A radioisotope thermophotovoltaic converter with nanophotonic emitters and filters

Lee, Jung-Hun; Cheon, Seongjae; Hong, Ser-Gi; Nam, Youngsuk

doi:10.1016/j.ijheatmasstransfer.2016.12.049

Cited by 29 publications

(31 citation statements)

References 23 publications

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“…They only designed the prototype and were less concerned with the heat transfer optimization inside the RTPV. The numerical simulation analysis of the heat source distribution inside the RTPV by Cheon and coworkers is an improvement, but it has not been discussed experimentally …”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The numerical simulation analysis of the heat source distribution inside the RTPV by Cheon and coworkers is an improvement, but it has not been discussed experimentally. [22,23] RTPV systems are mainly composed of a heat source, heat emitter, filter, and TPV cell ( Figure 1). The total efficiency of the RTPV system is equal to the product of the efficiency of each part.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Thermal Emission‐Enhanced and Optically Modulated Radioisotope Thermophotovoltaic Generators

et al. 2019

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Infrared radiation generated by high‐energy‐density radioisotope decay can be converted to electrical energy in radioisotope thermophotovoltaic (RTPV) generators. Thermal emission intensity and spectral properties have substantial implications in this thermal energy conversion process. To improve the performance of the RTPV generator, a silicone coating material is used as a thermal emission enhancer, and SiO2 is used as a filter. The silicone coating has excellent thermal emissivity at high temperatures. The SiO2 filter is used for optical modulation during the thermal energy conversion process. The heat transfer optimization problem caused by the internal temperature distribution of the system is discussed. Compared with the experimental model before optimization, the output power of the RTPV generator increased by 126% obtains an open‐circuit voltage of 2.64 V, an electric power of 89.88 mW, and an energy conversion efficiency of 5.62%. The RTPV generator is expected to be a potential candidate for energy supply in extreme environments.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Thermal Emission‐Enhanced and Optically Modulated Radioisotope Thermophotovoltaic Generators

et al. 2019

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“…However, these previous studies have applied the same heat source unit as for previous RTGs without further optimization. In our recent work, we suggested an RTPV converter including a new cubic‐type heat source unit incorporating a 2D Ta nanophotonic emitter and investigated the effects of the packing factor (PF) of radioisotope fuel and the nonidealities of emitters on RTPV conversion efficiency …”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In most previous studies, 238 PuO 2 was considered as the fuel material to use the α‐decay heat of 238 Pu due to its high specific power density (480 W/kg), long half‐life (87.8 years), and high melting point (~2353 K). Also, the chemical and material stability of PuO 2 has been well verified in the nuclear engineering field.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Another concern regarding the radioisotope heat source is the temperature distribution because it is directly related to thermal stress, which is one of the key factors determining the integrity of the source materials including the clad and shielding materials . Also, a precise thermal energy balance is crucial to predict the energy conversion efficiency of the RTPV system . Our previous works used a simple energy balance‐based 1D model, which limited the investigation of such issues including radiation dose and temperature distribution.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Design and performance analysis of a 500-W heat source for radioisotope thermophotovoltaic converters

2017

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Summary A radioisotope thermophotovoltaic (RTPV) system effectively converts the decay heat of radioisotopes into electricity via thermally radiated photons. In this work, a 500‐W thermal heat source unit including 238PuO2 radioisotope fuel, shielding material, and selective emitter is designed from the viewpoint of radiation safety, thermal performance, and overall conversion efficiency by considering various shielding materials, fuel configurations, and packing factor (PF), defined as the ratio of fuel region volume to total heat source enclosure volume including fuel cladding and shield. The design study starts with a reference cubic configuration and extends to the more complicated configurations having separate cylindrical fuels. The results of the study showed that the heat source unit design suggested here can reduce the total radiation dose, peak neutron fluence, and maximum temperature using separate cylindrical fuel rods. For example, a design having a separated 3 × 3 cylindrical fuel rod array of 30% PF increases the overall efficiency by ~39% with similar maximum temperature and radiation doses in comparison with the reference heat source unit with a single cubic module and a 10% PF. This demonstrates the importance of the proper design of the RTPV heat source unit.

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An Efficient Photon Utilization Radioisotope Thermophotovoltaic Based on Curled Reflectors

et al. 2023

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For radioisotope thermophotovoltaic (RTPV) to produce higher output power, it is often required that the irradiance incident on the thermophotovoltaic (TPV) cell array be more uniform. However, the irradiance received by each cell of the TPV array is relatively different under the conventional cell array surround structure of RTPV, resulting in a serious overall electrical output mismatch loss and a lower output power utilization rate. Herein, an RTPV with curled reflectors optimized by finite‐element method is proposed. It is shown in the simulation results that the irradiation uniformity of the cell array can reach 87.5%, the total output power reaches 88.12 W, which is 39.8% higher than that prior to optimization, and the mismatch loss is reduced by 69.2%. In addition, the impact of the reflectivity of reflectors is also targeted from the perspective of practical applications, and it can still produce higher output power than that of the conventional structure even at reflectivity as low as 70%. Ultimately, the RTPV prototype with reflectors is developed, and the electrical performance is tested to verify the effect of irradiance improvement. Herein, reflectors with positive gain for RTPV are proposed, which provides a new idea for the development of high‐efficiency power supplies.

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A radioisotope thermophotovoltaic converter with nanophotonic emitters and filters

Cited by 29 publications

References 23 publications

Thermal Emission‐Enhanced and Optically Modulated Radioisotope Thermophotovoltaic Generators

Thermal Emission‐Enhanced and Optically Modulated Radioisotope Thermophotovoltaic Generators

Design and performance analysis of a 500-W heat source for radioisotope thermophotovoltaic converters

An Efficient Photon Utilization Radioisotope Thermophotovoltaic Based on Curled Reflectors

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