Design and global optimization of high-efficiency solar thermal systems with tungsten cermets
- Massachusetts Inst. of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, MA (United States)
Solar thermal, thermoelectric, and thermophotovoltaic (TPV) systems have high maximum theoretical efficiencies; experimental systems fall short because of losses by selective solar absorbers and TPV selective emitters. To improve these critical components, we study a class of materials known as cermets. While our approach is completely general, the most promising cermet candidate combines nanoparticles of silica and tungsten. We find that 4-layer silica-tungsten cermet selective solar absorbers can achieve thermal transfer efficiencies of 84.3% at 400 K, and 75.59% at 1000 K, exceeding comparable literature values. Three layer silica-tungsten cermets can also be used as selective emitters for InGaAsSb-based thermophotovoltaic systems, with projected overall system energy conversion efficiencies of 10.66% at 1000 K using realistic design parameters. The marginal benefit of adding more than 4 cermet layers is small (less than 0.26%, relative).
- Research Organization:
- Massachusetts Inst. of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, MA (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES)
- Grant/Contract Number:
- SC0001299; FG02-09ER46577
- OSTI ID:
- 1386905
- Journal Information:
- Optics Express, Vol. 19, Issue S3; Related Information: S3TEC partners with Massachusetts Institute of Technology (lead); Boston College; Oak Ridge National Laboratory; Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute; ISSN 1094-4087
- Publisher:
- Optical Society of America (OSA)Copyright Statement
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Web of Science
Similar Records
A high-performance spectrally-selective solar absorber based on a yttria-stabilized zirconia cermet with high-temperature stability
A review of cermet-based spectrally selective solar absorbers