EFFECTS OF PHOTOANODE THICKNESS ON THE PERFORMANCE OF DSSC SIMULATED USING EQUIVALENT CIRCUIT

• Main Author: JAMALUDIN, JUFRI HAZLAN BIN
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: UniversitiTeknologi PETRONAS 2012
• Subjects: TK Electrical engineering. Electronics Nuclear engineering
• Online Access: http://utpedia.utp.edu.my/4026/1/Dissertation-_jufri_hazlan_11377.pdf; http://utpedia.utp.edu.my/4026/
• Institution: Universiti Teknologi Petronas

In DSSC or any other solar cells, thick absorption layer is preferable as it can maximize the photo-generation of carriers. Unfortunately, the photo-generated carriers need to traverse through the thick layer before it can be collected at the photo-electrodes. This may lead to unwanted phenomena such as loss of photo-generated carriers due to recombination, increase in resistivity, and drop in mobility. For optimization purposes, the balance between thick absorption layer and these unwanted phenomena need to be fully understood and will be investigated. In this work, three DSSCs with 6, 12 and 18 μm absorption layer thickness were fabricated and their current-voltage (IV) characteristics measured. To model the DSSC, a lumped parameter equivalent circuit model consisting of a single exponential-type ideal junction, a constant photo-generated current source, a series parasitic resistance (Rs) and a parallel parasitic conductance (Rsh) was used. The measured and modeled IV characteristics fit reasonably well. From the model, it is shown that both Rs and Rsh will be increased as the thickness of the absorption layer increases. It is also shown that by varying Rs the fill factor will decreased, while the efficiency of the solar cells are decreasing as the material gets thicker.