CA2444831A1 - Thermophotovoltaic device with selective emitter - Google Patents
Thermophotovoltaic device with selective emitter Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- CA2444831A1 CA2444831A1 CA 2444831 CA2444831A CA2444831A1 CA 2444831 A1 CA2444831 A1 CA 2444831A1 CA 2444831 CA2444831 CA 2444831 CA 2444831 A CA2444831 A CA 2444831A CA 2444831 A1 CA2444831 A1 CA 2444831A1
- Authority
- CA
- Canada
- Prior art keywords
- thermophotovoltaic
- space
- selective emitter
- oxidizing environment
- energy source
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Abandoned
Links
- 230000001590 oxidative effect Effects 0.000 claims abstract description 14
- 230000009977 dual effect Effects 0.000 claims abstract description 8
- 239000011261 inert gas Substances 0.000 claims abstract description 8
- 230000004888 barrier function Effects 0.000 claims abstract description 5
- CPLXHLVBOLITMK-UHFFFAOYSA-N Magnesium oxide Chemical compound [Mg]=O CPLXHLVBOLITMK-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 claims description 10
- 239000000463 material Substances 0.000 claims description 7
- WFKWXMTUELFFGS-UHFFFAOYSA-N tungsten Chemical compound [W] WFKWXMTUELFFGS-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 claims description 7
- 229910052721 tungsten Inorganic materials 0.000 claims description 7
- 239000010937 tungsten Substances 0.000 claims description 7
- 239000000395 magnesium oxide Substances 0.000 claims description 5
- 229910001404 rare earth metal oxide Inorganic materials 0.000 claims description 5
- VYPSYNLAJGMNEJ-UHFFFAOYSA-N silicon dioxide Inorganic materials O=[Si]=O VYPSYNLAJGMNEJ-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 claims description 4
- 239000011521 glass Substances 0.000 claims 2
- 239000010453 quartz Substances 0.000 claims 1
- 238000001816 cooling Methods 0.000 description 2
- 238000007254 oxidation reaction Methods 0.000 description 2
- 239000011248 coating agent Substances 0.000 description 1
- 238000000576 coating method Methods 0.000 description 1
- 239000011888 foil Substances 0.000 description 1
- 238000012986 modification Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000004048 modification Effects 0.000 description 1
- 230000003647 oxidation Effects 0.000 description 1
- 230000001681 protective effect Effects 0.000 description 1
- 238000007789 sealing Methods 0.000 description 1
Classifications
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H02—GENERATION; CONVERSION OR DISTRIBUTION OF ELECTRIC POWER
- H02S—GENERATION OF ELECTRIC POWER BY CONVERSION OF INFRARED RADIATION, VISIBLE LIGHT OR ULTRAVIOLET LIGHT, e.g. USING PHOTOVOLTAIC [PV] MODULES
- H02S10/00—PV power plants; Combinations of PV energy systems with other systems for the generation of electric power
- H02S10/30—Thermophotovoltaic systems
-
- Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
- 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
- Y02E10/00—Energy generation through renewable energy sources
- Y02E10/50—Photovoltaic [PV] energy
Landscapes
- Physical Or Chemical Processes And Apparatus (AREA)
Abstract
A thermophotovoltaic device having a selective emitter includes thermophotovoltaic cells adapted to receive energy from an energy source. A dual wall barrier which defines a space is disposed between the thermophotovoltaic cells and the energy source. Atmosphere is vacated from the space to create a vacuum or the space is filled with inert gas to provide a non-oxidizing environment. A selective emitter is disposed in the space within the non-oxidizing environment.
Description
TITLE OF THE INVENTION:
Thermophotovoltaic Device With Selective Emitter FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a i~hermophotovoltaic device, which has incorporated within it a selective emitter.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
It is known in the art to incorporai~e selective emitters into thermophotovoltaic devices. Suitable selective emitters are known in the art and include such materials as tungsten, doped magnesia and various rare earth oxides. Oxidation problems occur with some selective emitter materials. To prevent this, they must be placed in a non-oxidizing environment. Present configurations form a non-oxidizing environment by sealing the burner to some intermediary material and either back-filling the enclosed space with an inert gas, or evacuating the space. However, problems with maintaining the seal frequently occur; due to the high temperatures present in a thermophotovoltaic device, and the difference in coefficient of thermal expansion values of the materials enclosing the protective environment. In order to reduce the differential thermal expansion., a cooling system is usually provided to control the local temperatures sufficiently to maintain the seal integrity. An example of a thermophotovoltaic device having a selective emitter is United States Patent 6,538,193 (Fraas 2003). The Fraas reference discloses a thermophotovoltaic device utilizing anti-reflection coated tungsten foil. The Fraas reference indicates that, alternatively, the tungsten could be deposited as a film and then coated by the anti-reflection coating. Water-cooling is used by Fraas as a means of controlling the temperature in the seal area to maintain a positive seal during operation.
Thermophotovoltaic Device With Selective Emitter FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a i~hermophotovoltaic device, which has incorporated within it a selective emitter.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
It is known in the art to incorporai~e selective emitters into thermophotovoltaic devices. Suitable selective emitters are known in the art and include such materials as tungsten, doped magnesia and various rare earth oxides. Oxidation problems occur with some selective emitter materials. To prevent this, they must be placed in a non-oxidizing environment. Present configurations form a non-oxidizing environment by sealing the burner to some intermediary material and either back-filling the enclosed space with an inert gas, or evacuating the space. However, problems with maintaining the seal frequently occur; due to the high temperatures present in a thermophotovoltaic device, and the difference in coefficient of thermal expansion values of the materials enclosing the protective environment. In order to reduce the differential thermal expansion., a cooling system is usually provided to control the local temperatures sufficiently to maintain the seal integrity. An example of a thermophotovoltaic device having a selective emitter is United States Patent 6,538,193 (Fraas 2003). The Fraas reference discloses a thermophotovoltaic device utilizing anti-reflection coated tungsten foil. The Fraas reference indicates that, alternatively, the tungsten could be deposited as a film and then coated by the anti-reflection coating. Water-cooling is used by Fraas as a means of controlling the temperature in the seal area to maintain a positive seal during operation.
SUN~!'ARY OF THE INVENTION
What is required is a different approach to a thermophotovoltaic device with a selective emitter.
According to the present invention there is provided a thermophotovoltaic device having a selective emitter, which includes thermophotovoltaic cells adapted to receive energy from an energy source. A dual wall barrier, which defines a space, is disposed between the thermophotovoltaic cells and the energy source. Atmosphere is vacated from the space to create a vacuum, or alternately, the space can be filled with an inert gas to provide a non-oxidizing environment. A
selective emitter is disposed in the space within the vacuum or inert environment.
With the thermophotovoltaic device, as described above, the selective emitter is positioned in the vacuum or inert environment. The selective emitter is protected from oxidization by the vacuum or inert gas environment. This novel approach eliminates the need to provide a seal to protect the selective emitter and, consequently, eliminates all the measures previously necessary to preserve seal integrity.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
These and other features of the invention will become more apparent from the following description in which reference is made to the appended drawings, the drawings are for the purpose of illustration only and are not intended to in any way limit the scope of the invention to the particular embodiment or embodiments shown, wherein:
FIGURE 1 is a labelied as PRIOR ART :is a side elevation view, in section, of a thermophotovoltaic: device.
FIGURE 2 is a side elevation view, in section, of a thermophotovoltaic device constructed in accordance with the teachings of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMESODIMENT
Referring to Figure 1, there is illustrated a PRIOR ART
thermophotovoltaic. The illustration is taken from Canadian Patent Application 2,399,673 and also appears in corresponding Patent Cooperation Treaty P.pplication PCT/CA03/01295.
Referring to FIGS I, There is illustrated a burner housing 22 in which is positioned a burner 24. Burner 24 has an internal SIC tube 26 and an SIC emitter which overlies SIC tube 26.
The key teaching of the °673 reference is the use of a filter 16. As illustrated, filter 16 is made of concentric quartz glass tubing and has dual walls 30 and 32 with a low conductivity space 34 positioned between walls 30 and 32.
Low conductivity can be created in space 34 by various means, preferably, by placing the space under vacuum. Low conductivity space 34 is adapted to break the convection heat transfer path from SIC emitter 28 to thermophotovoltaic cells 14. In order to further increase the efficiency of the device, a dielectric filter 36 is provided. Dielectric filter 36 is adapted to filter mid-wavelength energy and overlies filter 16 between SIC emitter 28 and thermophotovoltaic cells 14.
The preferred embodiment, a thermophotovoltaic device with a selective emitter generally ident~_fied by reference numeral 100, will hereinafter now be described with reference to gIG~ 2.
For the purpose of illustrating the concept a structure which is virtually identical to that illustrated in Fire 1 is shown. For the sake of clarity, the same reference numerals will be used to identify identical components.
There is fundamental difference, which distinguishes the present invention from the illustrated P~;IOR ART. Atmosphere is vacated from space 34 to create a vacuum or space is filled with an inert gas to provide a non.-oxidizing environment. A selective emitter, indicated by reference numeral 102 is disposed in space 34 within the non-oxidizing environment. This significantly alters the mode of operation and efficiency of thermophotoelectric device 100. There are a variety of suitable selective emitter materials which can be used, such as: tungsten, doped magnesia, or rare earth oxides.
In this patent document, the word '°comprising" is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article "a°° does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be one and only one of the elements.
It will be apparent to one skilled in the art that modifications may be made to the illustrated embodiment witrout departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter defined in the Claims.
What is required is a different approach to a thermophotovoltaic device with a selective emitter.
According to the present invention there is provided a thermophotovoltaic device having a selective emitter, which includes thermophotovoltaic cells adapted to receive energy from an energy source. A dual wall barrier, which defines a space, is disposed between the thermophotovoltaic cells and the energy source. Atmosphere is vacated from the space to create a vacuum, or alternately, the space can be filled with an inert gas to provide a non-oxidizing environment. A
selective emitter is disposed in the space within the vacuum or inert environment.
With the thermophotovoltaic device, as described above, the selective emitter is positioned in the vacuum or inert environment. The selective emitter is protected from oxidization by the vacuum or inert gas environment. This novel approach eliminates the need to provide a seal to protect the selective emitter and, consequently, eliminates all the measures previously necessary to preserve seal integrity.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
These and other features of the invention will become more apparent from the following description in which reference is made to the appended drawings, the drawings are for the purpose of illustration only and are not intended to in any way limit the scope of the invention to the particular embodiment or embodiments shown, wherein:
FIGURE 1 is a labelied as PRIOR ART :is a side elevation view, in section, of a thermophotovoltaic: device.
FIGURE 2 is a side elevation view, in section, of a thermophotovoltaic device constructed in accordance with the teachings of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMESODIMENT
Referring to Figure 1, there is illustrated a PRIOR ART
thermophotovoltaic. The illustration is taken from Canadian Patent Application 2,399,673 and also appears in corresponding Patent Cooperation Treaty P.pplication PCT/CA03/01295.
Referring to FIGS I, There is illustrated a burner housing 22 in which is positioned a burner 24. Burner 24 has an internal SIC tube 26 and an SIC emitter which overlies SIC tube 26.
The key teaching of the °673 reference is the use of a filter 16. As illustrated, filter 16 is made of concentric quartz glass tubing and has dual walls 30 and 32 with a low conductivity space 34 positioned between walls 30 and 32.
Low conductivity can be created in space 34 by various means, preferably, by placing the space under vacuum. Low conductivity space 34 is adapted to break the convection heat transfer path from SIC emitter 28 to thermophotovoltaic cells 14. In order to further increase the efficiency of the device, a dielectric filter 36 is provided. Dielectric filter 36 is adapted to filter mid-wavelength energy and overlies filter 16 between SIC emitter 28 and thermophotovoltaic cells 14.
The preferred embodiment, a thermophotovoltaic device with a selective emitter generally ident~_fied by reference numeral 100, will hereinafter now be described with reference to gIG~ 2.
For the purpose of illustrating the concept a structure which is virtually identical to that illustrated in Fire 1 is shown. For the sake of clarity, the same reference numerals will be used to identify identical components.
There is fundamental difference, which distinguishes the present invention from the illustrated P~;IOR ART. Atmosphere is vacated from space 34 to create a vacuum or space is filled with an inert gas to provide a non.-oxidizing environment. A selective emitter, indicated by reference numeral 102 is disposed in space 34 within the non-oxidizing environment. This significantly alters the mode of operation and efficiency of thermophotoelectric device 100. There are a variety of suitable selective emitter materials which can be used, such as: tungsten, doped magnesia, or rare earth oxides.
In this patent document, the word '°comprising" is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article "a°° does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be one and only one of the elements.
It will be apparent to one skilled in the art that modifications may be made to the illustrated embodiment witrout departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter defined in the Claims.
Claims (11)
1. A thermophotovoltaic device having a selective emitter, comprising:
thermophotovoltaic cells adapted to receive energy from an energy source;
a dual wall barrier which defines a space disposed between the thermophotovoltaic cells and the energy source, the space is provided with a non-oxidizing environment; and a selective emitter disposed in the space within the non-oxidizing environment or inert gas environment.
thermophotovoltaic cells adapted to receive energy from an energy source;
a dual wall barrier which defines a space disposed between the thermophotovoltaic cells and the energy source, the space is provided with a non-oxidizing environment; and a selective emitter disposed in the space within the non-oxidizing environment or inert gas environment.
2. The thermophotovoltaic device as defined in Claim 1, wherein the dual walls are of heat resistant glass.
3. The thermophotovoltaic device as defined in Claim 2, wherein the heat resistant glass is quartz.
4. The thermophotovoltaic device as defined in Claim 2, wherein the dual walls are arranged as concentric tubes.
5. The thermophotovoltaic device as defined in Claim 1, wherein the selective emitter may include, but is not limited to; tungsten, doped magnesia, or rare earth oxides.
Other materials that selectively emit energy in the wavelengths preferred by thermophotovoltaic cells also qualify as selective emitter materials.
Other materials that selectively emit energy in the wavelengths preferred by thermophotovoltaic cells also qualify as selective emitter materials.
6. The thermophotovoltaic device as defined in Claim 1, wherein atmosphere is vacated from the space to create a vacuum which serves as the non-oxidizing environment.
7. The thermophotovoltaic device as defined in Claim 1, wherein the space is filled with an inert gas to provide the non-oxidizing environment.
8. A thermophotovoltaic device having a selective emitter, comprising:
an enclosure of heat resistant quartz glass made from concentric tubes;
thermophotovoltaic cells position outside of the enclosure;
an energy source positioned within the enclosure;
the concentric tubes providing a dual wall barrier which defines a space disposed between the thermophotovoltaic cells and the energy source, atmosphere being vacated from the space to create a vacuum which serves as a non-oxidizing environment; and a selective emitter disposed in the space within the non-oxidizing environment.
an enclosure of heat resistant quartz glass made from concentric tubes;
thermophotovoltaic cells position outside of the enclosure;
an energy source positioned within the enclosure;
the concentric tubes providing a dual wall barrier which defines a space disposed between the thermophotovoltaic cells and the energy source, atmosphere being vacated from the space to create a vacuum which serves as a non-oxidizing environment; and a selective emitter disposed in the space within the non-oxidizing environment.
9. The thermophotovoltaic device as defined in Claim 8, wherein the selective emitter is selected from one of tungsten, doped magnesia, or rare earth oxides.
10. A thermophotovoltaic device having a selective emitter, comprising:
an enclosure of heat resistant quartz glass made from concentric tubes;
thermophotovoltaic cells position outside of the enclosure;
an energy source positioned within the enclosure;
the concentric tubes providing a dual wall barrier which defines a space disposed between the thermophotovoltaic cells and the energy source, the space being filled with an inert gas to provide the non-oxidizing environment; and a selective emitter disposed in the space within the non-oxidizing environment.
an enclosure of heat resistant quartz glass made from concentric tubes;
thermophotovoltaic cells position outside of the enclosure;
an energy source positioned within the enclosure;
the concentric tubes providing a dual wall barrier which defines a space disposed between the thermophotovoltaic cells and the energy source, the space being filled with an inert gas to provide the non-oxidizing environment; and a selective emitter disposed in the space within the non-oxidizing environment.
11. The thermophotovoltaic device as defined in Claim 10, wherein the selective emitter is selected from one of tungsten, doped magnesia, or rare earth oxides.
Priority Applications (2)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA 2444831 CA2444831A1 (en) | 2003-10-10 | 2003-10-10 | Thermophotovoltaic device with selective emitter |
| PCT/CA2004/001795 WO2005036654A1 (en) | 2003-10-10 | 2004-10-11 | Thermophotovoltaic device with selective emitter |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA 2444831 CA2444831A1 (en) | 2003-10-10 | 2003-10-10 | Thermophotovoltaic device with selective emitter |
Publications (1)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| CA2444831A1 true CA2444831A1 (en) | 2005-04-10 |
Family
ID=34427666
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA 2444831 Abandoned CA2444831A1 (en) | 2003-10-10 | 2003-10-10 | Thermophotovoltaic device with selective emitter |
Country Status (2)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| CA (1) | CA2444831A1 (en) |
| WO (1) | WO2005036654A1 (en) |
Cited By (1)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DE102019007397B3 (en) * | 2019-10-24 | 2021-02-18 | Rhp Gmbh | Double-walled vacuum tube |
Families Citing this family (2)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DE102008058467B3 (en) * | 2008-11-21 | 2010-10-07 | Ingo Tjards | Device for generating electricity |
| KR101937527B1 (en) * | 2016-05-13 | 2019-01-11 | 전자부품연구원 | Thermal Emitter and manufacturing method thereof |
Family Cites Families (4)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US5080724A (en) * | 1990-03-30 | 1992-01-14 | The United States Of America As Represented By The Administrator Of The National Aeronautics And Space Administration | Selective emitters |
| US5518554A (en) * | 1994-01-27 | 1996-05-21 | Newman; Edwin | Cascade process heat conversion system |
| US6538193B1 (en) * | 2000-04-21 | 2003-03-25 | Jx Crystals Inc. | Thermophotovoltaic generator in high temperature industrial process |
| US6489553B1 (en) * | 2001-05-30 | 2002-12-03 | Jx Crystals Inc. | TPV cylindrical generator for home cogeneration |
-
2003
- 2003-10-10 CA CA 2444831 patent/CA2444831A1/en not_active Abandoned
-
2004
- 2004-10-11 WO PCT/CA2004/001795 patent/WO2005036654A1/en active Application Filing
Cited By (1)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DE102019007397B3 (en) * | 2019-10-24 | 2021-02-18 | Rhp Gmbh | Double-walled vacuum tube |
Also Published As
| Publication number | Publication date |
|---|---|
| WO2005036654A1 (en) | 2005-04-21 |
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Legal Events
| Date | Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| FZDE | Dead |