and fewer perovskite defects and also to prove that this AAE approach is a promising way to obtain high-quality perovskite and corresponding high-efficiency perovskite solar cells. As a result, this facile AAE with HEA obtained a maximum power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 20.46% and showed better stability, maintaining over 61% of its initial PCE after 96 days under ambient air conditions.

Investigation of friction and wear performance on oxidized Ti6Al4V alloy at different temperatures by plasma oxidation method under ambient air and vacuum conditions

The Ti6Al4V alloy has a series of advantages such as low density, corrosion resistance and high strength. Along with these advantages, the low wear resistance of the Ti6Al4V alloy prevents its wide application in the industry. Ti6Al4V alloy is also frequently used in the aerospace industry. Thus, the wear resistance under vacuum condition is as important as the wear resistance under ambient air. In this study, it is investigated that the wear resistance of the Ti6Al4V alloy improved by glow discharge plasma oxidation at 3 different temperatures. The characterization of the formed oxide layers is determined by the Vickers micro-hardness tester, scanning electric microscope, 3D profilometer, energy distributor X-ray spectrometer, atomic force microscope and X-ray diffractometer. The wear resistance of the untreated and plasma oxidized samples are tested under 1 and 2 N constant normal load under ambient air and vacuum conditions. It has been determined that in the both wear conditions, oxidized samples have lower wear rates than untreated samples. The best wear resistance in both wear conditions is obtained in the sample with the highest hardness value. In addition, it has been determined that the wear resistance under vacuum condition is higher than the ambient air.

Synthesis of molybdenum carbide catalyst by DC arc plasma in ambient air for hydrogen evolution

Electrochemical water splitting is attractive for hydrogen production, however, high cost of noble metal catalysts, such as platinum, restrict its use. Herein, molybdenum carbide nanoparticles encapsulated within carbon matrices as a high-performance and low-cost electrocatalyst for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) were prepared by DC arc discharge plasma under ambient air conditions. According to XRD patterns the synthesized product includes molybdenum carbides (β-Mo2C and Mo1.2C0.8), molybdenum and graphite crystalline phases. The resulting material shows highly active catalytic properties with very small onset potential of −63 mV, a low overpotential of −226 mV at current density of 10 mA cm−2 and Tafel slope of 66.1 mV.dec−1 in 1.0 M KOH. The long-term HER stability test for 50 h under constant current density of 10 mA cm−2 confirmed the stability of the catalytic properties of the synthesized product. Therefore, such a method for producing Mo-based material for HER electrocatalysts is promising and can have practical application.

ELECTRICAL CHARACTERISTICS AND EFFICIENCY OF ORGANIC SOLAR CELLS WITH (P3HT: ICBA) ACTIVE LAYER AT AMBIENT AIR

A combination of narrow band donor polymer and one of the fullerene derivatives provide a possible solution for the production of efficient organic solar cells. The organic active layer is made from a combination of Poly(3-hexylthiophene-2,5-diyl) with 1’,1’’,4’,4’’- tetrahydro-di[1,4] methanonaphthaleno [5,6] fullerene-C60 (P3HT:ICBA). High holes mobility in conjunction with good solubility and partial air stability make regio-regular P3HT electron donor, a reference material of choice for both fundamental and applied research in organic solar cells. Polymers fullerene ICBA organic solar cells are effective acceptors because of their high electron affinity and ability to transport charge effectively. Spin coating was used to deposit the P3HT:ICBA layer from a solution on a ITO substrate. Aluminum electrodes were vapor deposited under vacuum at different stages with a thermal evaporator and a Keithley set-up was used for Current-Voltage (IV) measurements at ambient. The success of this research is measured by effectively building and tests the cells under ambient air conditions, while the efficiency is better appreciated through using a controlled atmosphere with inert gas. Samples were prepared with different P3HT:ICBA blend ratios. While the maximum efficiency known for the best organic cells is more than 10%, the maximum achieved efficiency in this research is 0.89% for 1:1 (P3HT:ICBA) blend ratio. IV curves were made for the cells with illumination of 100 mW/cm2 at 25 ºC.