MIT, NREL researchers develop 40%-efficient thermophotovoltaic cell for grid-scale thermal batteries
A group of researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and the US Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) has fabricated a thermophotovoltaic (TPV) cell that is able to harvest high-energy photons from a white-hot heat source and convert them into electricity.
The device is described as a heat engine with no moving parts that is able to produce power from a heat source of between 1,900 to 2,400 C. This concept is known as thermal energy grid storage (TEGS) and consists of a low-cost, grid-scale energy storage technology that uses TPVs to convert heat to electricity above 2,000 C. “It is a battery that takes in electricity, converts it to high-temperature heat, stores the heat and then converts it back to electricity by TPVs on demand,” the US group explained.
The system was built with two-junction TPV devices comprising III–V materials with bandgaps between 1.0 and 1.4 eV that were optimized for the planned temperature range and TEGS applications. These cells utilize band-edge spectral filtering to obtain high efficiency, using highly reflective back surface reflectors to reject unusable sub-bandgap radiation back to the emitter.
The scientists tested several system configurations and a thermophotovoltaic device with bandgaps between 1.2 and 1.4 eV was found to have the highest efficiency at 41.1% operating at a power density of 2.39 W cm–2 and an emitter temperature of 2,400 C. Another device with a 1.2/1.0 eV bandgap reached a maximum efficiency of 39.3%, at a power density of 1.8 W cm–2 and an emitter temperature of 2,127 C.
The thermophotovoltaic cell should now be integrated into a grid-scale thermal battery. “The system would absorb excess energy from renewable sources such as the sun and store that energy in heavily insulated banks of hot graphite,” the researchers emphasized. “When the energy is needed, such as on overcast days, TPV cells would convert the heat into electricity, and dispatch the energy to a power grid.”
The device was presented in the study “Thermophotovoltaic efficiency of 40%,” which was recently published in nature. Their work demonstrated the main parts of the system in separate, small-scale experiments and the research group is currently working to integrate the parts to demonstrate a fully operational system. “Thermophotovoltaic cells were the last key step toward demonstrating that thermal batteries are a viable concept,” said MIT researcher Asegun Henry. “One of the advantages of solid-state energy converters are that they can operate at higher temperatures with lower maintenance costs because they have no moving parts.”
This content is protected by copyright and may not be reused. If you want to cooperate with us and would like to reuse some of our content, please contact: [email protected].
Please login to comment
[…] Read full article […]
Featured Project Development – State of the Art Novel InFlow Technology: ·1-Gearturbine, Rotary-Turbo, ·2-Imploturbocompressor, One Compression Step:
·1-Gearturbine: Reaction Turbine, ·Rotary-Turbo, Similar System of the Aeolipilie ·Heron Steam Device from 10-70 AD, ·With Retrodynamic = DextroGiro/RPM VS LevoGiro/InFlow, + ·Ying Yang Circular Power Type, ·Non Waste Parasitic Power Looses Type, ·8-X,Y Thermodynamic Cycle Way Steps, Patent: #197187 / IMPI – MX.
·2-Imploturbocompressor: Impulse Turbine, ·Implo-Ducted, One Moving Part System Excellence Design, · InFlow Goes from Macro-Flow to Micro-Flow by Implosion/And Inverse, ·One Compression Step, ·Circular Dynamic Motion. Implosion Way Type, ·Same Nature of a Hurricane Satellite View.
http://stateoftheartnovelinflowtech.blogspot.com
[…] US Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) has developed a tandem solar cell based on two layers of […]
[…] Energii Stanów Zjednoczonych Krajowe Laboratorium Energii Odnawialnej (NREL) opracował tandemowe ogniwo słoneczne oparte na dwóch warstwach […]
[…] group of scientists led by the US Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) set a new world record for solar cell efficiency under normal illumination without a […]
[…] group of scientists led by the US Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) set a new world record for solar cell efficiency under normal illumination without a […]
[…] group of scientists led by the US Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) set a new world record for solar cell efficiency under normal illumination without a […]
[…] group of scientists led by the US Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) set a new world record for solar cell efficiency under normal illumination without a […]
[…] group of scientists led by the US Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) set a new world record for solar cell efficiency under normal illumination without a […]
[…] of a spatial atomic layer deposition system to an unnamed customer in the United States. The too…MIT, NREL researchers develop 40%-efficient thermophotovoltaic cell for grid-scale thermal batteries…Four-terminal tandem perovskite solar cell design with 30.14% efficiency27 APRIL 2022The lead-free […]
[…] from that theory, researchers from the University of Oklahoma, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), and the University of North Texas examined techniques to test how conventional solar cells […]
[…] The system is described as a warmth engine with no shifting elements that is ready to produce energy from a warmth supply of between 1,900 to 2,400 C. This idea is named thermal power grid storage (TEGS) and consists of a low-cost, grid-scale storage expertise that makes use of thermophotovoltaic cells to transform warmth to electrical energy above 2,000 C. April 27, 2022 Emiliano BelliniThe thermophotovoltaic cell ought to now be built-in right into a grid-scale thermal battery. Picture: Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyA group of researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Expertise (MIT) and the US Division of Vitality’s Nationwide Renewable Vitality Laboratory (NREL) has fabricated a thermophotovoltaic (TPV) cell that is ready to harvest high-energy photons from a white-hot warmth supply and convert themLearn Extra […]
[…] The device is described as a heat engine with no moving parts that is able to produce power from a heat source of between 1,900 to 2,400 C. This concept is known as thermal energy grid storage (TEGS) and consists of a low-cost, grid-scale storage technology that uses thermophotovoltaic cells to convert heat to electricity above 2,000 C…Read More […]
[…] The tool is described as a warmth engine with no spirited parts that is ready to originate power from a warmth provide of between 1,900 to 2,400 C. This view is is called thermal power grid storage (TEGS) and contains a low-worth, grid-scale storage abilities that makes exhaust of thermophotovoltaic cells to transform warmth to electrical energy above 2,000 C…Read More […]
[…] From pv magazine global […]
[…] From pv magazine global […]
I don’t understand how a device that has a power density of 2.39 W cm–2 or 23 kW per square meter can be 40% efficient working with 2000 Celsius heat source ? For example anything that emits 2000C per square cm radiates much more then 4W/cm-2 and that should be the amount of power to achieve 2.39W cm-2 at 40% efficiency
[…] Read full article […]