Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Ahsan Sarwar Rana, Muhammad Zubair, Yifan Chen, Zeng Wang, Jie Deng, Muhammad Tariq Saeed Chani, Aaron Danner, Jinghua Teng, Muhammad Qasim Mehmood
Summary: We report the experimental results of a broadband metasurface solar absorber composed of refractory material chromium. The absorber exhibits high broadband absorptance and has the advantages of resistance to oxidation and corrosion, low cost, and stability at higher temperatures.
RENEWABLE & SUSTAINABLE ENERGY REVIEWS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Md Mohiuddin Soliman, Mohammad Tariqul Islam, Touhidul Alam, Norbahiah Misran, Sharul Kamal Abdul Rahim, Ahmed Alzamil, Muhammad E. H. Chowdhury, Ahmed S. Alshammari, Haitham Alsaif, Mohamed S. Soliman
Summary: The research presents a four-layered meta-structure that achieves near-unity absorbance in the visible and infrared spectra. The design also shows wide incident angle stability and negative index properties. The performance of the design is validated by interference theory model and exhibits the highest photo-thermal conversion efficiency.
Article
Thermodynamics
Sy-Bor Wen, Arun Bhaskar
Summary: An integrated analysis model is established to consider radiative energy transport and carrier generation in photovoltaic materials for solar thermophotovoltaic devices. By optimizing radiation heat loss control and using a spectral selected absorber, the solar energy conversion efficiency of the solar thermophotovoltaic devices can reach up to approximately 59.23% under a solar concentration ratio of 1000.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF HEAT AND MASS TRANSFER
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Ryan M. France, John F. Geisz, Tao Song, Waldo Olavarria, Michelle Young, Alan Kibbler, Myles A. Steiner
Summary: The design of multijunction solar cells takes into account both the theoretical optimal bandgap combination and the realistic limitations of materials. By modifying the bandgap of the middle cell using thick GaInAs/GaAsP strain-balanced quantum well solar cells, a high-efficiency triple-junction inverted metamorphic multijunction device has been achieved.
Article
Materials Science, Ceramics
Wei Wang, Xi Huan, Yuhan Li
Summary: A series of monolayer MoOx films were fabricated and it was found that the spectral absorbance can be highly tuned by controlling the film thickness. Under specific conditions, these monolayers exhibit high absorptivity and low emissivity, showing excellent selective absorption properties.
CERAMICS INTERNATIONAL
(2021)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Amina Shafique, Muhammad Ashar Naveed, Sumbel Ijaz, Muhammad Zubair, Muhammad Qasim Mehmood, Yehia Massoud
Summary: In this study, a novel refractory metal Vanadium Nitride (VN) is proposed as a stable absorber and emitter for solar-thermophotovoltaic (STPV) systems. The proposed absorber exhibits an average absorption of >98% for the wavelength range of 300-800 nm with unity peak absorption at 340 nm. The proposed emitter is designed for a CIGS PV cell and achieves an emittance of >99% for a bandgap energy of 1.14 eV (1089 nm). The high broadband absorption, narrowband emittance, and high-temperature endurability of the proposed VN platform make it a potential candidate for solar energy harvesting systems.
MATERIALS TODAY COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Optics
Qing Ni, Rajagopalan Ramesh, Cheng-An Chen, Liping Wang
Summary: This study focuses on a germanium-wafer-based selective emitter for thermophotovoltaic energy conversion, showing superior spectral selectivity behavior and high efficiency. Optical simulation and experimental results confirm the sharp cutoff wavelength and spectral emittance of the emitter, supporting the development of semiconductor-based selective emitters for enhancing TPV performance.
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Shaowen Cao, Qilin Cai, Yingshi Zhang, Qi Zhang, Qing Ye, Weifeng Deng, Xi Wu
Summary: This study establishes an energy transfer model of the STPV system based on spectral modules and considers cooling consumption. The study finds that different types of photovoltaic cells have higher suitability for different systems. The study provides a foundation for optimizing spectral modules and applying STPV systems.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Muhammad Aamir Abbas, Joohoon Kim, Ahsan Sarwar Rana, Inki Kim, Bacha Rehman, Zubair Ahmad, Yehia Massoud, Junhwa Seong, Trevon Badloe, Keunhan Park, Muhammad Qasim Mehmood, Muhammad Zubair, Junsuk Rho
Summary: STPV systems utilize a wideband absorber and emitter pair to achieve efficient solar cell design, demonstrating high efficiency at different temperatures and solar concentrations.
Article
Energy & Fuels
Zuoxin Hu, Yu Qiu, Qing Li, Jikang Wang, Mingpan Xu
Summary: In this study, a simple and efficient spectral selective solar absorber consisting of hexagonal tungsten nanopores filled with silicon dioxide was proposed. The absorber exhibited high solar absorptivity and low total emissivity, and achieved high photothermal efficiencies at different concentrations. Mechanism analysis revealed that the excellent performance of the absorber was attributed to the enhanced electromagnetic field, localized surface plasmon resonances, and impedance matching. Furthermore, the absorber showed insensitivity to incident angle and polarization angle, and was applicable to different waveguide modes.
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Wenzhuang Ma, Wei Chen, Degui Li, Yue Liu, Juhang Yin, Chunzhi Tu, Yunlong Xia, Gefei Shen, Peiheng Zhou, Longjiang Deng, Li Zhang
Summary: This study develops a high-performance design paradigm combining deep learning and multi-objective double annealing algorithms to optimize multilayer nanostructures for maximizing solar spectral absorption and minimum infrared radiation. Experimental results demonstrate exceptional absorption in the solar spectrum (calculated/measured = 0.98/0.94) and low average emissivity in the infrared region (calculated/measured = 0.08/0.19) of the designed absorber. The absorber has the potential to save up to 1743 kW h/m(2) of energy annually in areas with abundant solar radiation resources.
Article
Thermodynamics
Jialu Tian, Shiquan Shan, Binghong Chen, Zhijun Zhou, Yanwei Zhang
Summary: In order to overcome the efficiency limitation of solar photovoltaic (PV) cells, this study proposes a concentrated solar thermophotovoltaic (STPV) system based on a cavity-structured absorber, which can reshape the solar spectrum to match PV cells. An energy-balance model is established to analyze system performance, and the results show that the theoretical power generation efficiency of the system can reach 52.25% when using an ideal selective emitter to match high-bandgap Si cells. Furthermore, a metamaterial selective emitter is designed for the first time, and the simulation method is verified by comparison with previous studies. The results indicate that using a cavity-structured absorber and metamaterial selective emitter with high-bandgap PV cells is an effective STPV conversion path with advantages of simplicity and high theoretical efficiency.
THERMAL SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING PROGRESS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Sifan Tamiru, Fekadu Tolessa, Birke Alemu, Solomon Tiruneh, Abebe Belay, Gurmu Alemu, T. Gurumurthi
Summary: Design work was conducted on a broadband and wide-angle selective pyramid metamaterial emitter comprised of tungsten and aluminum nitride. The emitter demonstrated a high average emissivity of over 0.96 below the cutoff wavelength in numerical simulations. It also exhibited good emissivity across a broad range of incidence angles and was polarization independent, making it superior to blackbody emitters. The selective nanopyramid emitter achieved a spectrum efficiency of 75% for InGaAs band gap energy, surpassing previous research studies.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PHOTOENERGY
(2023)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
K. K. Phani Kumar, Sudhanshu Mallick, Shanmugasundaram Sakthivel
Summary: Solar energy conversion technologies are receiving significant attention due to the need for more efficient energy production sources. A novel cobalt-rich transition metal oxide-based absorber coating has been developed for solar thermal conversion systems to achieve high photo-thermal conversion efficiency. The coating exhibits excellent spectral selectivity and wide angular solar absorptance, making it suitable for concentrated and non-concentrated solar thermal systems.
Article
Energy & Fuels
Makoto Shimizu, Tomoya Furuhashi, Zhen Liu, Hiroo Yugami
Summary: This study investigates the high efficiency in solar thermophotovoltaic (TPV) systems. By recycling photons and combining spectrally selective absorbers and emitters, the system achieves a higher efficiency compared to other cases.
SOLAR ENERGY MATERIALS AND SOLAR CELLS
(2022)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Pablo Martin, Jose Ramon Gonzalez, Ivan Garcia, Carlos Algora, Ignacio Rey-Stolle
Summary: In this study, reverse bias stress tests were conducted on triple-junction solar cells to analyze the changes in performance parameters and the underlying physical processes during degradation. It was found that the top GaInP subcell degrades suddenly at low reverse voltages.
PROGRESS IN PHOTOVOLTAICS
(2022)
Article
Energy & Fuels
A. Jimenez, E. Napolitani, A. Datas, I Martin, G. Lopez, M. Cabero, F. Sgarbossa, R. Milazzo, S. M. Carturan, D. de Salvador, I Garcia, Y. K. Ryu, J. Martinez, C. del Canizo
Summary: This article presents a method for phosphorous doping of germanium using spin-on dopant sources and Pulsed Laser Melting (PLM) through an amorphous silicon carbide (a-SixC1-x:H) layer, achieving surface passivation and electrical isolation. The optimization of n(+)/p junction formation, electrical performance, and crystalline quality after PLM have been studied, resulting in high donor activation, low sheet resistance, and high mobility. A prototype diode with rectifying behavior has been developed, with future work focusing on implementing point-like contact formation to improve device characteristics.
SOLAR ENERGY MATERIALS AND SOLAR CELLS
(2022)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Laura Barrutia, Efrain Ochoa-Martinez, Mercedes Gabas, Alba Centeno, Amaia Zurutuza, Ignacio Rey-Stolle, Carlos Algora
Summary: This paper investigates the absorption characteristics of graphene on different thicknesses of AIInP layers. The results show that the absorption decreases with the number of graphene layers, which can be utilized for more efficient design of optoelectronic devices.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Alejandro Datas, Alicia Lopez-Ceballos, Esther Lopez, Alba Ramos, Carlos del Canizo
Summary: This study discusses the techno-economics of latent heat thermophotovoltaic (LHTPV) systems and compares their levelized cost of storage with Li-ion batteries in both long-duration storage and combined heat and power (CHP) applications. The results indicate that LHTPV systems have lower levelized cost of storage and are suitable for long-duration storage and CHP applications.
Review
Chemistry, Physical
Carlos Algora, Ivan Garcia, Marina Delgado, Rafael Pena, Carmen Vazquez, Manuel Hinojosa, Ignacio Rey-Stolle
Summary: This review provides an overview of photovoltaic laser power converters (PVLPCs) and their functionalities and critical requirements in power-by-light (PBL) systems. A detailed comparison among different types of PVLPCs is conducted, highlighting their advantages and disadvantages. The review also discusses the perspectives and potential ways to improve the efficiency of PVLPCs.
Article
Energy & Fuels
Ivan Lombardero, Luis Cifuentes, Mercedes Gabas, Carlos Algora
Summary: This work demonstrates a new manufacturing process for fabricating thin solar cells, avoiding the brittleness or fragility issues of thin wafers without the need for carriers or temporary substrates. The technique has been successfully applied to Ge single and GaInP/Ga(In)As/Ge triple-junction solar cells with different substrate thicknesses, but a final thickness of around 20-30 μm is recommended.
PROGRESS IN PHOTOVOLTAICS
(2022)
Editorial Material
Energy & Fuels
Alejandro Datas, Mathieu Francoeur, Makoto Shimizu, Rodolphe Vaillon
SOLAR ENERGY MATERIALS AND SOLAR CELLS
(2022)
Article
Energy & Fuels
A. Ramos, E. Lopez, C. del Canizo, A. Datas
Summary: This article discusses the potential of Ultra-High Temperature Latent Heat Thermal Energy Storage (UH-LHTES) as a cost-effective solution for storing intermittent renewable energies. The use of thermal energy storage systems, which store energy as heat instead of electricity, can provide a cheaper alternative to battery storage. The article emphasizes that not all the heat stored in a thermal energy storage system needs to be converted back into electricity, as heat represents a significant portion of global energy demand.
JOURNAL OF ENERGY STORAGE
(2022)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Brian Li, Mercedes Gabas, Efrain Ochoa-Martinez, Victor Gonzalez de la Cruz, Mari Cruz Lopez-Escalante, Laura Leon-Reina, Rafael Pena, Pilar Garcia-Diaz, Ivan Garcia, Carlos Algora
Summary: This study investigates the optical and physical properties of common dielectric materials used in solar cells as anti-reflective coatings, such as MgF2, ZnS, Ta2O5, Al2O3 and TiO2, and their relationship with deposition parameters and thicknesses. The results show that the optical properties of these materials are influenced by layer thickness, and different materials exhibit different contamination issues.
Article
Energy & Fuels
Marina Delgado, Ivan Garcia, Manuel Hinojosa, Carlos Algora
Summary: In order to improve the efficiency of photovoltaic laser power converters, this paper analyzes three approaches: (1) designing the power converter front grid to adapt to the nonuniform light received; (2) strengthening the peak current and decreasing the series resistance of tunnel junctions; and (3) homogenizing the light spot by distancing it from the laser fiber. The paper focuses on the optimization of multijunction photovoltaic laser power converters under nonuniform irradiance profiles, without using any optical element for homogenization, and achieves realistic operating conditions. The experimental efficiency of GaAs devices has been increased by up to 3% for a laser wavelength of 857 nm.
PROGRESS IN PHOTOVOLTAICS
(2023)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Esther Lopez, Irene Artacho, Alejandro Datas
Summary: A standardized method for measuring TPV efficiency has not been established yet, making it difficult to compare reported results. This study presents an experimental setup that can measure TPV efficiency at high view factors, allowing for more accurate measurements than previous works.
SOLAR ENERGY MATERIALS AND SOLAR CELLS
(2023)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Manuel Hinojosa, Ivan Lombardero, Carlos Algora, Ivan Garcia
Summary: This study achieved control over the distribution of Zn in inverted metamorphic multijunction solar cells through different growth strategies, resulting in high conductivity and conversion efficiency.
SOLAR ENERGY MATERIALS AND SOLAR CELLS
(2022)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
A. Datas
Summary: Thermophotovoltaic (TPV) energy conversion efficiency has recently surpassed 30%. The key to achieving such high efficiency is the use of a highly efficient mirror in the rear of the TPV cell to reflect back outband energy photons to the thermal emitter. However, the small percentage of outband absorption significantly reduces the efficiency, especially at low emitter temperatures. Current research is focused on developing advanced mirror designs with extreme high outband reflectance over 95%.
Article
Energy & Fuels
Neftali Nunez, Manuel Vazquez, Pablo Martin, Jesus Bautista, Manuel Hinojosa, Carlos Algora
Summary: This paper presents a temperature Accelerated Life Test (ALT) for space solar cells, which is an evolution of the previous ALT with dark conditions. By emulating solar cell working conditions, this ALT shows that degradation is related to the decrease of parallel resistance. The use of reverse biasing results in a shorter time and lower reliability compared to forward biasing. However, these solar cells still exhibit a high reliability for many space applications.
SOLAR ENERGY MATERIALS AND SOLAR CELLS
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Electrical & Electronic
Gemmn Martin, Catalin Coll, Lluis Lopez-Conesa, Jose Manuel Rebled, Enrique Barrigon, Ivan Garcia, Ignacio Rey-Stolle, Carlos Algora, Albert Cornet, Sonia Estrade, Francesca Peiro
Summary: The effect of CuPtB ordering on the optoelectronic properties of Ga0.5In0.5P was studied using in situ transmission electron microscopy measurements and density functional theory calculations. The presence of antiphase ordered domain boundaries and the anisotropy of the effective mass were found to contribute to the anisotropic electrical conductivity of CuPtB-type ordered GaInP thin films.
ACS APPLIED ELECTRONIC MATERIALS
(2022)