Tube-in-tube thermophotovoltaic generator

Ashcroft, John; Campbell, Brian; DePoy, David

Title: Tube-in-tube thermophotovoltaic generator

Abstract

A thermophotovoltaic device includes at least one thermal radiator tube, a cooling tube concentrically disposed within each thermal radiator tube and an array of thermophotovoltaic cells disposed on the exterior surface of the cooling tube. A shell having a first end and a second end surrounds the thermal radiator tube. Inner and outer tubesheets, each having an aperture corresponding to each cooling tube, are located at each end of the shell. The thermal radiator tube extends within the shell between the inner tubesheets. The cooling tube extends within the shell through the corresponding apertures of the two inner tubesheets to the corresponding apertures of the two outer tubesheets. A plurality of the thermal radiator tubes can be arranged in a staggered or an in-line configuration within the shell.

Inventors:

Ashcroft, John ^[1]; Campbell, Brian ^[1]; DePoy, David ^[2]

Scotia, NY
Clifton Park, NY

Issue Date:: 1998-06-30

Research Org.:: Knolls Atomic Power Lab. (KAPL), Niskayuna, NY (United States)

OSTI Identifier:: 871658

Patent Number(s):: 5772793

Assignee:: United States of America as represented by United States (Washington, DC)

Patent Classifications (CPCs):: Y - NEW / CROSS SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES Y02 - TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE Y02E - REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION

F - MECHANICAL ENGINEERING F28 - HEAT EXCHANGE IN GENERAL F28D - HEAT-EXCHANGE APPARATUS, NOT PROVIDED FOR IN ANOTHER SUBCLASS, IN WHICH THE HEAT-EXCHANGE MEDIA DO NOT COME INTO DIRECT CONTACT

Show more

Y - NEW / CROSS SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES Y02 - TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE Y02E - REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION
Y02E10/50 - Photovoltaic [PV] energy

F - MECHANICAL ENGINEERING F28 - HEAT EXCHANGE IN GENERAL F28D - HEAT-EXCHANGE APPARATUS, NOT PROVIDED FOR IN ANOTHER SUBCLASS, IN WHICH THE HEAT-EXCHANGE MEDIA DO NOT COME INTO DIRECT CONTACT
F28D7/106 - {consisting of two coaxial conduits or modules of two coaxial conduits}

F - MECHANICAL ENGINEERING F28 - HEAT EXCHANGE IN GENERAL F28F - DETAILS OF HEAT-EXCHANGE AND HEAT-TRANSFER APPARATUS, OF GENERAL APPLICATION
F28F1/003 - {Multiple wall conduits, e.g. for leak detection
F28F21/04 - of ceramic

H - ELECTRICITY H02 - GENERATION H02S - GENERATION OF ELECTRIC POWER BY CONVERSION OF INFRA-RED RADIATION, VISIBLE LIGHT OR ULTRAVIOLET LIGHT, e.g. USING PHOTOVOLTAIC [PV] MODULES
H02S10/30 - Thermophotovoltaic systems

Show less

DOE Contract Number:: AC12-76SN00052

Resource Type:: Patent

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

Subject:: tube-in-tube; thermophotovoltaic; generator; device; thermal; radiator; tube; cooling; concentrically; disposed; array; cells; exterior; surface; shell; surrounds; inner; outer; tubesheets; aperture; corresponding; located; extends; apertures; plurality; tubes; arranged; staggered; in-line; configuration; thermal radiator; cells disposed; thermophotovoltaic device; photovoltaic cells; inner tube; photovoltaic device; outer tube; exterior surface; photovoltaic cell; outer tubes; concentrically disposed; radiator tube; cooling tube; tube extends; thermophotovoltaic cell; /136/

Citation Formats


                    Ashcroft, John, Campbell, Brian, and DePoy, David. Tube-in-tube thermophotovoltaic generator.  United States: N. p., 1998. 
        Web.

Copy to clipboard


                    Ashcroft, John, Campbell, Brian, & DePoy, David. Tube-in-tube thermophotovoltaic generator.  United States.

Copy to clipboard


                    Ashcroft, John, Campbell, Brian, and DePoy, David. Tue .  
        "Tube-in-tube thermophotovoltaic generator".  United States.  https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/871658.

Copy to clipboard


                    
@article{osti_871658,

  title        = {Tube-in-tube thermophotovoltaic generator},

  author       = {Ashcroft, John and Campbell, Brian and DePoy, David},

  abstractNote = {A thermophotovoltaic device includes at least one thermal radiator tube, a cooling tube concentrically disposed within each thermal radiator tube and an array of thermophotovoltaic cells disposed on the exterior surface of the cooling tube. A shell having a first end and a second end surrounds the thermal radiator tube. Inner and outer tubesheets, each having an aperture corresponding to each cooling tube, are located at each end of the shell. The thermal radiator tube extends within the shell between the inner tubesheets. The cooling tube extends within the shell through the corresponding apertures of the two inner tubesheets to the corresponding apertures of the two outer tubesheets. A plurality of the thermal radiator tubes can be arranged in a staggered or an in-line configuration within the shell.},

  doi          = {},

  journal      = {},
number       = ,

  volume       = ,

  place        = {United States},

  year         = {1998},

  month        = {6}

}

Copy to clipboard

Patent:

View Patent

Save / Share:

Export Metadata

Save to My Library

Works referenced in this record:

Electric power production using new GaSb photovoltaic cells with extended infrared response
conference, January 1995

Fraas, Lewis; Ballantyne, Russell; Samaras, John
The first NREL conference on thermophotovoltaic generation of electricity, AIP Conference Proceedings
https://doi.org/10.1063/1.47053

Optimum efficiency of single and multiple bandgap cells in thermophotovoltaic energy conversion
journal, November 1986

Woolf, L. D.
Solar Cells, Vol. 19, Issue 1
https://doi.org/10.1016/0379-6787(86)90047-5

Similar Records in DOE Patents and OSTI.GOV collections:

Thermophotovoltaic energy generation

Patent Celanovic, Ivan; Chan, Walker; Bermel, Peter; ...

Inventive systems and methods for the generation of energy using thermophotovoltaic cells are described. Also described are systems and methods for selectively emitting electromagnetic radiation from an emitter for use in thermophotovoltaic energy generation systems. In at least some of the inventive energy generation systems and methods, a voltage applied to the thermophotovoltaic cell (e.g., to enhance the power produced by the cell) can be adjusted to enhance system performance. Certain embodiments of the systems and methods described herein can be used to generate energy relatively efficiently.
Full Text Available
Gas discharge tube true random number generator

Patent Crosier, Lawrence Christopher

A hardware random number generator comprises a gas discharge tube, an average voltage generator, and a comparator. The gas discharge tube includes first, second, and third terminals and may generate a variable voltage on the second terminal when a supply voltage is applied to the first and third terminals. The average voltage generator receives the variable voltage from the gas discharge tube and may generate an average voltage equal to a moving average value of the variable voltage over successive periods of time. The comparator receives the variable voltage and the average voltage and may generate a random stream ofmore »« less
Full Text Available
Steam generator with inclined tube sheet

Patent Liszkai, Tamas

A steam generation system may include a plurality of heat transfer tubes configured to circulate a secondary coolant of the steam generation system. The steam generation system may be thermally coupled to a reactor vessel, and the reactor vessel may be configured to house a primary coolant. Heat generated from within the reactor vessel may be transferred from the primary coolant to the secondary coolant. The steam generation system may further include an inclined tube sheet fluidly coupled to the plurality of heat transfer tubes. The inclined tube sheet may be attached to a wall of the reactor vessel inmore » a non-horizontal orientation.« less
Full Text Available
Air feed tube support system for a solid oxide fuel cell generator

Patent Doshi, Vinod B [Monroeville, PA]; Ruka, Roswell J [Pittsburgh, PA]; Hager, Charles A [Zelienople, PA]

A solid oxide fuel cell generator (12), containing tubular fuel cells (36) with interior air electrodes (18), where a supporting member (82) containing a plurality of holes (26) supports oxidant feed tubes (51), which pass from an oxidant plenum (52") into the center of the fuel cells, through the holes (26) in the supporting member (82), where a compliant gasket (86) around the top of the oxidant feed tubes and on top (28) of the supporting member (82) helps support the oxidant feed tubes and center them within the fuel cells, and loosen the tolerance for centering the air feedmore » tubes.« less
Full Text Available
Finned Tube With Vortex Generators For A Heat Exchanger.

Patent Sohal, Manohar S [Idaho Falls, ID]; O'Brien, James E [Idaho Falls, ID]

A system for and method of manufacturing a finned tube for a heat exchanger is disclosed herein. A continuous fin strip is provided with at one pair of vortex generators. A tube is rotated and linearly displaced while the continuous fin strip with vortex generators is spirally wrapped around the tube.
Full Text Available

Similar Records

Title: Tube-in-tube thermophotovoltaic generator

Abstract

Citation Formats

Electric power production using new GaSb photovoltaic cells with extended infrared response conference, January 1995

Optimum efficiency of single and multiple bandgap cells in thermophotovoltaic energy conversion journal, November 1986

Electric power production using new GaSb photovoltaic cells with extended infrared response
conference, January 1995

Optimum efficiency of single and multiple bandgap cells in thermophotovoltaic energy conversion
journal, November 1986