Thermophotovoltaic energy in space applications: Review and future potential

Datas, Alejandro; Martı́, Antonio

doi:10.1016/j.solmat.2016.12.007

Cited by 155 publications

(100 citation statements)

References 78 publications

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“…Rankine/ORC) or high cost (Brayton) [72], [73]. Probably, among all the current dynamicengine options, the best choice is a Stirling engine, which has a conversion efficiency in the range of 30 -40% at power outputs ranging from 1 to 30 kWe [73].…”

Section: Phps-e Systemmentioning

confidence: 99%

Techno-economic analysis of solar PV power-to-heat-to-power storage and trigeneration in the residential sector

2019

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This article assesses whether it is profitable to store solar PV electricity in the form of heat and convert it back to electricity on demand. The impact of a number of technical and economic parameters on the profitability of a self-consumption residential system located in Madrid is assessed. The proposed solution comprises two kinds of heat stores: a low-or medium-grade heat store for domestic hot water and space heating, and a high-grade heat store for combined heat and power generation. Two cases are considered where the energy that is wasted during the conversion of heat into electricity is employed to satisfy either the heating demand, or both heating and cooling demands by using a thermally-driven heat pump. We compare these solutions against a reference case that relies on the consumption of grid electricity and natural gas and uses an electrically-driven heat pump for cooling. The results show that, under relatively favourable conditions, the proposed solution that uses an electrically-driven heat pump could provide electricity savings in the range of 70 -90% with a payback period of 12 -15 years, plus an additional 10 -20% reduction in the fuel consumption. Shorter payback periods, lower than 10 years, could be attained by using a highly efficient thermally driven heat pump, at the expense of increasing the fuel consumption and the greenhouse gas emissions.Hybridising this solution with solar thermal heating could enable significant savings on the global emissions, whilst keeping a high amount of savings in grid electricity (> 70 %) and a reasonably short payback period (< 12 years).

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Section: Phps-e Systemmentioning

confidence: 99%

Techno-economic analysis of solar PV power-to-heat-to-power storage and trigeneration in the residential sector

2019

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“…For instance, the highest conversion efficiency of TPV devices reported so far is 24 %, but the power density (0.79 W/cm 2 at 1312 K [9]) is much lower than that of current state of the art TEG (today's record is 22 W/cm 2 at 868 K [10]). Much higher power densities, in the range of 17-25 W/cm 2 , were experimentally demonstrated for TIC operating at 1400-1700ºC, but with significantly lower conversion efficiencies in the range of 7-11% [8], [11].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 98%

Thermionic-enhanced near-field thermophotovoltaics

Datas

Vaillon

2019

Nano Energy

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Solid-state heat-to-electrical power converters are thermodynamic engines that use fundamental particles, such as electrons or photons, as working fluids. Virtually all commercially available devices are thermoelectric generators, in which electrons flow through a solid driven by a temperature difference. Thermophotovoltaics and thermionics are highly efficient alternatives relying on the direct emission of photons and electrons. However, the low energy flux carried by the emitted particles significantly limits their generated electrical power density potential.Creating nanoscale vacuum gaps between the emitter and the receiver in thermionic and thermophotovoltaic devices enables a significant enhancement of the electron and photon energy fluxes, respectively, which in turn results in an increase of the generated electrical power density. Here we propose a thermionic-enhanced near-field thermophotovoltaic device that exploits the simultaneous emission of photons and electrons through nanoscale vacuum gaps.We present the theoretical analysis of a device in which photons and electrons travel from a hot LaB6-coated tungsten emitter to a closely spaced BaF2-coated InGaAs photovoltaic cell. Photon tunnelling and space charge removal across the nanoscale vacuum gap produce a drastic increase in flux of electrons and photons, and subsequently, of the generated electrical power density. We show that conversion efficiencies and electrical power densities of ~ 30% and ~ 70 W/cm 2 are achievable at 2000 K for a practicable gap distance of 100 nm, and thus greatly enhance the performances of stand-alone near-field thermophotovoltaic devices (~10% and ~10 W/cm 2 ). A key practical advantage of this nanoscale energy conversion device is the use of grid-less cell designs, eliminating the issue of series resistance and shadowing losses, which are unavoidable in conventional near-field thermophotovoltaic devices.

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“…Therefore, a highly active isotope source is itself a powerful heat source, some with surface temperature of up to 1200 K or more . Radioisotope usually has a long half life, plus the stability of the thermophotovoltaic (TPV) system itself, so the RTPV has the strong potential to work long term and is stable in extreme environments . Although the first TPV system was introduced in the 1960s, RTPV has only begun to receive attention in recent years, the research is still in a preliminary stage.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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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Thermophotovoltaic energy in space applications: Review and future potential

Cited by 155 publications

References 78 publications

Techno-economic analysis of solar PV power-to-heat-to-power storage and trigeneration in the residential sector

Techno-economic analysis of solar PV power-to-heat-to-power storage and trigeneration in the residential sector

Thermionic-enhanced near-field thermophotovoltaics

Thermal Emission‐Enhanced and Optically Modulated Radioisotope Thermophotovoltaic Generators

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