Design of selective surfaces for solar energy collection

Technical Report · Thu Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1981

OSTI ID:6579720

Trotter, Jr, D M; Craighead, H G; Sievers, A J

Numerical calculations have been done to determine ..cap alpha../sub THS/, the total hemispherical solar absorptivity, and epsilon/sub TH/, the total hemispherical emissivity in the infrared, of selective surfaces composed of a dielectric film on a metal substrate. The selectivity of the surface as a function of n/sub L/ = n/sub L/ + ik/sub L/, the refractive index of the film, is discussed, as well as the effect of grading the index of the film. It is concluded that the most effective film is one having n/sub L/ as close to unity as possible through its entire thickness while k/sub L/ increases from zero at the front surface to a larger value at the back surface.

• Research Organization: Cornell Univ., Ithaca, NY (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: AS03-77ET20413
• OSTI ID: 6579720
• Report Number(s): DOE/ET/20413-T1
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

14 SOLAR ENERGY
141000* -- Solar Collectors & Concentrators
ABSORPTIVITY
CALCULATION METHODS
DESIGN
DIELECTRIC MATERIALS
ELEMENTS
EMISSIVITY
EQUIPMENT
FILMS
LAYERS
MATERIALS
METALS
OPTICAL PROPERTIES
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
REFLECTIVITY
REFRACTIVITY
SOLAR ABSORBERS
SOLAR COLLECTORS
SOLAR EQUIPMENT
SPECTRALLY SELECTIVE SURFACES
SUBSTRATES
SURFACE PROPERTIES
SURFACES