Who knew Blu-ray discs were so useful? Already one of the best ways to store high-definition movies and television shows because of their high-density data storage, Blu-ray discs also improve the performance of solar cells suggesting a second use for unwanted discs according to new research from Northwestern University.
An interdisciplinary research team has discovered that the pattern of information written on a Blu-ray discand it doesn’t matter if it’s Jackie Chan’s “Supercop” or the cartoon “Family Guy” works very well for improving light absorption across the solar spectrum. And better yet, the researchers know why.
Blu-ray discs contain a higher density of data than DVDs or CDs, and it is this quasi-random pattern, perfected by engineers over decades for data storage, that, when transferred to the surface of solar cells, provides the right texture to improve the cells’ light absorption and performance.
Working with Cheng Sun, an associate professor of mechanical engineering at McCormick, Huang and his team tested a wide range of movies and television shows stored on Blu-ray discs, including action movies, dramas, documentaries, cartoons and black-and-white content, and found the video content did not matter. All worked equally well for enhancing light absorption in solar cells.
The findings will be published Nov. 25 in the journal Nature Communications……..
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