Performance Analysis Of Submerged Gallium Arsenide Photovoltaic Cell With Varying Water Conditions

Abstract

This study investigates the performance of submerged gallium arsenide (GaAs) photovoltaic (PV) cells under various water conditions, aiming to enhance the understanding and efficiency of underwater solar energy systems.Unlike conventional polycrystalline materials, which suffer from structural and electrical homogeneity issues, GaAs offers superior characteristics, including higher efficiency and better resistance to environmental degradation. The research focuses on analyzing the impact of different water types, including sea water, deionized water, artificial sea water, and normal tap water, on the performance of GaAs PV cells at varying depths up to 30 cm. Experimental results reveal that the power output and efficiency of the PV cells are significantly influenced by the water's transparency and impurity levels. Among the tested conditions, deionized water yielded the highest power output, then artificial sea water, normal water, and sea water. The study also demonstrates the effectiveness of encapsulation in protecting the PV cells across all water types, including natural seawater with salinity and contaminants. This study contributes to the domain of renewable energy by supplying information on optimizing submerged PV cell performance and highlights the potential of GaAs solar cells for sustainable energy generation in marine environments.