Phys.org November 21, 2024
Thermophotovoltaics (TPV) is promising for thermal storage and generation. TPV systems employing selective thermal emitters allow compact designs for various terrestrial and space applications, but these systems have low efficiency. The selective thermal emitter and the low-bandgap photovoltaic cell contribute to this problem. Researchers at Rice University solved the shortcomings of the thermal emitter by using a novel approach based on non-Hermitian optics. They demonstrated a hybrid metal-dielectric non-Hermitian selective emitter (NHE) with high spectral efficiency and employed the NHE in a TPV system operating at 1273 K. They showed that a maximum TPV conversion efficiency of 12% was possible at 1273 K, though their preliminary experiments employed an uncooled PV cell showed a much lower efficiency… read more. Open Access TECHNICAL ARTICLE
Selective thermal emitters for thermophotovoltaics. Credit: npj Nanophotonics volume 1, Article number: 44, 21 November 2024