Combustor design tool for a gas fired thermophotovoltaic energy converter

Conference · Sat Jul 01 04:00:00 EDT 1995

OSTI ID:350890

Lindler, K W; Harper, M J ^[1]

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1. Naval Academy, Annapolis, MD (United States). Naval Architecture, Ocean and Marine Engineering Dept.

Recently, there has been a renewed interest in thermophotovoltaic (TPV) energy conversion. A TPV device converts radiant energy from a high temperature incandescent emitter directly into electricity by photovoltaic cells. The current Department of Energy sponsored research involves the design, construction and demonstration of a prototype TPV converter that uses a hydrocarbon fuel (such as natural gas) as the energy source. As the photovoltaic cells are designed to efficiently convert radiant energy at a prescribed wavelength, it is important that the temperature of the emitter be nearly constant over its entire surface. The US Naval Academy has been tasked with the development of a small emitter (with a high emissivity) that can be maintained at 1,756 K (2,700 F). This paper describes the computer spreadsheet model that was developed as a tool to be used for the design of the high temperature emitter.

• Research Organization: Knolls Atomic Power Lab., Schenectady, NY (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE Assistant Secretary for Nuclear Energy, Washington, DC (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: AC12-76SN00052
• OSTI ID: 350890
• Report Number(s): KAPL-P--000022; K--95088; CONF-950729--; ON: DE99002657
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

03 NATURAL GAS
30 DIRECT ENERGY CONVERSION
COMPUTER-AIDED DESIGN
COMPUTERIZED SIMULATION
NATURAL GAS
PHOTOVOLTAIC CELLS
THERMOPHOTOVOLTAIC CONVERTERS