Thermodynamic limits for simultaneous energy harvesting from the hot sun and cold outer space

Li, Wei; Buddhiraju, Siddharth; Fan, Shanhui

doi:10.1038/s41377-020-0296-x

Title: Thermodynamic limits for simultaneous energy harvesting from the hot sun and cold outer space

Journal Article · Fri Apr 24 00:00:00 EDT 2020 · Light, Science & Applications

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41377-020-0296-x· OSTI ID:1624020

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Stanford Univ., CA (United States)

The sun and outer space are two of the most important fundamental thermodynamic resources for renewable energy harvesting. A significant amount of work has focused on understanding the fundamental limit of energy harvesting from the sun. More recently, there have been several theoretical analyses of the fundamental limit of energy harvesting from outer space. However, far less is understood about the fundamental limits of simultaneous energy harvesting from both the sun and outer space. Here, we consider and introduce various schemes that are capable of simultaneous energy harvesting and elucidate the fundamental thermodynamic limits of these schemes. We show that the theoretical limits can far exceed the previously established limit associated with utilizing only one thermodynamic resource. Our results highlight the significant potential of simultaneous energy harvesting and indicate new fundamental opportunities for improving the efficiency of energy harvesting systems.

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Research Organization:: Stanford Univ., CA (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE Office of Science (SC)

Grant/Contract Number:: FG02-07ER46426

OSTI ID:: 1624020

Journal Information:: Light, Science & Applications, Vol. 9, Issue 1; ISSN 2047-7538

Publisher:: Nature Publishing GroupCopyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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Cited by: 52 works

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