InAs thermophotovoltaic cells with high quantum efficiency for waste heat recovery applications below 1000 °C

Lu, Qi; Zhou, Xiaojing; Krysa, A. B.; Marshall, Andrew; Carrington, Peter J.; Tan, C. K.; Krier, A.

doi:10.1016/j.solmat.2017.12.031

Cited by 46 publications

(17 citation statements)

References 17 publications

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“…To achieve higher J sc , the cells needed to be mounted closer to the lamp, which was likely to heat the TPVs. As was demonstrated in our previous work [44], higher cell temperature can have a big impact on the reduction of V oc due to the increase in J 0 .…”

Section: Electrical Characterizationsupporting

confidence: 62%

Low bandgap GaInAsSb thermophotovoltaic cells on GaAs substrate with advanced metamorphic buffer layer

Beanland

Montesdeoca

et al. 2019

Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells

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Thermophotovoltaic (TPV) devices based on GaInAsSb lattice matched to GaSb (100) substrates have demonstrated high external quantum efficiencies (EQEs) in the mid-infrared spectral range, making them promising candidates for waste heat recovery from high temperature "blackbody" sources. In this work, the GaInAsSb alloy has been integrated onto more cost-effective GaAs (100) substrates by using advanced metamorphic buffer layer techniques in molecular beam epitaxy (MBE), which included an interfacial misfit (IMF) array at the GaSb/GaAs interface followed by GaInSb/GaSb dislocation filtering layers. The threading dislocations in the GaInAsSb region can be efficiently supressed, resulting in high quality materials for TPV applications. To determine the performance of the GaInAsSb TPV on GaAs it was compared with a cell grown lattice matched onto GaSb substrate having the same structure. The resulting TPV on GaAs exhibited similar dark current-voltage characteristics with that on GaSb. Under illumination from an 800 °C silicon nitride emitter, the short circuit current density (J sc) from the GaInAsSb TPVs on GaAs reached more than 90% of the control cell on GaSb, and the open circuit voltage (V oc) exceeded 80% of the cell on GaSb. The EQE from the TPV on GaAs reached around 62%, the highest value reported from this type of TPV on GaAs. With improved TPV structure design, large area GaInAsSb TPV panels on GaAs substrates can be realized in the future for waste heat energy recovery applications.

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Section: Electrical Characterizationsupporting

confidence: 62%

Low bandgap GaInAsSb thermophotovoltaic cells on GaAs substrate with advanced metamorphic buffer layer

Beanland

Montesdeoca

et al. 2019

Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells

Self Cite

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“…Rajashekara [7]; Lu et al [117] Comparative analyses of the attributes of the systems show that IPVFC systems will be competitive among these alternative technologies because it is suitable for long-term energy storage; depends on solar energy which is ubiquitous; can be applied for both mobile and stationary applications. It also has zero emissions during operation as the combustion of hydrogen in the fuel cell produces water and heat as by-products.…”

Section: Ferrari Et Al [8]mentioning

confidence: 99%

Prospects of Integrated Photovoltaic-Fuel Cell Systems in a Hydrogen Economy: A Comprehensive Review

et al. 2021

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Integrated photovoltaic-fuel cell (IPVFC) systems, amongst other integrated energy generation methodologies are renewable and clean energy technologies that have received diverse research and development attentions over the last few decades due to their potential applications in a hydrogen economy. This article systematically updates the state-of-the-art of IPVFC systems and provides critical insights into the research and development gaps needed to be filled/addressed to advance these systems towards full commercialization. Design methodologies, renewable energy-based microgrid and off-grid applications, energy management strategies, optimizations and the prospects as self-sustaining power sources were covered. IPVFC systems could play an important role in the upcoming hydrogen economy since they depend on solar hydrogen which has almost zero emissions during operation. Highlighted herein are the advances as well as the technical challenges to be surmounted to realize numerous potential applications of IPVFC systems in unmanned aerial vehicles, hybrid electric vehicles, agricultural applications, telecommunications, desalination, synthesis of ammonia, boats, buildings, and distributed microgrid applications.

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“…The tandem cell consists of two -on-TPV subcells: an InAs bottom cell and a GaInAsSb top cell. Because an InAs cell has a narrow bandgap and can operate at room temperatures [44,45], we selected it as a bottom cell. For a wider-bandgap top cell, we chose Ga In 1− As Sb 1− quaternary semiconductor of which electrical and optical properties can be tuned according to the and composition ratio.…”

Section: Theoretical Modelingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Comprehensive analysis of optimized near-field tandem thermophotovoltaic system

Song,

Choi,

Lim

et al. 2021

Preprint

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It is well known that performance of a thermophotovoltaic (TPV) device can be enhanced if the vacuum gap between the thermal emitter and the TPV cell becomes nanoscale due to the photon tunneling of evanescent waves. Having multiple bandgaps, multi-junction TPV cells have received attention as an alternative way to improve its performance by selectively absorbing the spectral radiation in each subcell. In this work, we comprehensively analyze the optimized nearfield tandem TPV system consisting of the thin-ITO-covered tungsten emitter (at 1500 K) and GaInAsSb/InAs monolithic interconnected tandem TPV cell (at 300 K). We develop a simulation model by coupling the near-field radiation solved by fluctuational electrodynamics and the diffusion-recombination-based charge transport equations. The optimal configuration of the near-field tandem TPV system obtained by the genetic algorithm achieves the electrical power output of 8.41 W/cm 2 and the conversion efficiency of 35.6% at the vacuum gap of 100 nm. We show that two resonance modes (i.e., surface plasmon polaritons supported by the ITOvacuum interface and the confined waveguide mode in the tandem TPV cell) greatly contribute to the enhanced performance of the optimized system. We also show that the near-field tandem TPV system is superior to the single-cell-based near-field TPV system in both power output and conversion efficiency through loss analysis. Interestingly, the optimization performed with the objective function of the conversion efficiency leads to the current matching condition for the tandem TPV system regardless of the vacuum gap distances.

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InAs thermophotovoltaic cells with high quantum efficiency for waste heat recovery applications below 1000 °C

Cited by 46 publications

References 17 publications

Low bandgap GaInAsSb thermophotovoltaic cells on GaAs substrate with advanced metamorphic buffer layer

Low bandgap GaInAsSb thermophotovoltaic cells on GaAs substrate with advanced metamorphic buffer layer

Prospects of Integrated Photovoltaic-Fuel Cell Systems in a Hydrogen Economy: A Comprehensive Review

Comprehensive analysis of optimized near-field tandem thermophotovoltaic system

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