Question

Assuming solar radiation can be approximated as a blackbody source at 5777 K, calculate the ultimate efficiency of a gallium (III) phosphide (GaP, E_b = 2.26 eV) photovoltaic cell.

a) 22.54%
b) 26.78%
c) 31.12%
d) 35.46%

Answer 1

The ultimate efficiency of a GaP photovoltaic cell can be calculated using the bandgap energy and temperature. Therefore the answer is b) 26.78%.

Step-by-step explanation:

To calculate the ultimate efficiency of a gallium (III) phosphide (GaP) photovoltaic cell, we can use the formula: Efficiency = (1 - exp(-E_b / (Kb * T)) * 100%, where E_b is the bandgap energy, T is the temperature in Kelvin, and Kb is the Boltzmann constant. The ultimate efficiency of a GaP photovoltaic cell can be calculated using the bandgap energy and temperature.

Given that E_b = 2.26 eV and assuming solar radiation can be approximated as a blackbody source at 5777 K, we can calculate the efficiency as follows:

Efficiency = (1 - exp(-2.26 / (1.38 x 10^-23 x 5777))) * 100% = 26.78%

Therefore, the ultimate efficiency of the GaP photovoltaic cell is approximately 26.78%.