Asea Brown Boveri Ltd (ABB) Award 2007 - Kostro André

"For his ability to address highly interdisciplinary problems of energy science and technology by tackling a very challenging research topic in the field of semiconductor nanocrystals applied to solar energy conversion"

Photonsim: development of a monte carlo ray tracing software for the simulation of solar concentrators.

PhotonSim is a ray tracing tool designed to estimate the performance of photoluminescent materials in planar solar concentrators. This concentration is possible for both direct and diffuse light due to the specific optical properties of certain materials such as organic dyes or nanocrystalline semiconductors (quantum dots). The software uses the Monte Carlo method with experimental data or theoretical curves as inputs for the characteristics of materials and light source. The inverse function method is then used to generate random events such as reflection-refraction and absorption-reemission. Polarization of light is also taken into account.
To validate the model, experimental data for absorption, reemission and refractive index for different materials is acquired in the laboratory. Simulations are then run based on the likewise described optical properties for the considered materials. The accuracy of results such as transmitted and concentrated lights spectrum is demonstrated by comparing them to corresponding measurements.