Article
Chemistry, Applied
Dechao Hu, Zhiqiang Wang, Wenshi Ma
Summary: Novel PU-based MEPCMs with high latent heat storage capacity were successfully fabricated, with further optimization of preparation conditions and core/shell mass ratio expected to enhance performance and potentially broaden applications in thermal energy storage fields.
PROGRESS IN ORGANIC COATINGS
(2021)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Nidhal Ben Khedher, Jasim M. Mahdi, Anmar Dulaimi, Ilia Shojaeinasab Chatroudi, Mohammadreza Ebrahimnataj Tiji, Raed Khalid Ibrahem, A. Yvaz, Pouyan Talebizadehsardari
Summary: Phase-change materials (PCMs) have the potential to address the mismatch between energy supply and demand due to their energy savings, uniform operating temperature, and low cost. This study demonstrates the advantage of using arc-shaped fins as thermal enhancers to improve the thermal functionality of PCM in a storage system. Parametric studies show that modifying the dimensions and angles of the fin configuration can further enhance the heat storage rate.
JOURNAL OF ENERGY STORAGE
(2023)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Wei Li, Yuli Zhang, Xu Zhang, Jun Zhao
Summary: This paper explores the use of multiple phase change materials to improve the performance of heat storage systems. The research involves the design of a heat storage device with multiple PCMs and the introduction of two parameters, latent heat utilization and heat transfer effectiveness, to evaluate its performance. The study finds that the inlet velocity and temperature of the heat transfer fluid have a significant impact on latent heat utilization, while increasing the thermal conductivity of PCM can greatly improve it. Additionally, multiple PCMs with a suitable melting temperature difference can enhance both latent heat utilization and heat transfer effectiveness.
JOURNAL OF ENERGY STORAGE
(2022)
Article
Thermodynamics
Vahid Safari, Babak Kamkari, Kamel Hooman, J. M. Khodadadi
Summary: This study investigates the effect of fins on the thermal performance of vertically- and horizontally-oriented rectangular storage tanks. The results show that longer and thinner fins are more beneficial for enhancing the melting rate, and increasing the number of fins in horizontal tanks does not necessarily shorten the melting time.
Article
Thermodynamics
Muhammad Shahid Shafiq, Muhammad Mahabat Khan, Muhammad Irfan
Summary: The study investigates the impact of various fin designs on the performance of a thermal energy storage unit. Different fin angles, shapes, and lengths can significantly affect the melting rate and energy storage efficiency of the phase change material. Optimal fin configurations can greatly enhance the overall performance of the system.
CASE STUDIES IN THERMAL ENGINEERING
(2021)
Article
Thermodynamics
Xiangzhi Zhang, Yatao Ren, Yong Ren, Yuying Yan
Summary: The study proposes a novel bionic solution to address the nonuniformity of flow and temperature distribution in conventional latent heat storage devices. By mimicking animal circulatory systems, the research establishes a hierarchical distribution of flow channel network and demonstrates the flow and heat transfer phenomena through numerical models. Experimental measurements and numerical simulations also support the findings, showing that the flow and temperature fields can be distributed uniformly with reduced pressure drop using the proposed bionic configuration.
THERMAL SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING PROGRESS
(2022)
Article
Thermodynamics
Dimberu G. Atinafu, Seunghwan Wi, Beom Yeol Yun, Sumin Kim
Summary: Efforts are being made to develop shape-stabilized composite phase change materials (PCMs) for renewable energy storage systems. This study engineered hybrid materials based on commercially available biochar and multiwalled carbon nanotubes, showing promising energy storage capacity in the composite PCMs.
Review
Energy & Fuels
Yongliang Shen, Abdur Rehman Mazhar, Shuli Liu
Summary: This study reviewed literature on cascaded latent heat storage (CLHS) technology to analyze the research progress, challenges, and future directions. The results showed that the thermal advantages of CLHS can be further enhanced by optimizing the structure of the heat storage unit and the physical properties of the phase change material (PCM). The main challenges of this technology are the selection, development, and distribution of PCMs. Future research should focus on developing more accurate intelligent optimization algorithms and dynamic models, as well as studying practical applications in low-temperature thermal energy storage and cold storage.
JOURNAL OF ENERGY STORAGE
(2022)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Mengyu Du, Lan Zhou, Xueqin Wang, Zhaoxia Zhang, Haixiang Chen, Guocheng Zhu, Guoqing Zhang
Summary: This study focuses on the development and application of diester phase change materials (PCMs) through esterification reactions, followed by microencapsulation for overheating protection. The obtained microencapsulated PCM shows good thermal stability and temperature regulation performance.
JOURNAL OF ENERGY STORAGE
(2022)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Fan He, Renfei Bo, Chenxi Hu, Xi Meng, Weijun Gao
Summary: Adding metal fins can effectively improve the thermal conductivity of Phase-Change Material (PCM). The use of spiral fins is proposed to overcome the poor natural convection caused by annular fins. Experimental results show that employing spiral fins can enhance heat transfer performance, especially compared to annular fins.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Qinglin Li, Xiaodong Ma, Xiaoyu Zhang, Jiqiang Ma, Jiaolong Liu, Xiaowu Hu, Yefeng Lan
Summary: The improvement of micro-en-capsulated phase change materials (MEPCMs) through a three-step process has been shown to enhance thermal stability by forming a dense and durable Al2O3 shell, resulting in excellent heat storage capacity. By adjusting the amount of Al(OH)3 in the precipitation treatment, the thickness of the Al2O3 shell layer can be controlled, contributing to the high thermal durability and cycling stability of the MEPCMs.
JOURNAL OF ALLOYS AND COMPOUNDS
(2021)
Review
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Muhammad Aamer Hayat, Yong Chen, Mose Bevilacqua, Liang Li, Yongzhen Yang
Summary: The article discusses the current research on nano-enhanced phase change materials and the impact of nanofillers on their thermophysical properties. It also explores stability enhancement techniques, challenges, and applications of nano-PCMs.
SUSTAINABLE ENERGY TECHNOLOGIES AND ASSESSMENTS
(2022)
Review
Energy & Fuels
Raghvendra Kumar Mishra, Kartikey Verma, Vinayak Mishra, Babulal Chaudhary
Summary: This paper provides a comprehensive summary of the latest research on phase change materials, focusing on the study of fatty acid and carbon allotrope-based phase change materials. Phase change materials are attractive due to their ability to absorb and release thermal energy during the melting and freezing process, making them widely used in the field of energy consumption reduction and thermal comfort improvement.
JOURNAL OF ENERGY STORAGE
(2022)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Matti Grabo, Emre Acar, Eugeny Y. Kenig
Summary: A study on a thermal energy storage system filled with macro-encapsulated latent heat storage elements was conducted. The introduction of capsule designs based on super-ellipsoidal shapes improved heat transfer efficiency. A new model was developed to describe the charging and discharging processes, allowing for accurate prediction of temperature changes and system performance.
Article
Thermodynamics
Hao Liu, Nan Zhang, Zhaoli Zhang, Qiuyi Xia, Yanping Yuan, Xiaoling Cao
Summary: This paper studied the convection-driven melting characteristics of pure phase change material (PCM) under different external force conditions. The results show that external forces have a significant effect on the natural convection of PCM during the melting process and further affect the solid-liquid interface evolution rate, heat transfer rate, and latent heat storage. Applying external force in the opposite direction of the heat flux can enhance the melting process and improve the latent heat storage rate of PCM.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF HEAT AND MASS TRANSFER
(2022)
Article
Physics, Applied
Alexander Post, Chris Knight, Erich Kisi
JOURNAL OF APPLIED PHYSICS
(2013)
Review
Chemistry, Analytical
Chris Knight, Joshua Davidson, Sam Behrens
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Scott McGarry, Chris Knight
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Steven Percy, Chris Knight, Francis Cooray, Ken Smart
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Scott McGarry, Chris Knight
Article
Energy & Fuels
S. Khare, M. Dell'Amico, C. Knight, S. McGarry
SOLAR ENERGY MATERIALS AND SOLAR CELLS
(2013)
Proceedings Paper
Optics
Thomas G. McKay, Dong Ki Shin, Steven Percy, Chris Knight, Scott McGarry, Iain A. Anderson
ELECTROACTIVE POLYMER ACTUATORS AND DEVICES (EAPAD) 2014
(2014)
Review
Energy & Fuels
Chris Knight, Scott McGarry, Jennifer Hayward, Peter Osman, Sam Behrens
Article
Energy & Fuels
Shahriyar Safat Dipta, Md Habibur Rahaman, Walia Binte Tarique, Ashraful Hossain Howlader, Ayush Pratik, John A. Stride, Ashraf Uddin
Summary: Implementing a double-sided passivation approach can enhance the performance of n-i-p structured PSCs and improve the stability and photovoltaic properties of the cells.
SOLAR ENERGY MATERIALS AND SOLAR CELLS
(2024)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Daniel Ourinson, Andreas Brand, Andreas Lorenz, Marwan Dhamrin, Sebastian Tepner, Michael Linse, Nathalie Goettlicher, Kosuke Tsuji, Jonas D. Huyeng, Florian Clement
Summary: This work presents two approaches to reduce the amount of silver on the rear side of M2-sized industrial iTOPCon solar cells. The Cu-based approach shows promise with similar power conversion efficiency compared to the conventional approach, while the Al-based approach exhibits some limitations but demonstrates the potential of such type of contact for iTOPCon solar cells.
SOLAR ENERGY MATERIALS AND SOLAR CELLS
(2024)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Abasifreke Ebong, Donald Intal, Sandra Huneycutt, Thad Druffel, Ruvini Dharmadasa, Kevin Elmer, Apolo Nambo
Summary: This study demonstrates the successful metallization of a PERC silicon solar cell using screen-printable copper (Cu) paste. The Cu paste contains antioxidant additives and diffusion inhibitors to prevent oxidation and diffusion of Cu. The Cu-printed cells achieved an efficiency of 19% and showed no Cu diffusion after characterization tests. The long-term stability and effectiveness of the Cu diffusion barrier were also confirmed.
SOLAR ENERGY MATERIALS AND SOLAR CELLS
(2024)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Senami Zogbo, Wilfried Favre, Olivier Bonino, Marie-Estelle Gueunier-Farret
Summary: Measuring specific contact resistivity (pc) is crucial for interface engineering in high efficiency solar cells. The Transfer Length Method (TLM) is commonly used for evaluating layer sheet resistance (Rsheet) and pc, but it is not suitable for metal/Transparent Conductive Oxide (TCO) interface evaluation in silicon heterojunction (SHJ) cells. This study investigates the parameters that restrict current confinement within the TCO, including mid-gap trap density (Dit) at the a-Si:H/c-Si interface and the activation energy (Ea = Ec - EF) variation of a-Si:H contact layers.
SOLAR ENERGY MATERIALS AND SOLAR CELLS
(2024)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Jean-Baptiste Charpentier, Philippe Voarino, Julien Gaume
Summary: The phenomenon of ribbon lengthening in PV modules exposed to thermal cycling is not well explained in the literature. In this study, a three layers model is proposed to explain this effect, and the predictions of the model are validated through finite element method simulations and experiments. The results show that the model predictions are consistent with the indirect measurements, but not with the direct measurements. Additionally, it is inferred that the encapsulant plays a role after the solder failure.
SOLAR ENERGY MATERIALS AND SOLAR CELLS
(2024)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Jean-Baptiste Charpentier, Philippe Voarino, Julien Gaume
Summary: This study investigates the problematic ribbon lengthening observed in PV modules exposed to high amplitude thermal cycling. A simplified system model is proposed and accurate predictions are obtained using the Finite Element Method. The results show that the thickness of the encapsulant has a substantial impact on the lengthening of the ribbons.
SOLAR ENERGY MATERIALS AND SOLAR CELLS
(2024)
Article
Energy & Fuels
S. Catalan-Gomez, E. Martinez Castellano, M. Schwarz, M. Montes Bajo, L. Dorado Vargas, A. Gonzalo, A. Redondo-Cubero, A. Gallego Carro, A. Hierro, J. M. Ulloa
Summary: This study investigates the use of core-shell gallium nanoparticles as functional light scatterers on solar cells. By optimizing the nanoparticle size, the short-circuit current of the solar cells is significantly improved. The underlying physical mechanism is studied through optical measurements and simulations, and a method to reduce the plasmonic effect of the nanoparticles is demonstrated.
SOLAR ENERGY MATERIALS AND SOLAR CELLS
(2024)
Article
Energy & Fuels
M. Gamel, G. Lopez, A. M. Medrano, A. Jimenez, A. Datas, M. Garin, I. Martin
Summary: In this study, a highly reflective ohmic contact to p-type c-Ge material is demonstrated, which can improve the efficiency of thermophotovoltaic devices. The experimental results show that this contact can simultaneously meet the requirements of good back surface passivation, low electrical resistivity, and high reflectivity. Moreover, simulations suggest that implementing these back contacts has the potential to achieve conversion efficiencies comparable to high-efficiency c-Ge TPV cells.
SOLAR ENERGY MATERIALS AND SOLAR CELLS
(2024)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Hongyang Wei, Qing Xu, Dongchu Chen, Min Chen, Menglei Chang, Xiufang Ye
Summary: This study prepared solar selective absorption films based on anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) photonic crystals using a unique electrodeposition method. The Co-Ag electrodeposited film exhibited superior solar selective absorption properties and thermal stability.
SOLAR ENERGY MATERIALS AND SOLAR CELLS
(2024)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Ankit Kumar, Ankit Chauhan, Jordi Llobet, Helder Fonseca, Patricia C. Sousa, Carlos Calaza, Gil Shalev
Summary: This study found that decorating subwavelength arrays with SiO2 quasi-nanolenses (qNL arrays) can enhance the absorption of the solar spectrum. Optical absorption mechanisms in qNL arrays were investigated using near-field scanning optical microscopy (NSOM), revealing that the enhancement is a result of the combination of effective antireflection coating, increased optical interactions between adjacent dielectrics for elevated light trapping, and strong light concentration due to the presence of qNLs.
SOLAR ENERGY MATERIALS AND SOLAR CELLS
(2024)
Article
Energy & Fuels
S. Pingel, T. Wenzel, N. Goettlicher, M. Linse, L. Folcarelli, J. Schube, S. Hoffmann, S. Tepner, Y. C. Lau, J. Huyeng, A. Lorenz, F. Clement
Summary: This study demonstrates the potential to reduce silver consumption in highly efficient SHJ cells through fine-line screen printing using low temperature paste with various screens. The results show that using finer mesh allows for narrower grid fingers and lower resistance, leading to improved cell efficiency. Simulation results indicate that module wire configuration is crucial for reducing silver consumption.
SOLAR ENERGY MATERIALS AND SOLAR CELLS
(2024)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Xibo He, Jun Qiu, Wei Wang, Yicheng Hou, Yong Shuai
Summary: This paper proposes a novel phase change material with high thermal conductivity and stability for fast photo-thermal conversion and storage. The experimental results demonstrate excellent durability and stability of the phase change material, with good performance in thermal conductivity and thermal storage efficiency.
SOLAR ENERGY MATERIALS AND SOLAR CELLS
(2024)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Qingyuan Liu, Lin Wang, Zheng Liu, Guohua Liu
Summary: A new evaporating structure consisting of liquid marble with tunable nanowire array is proposed to enhance solar evaporation. The experiments show that the liquid marble with nanowire array exhibits outstanding evaporation performance, which has significant implications for seawater desalination or wastewater treatment.
SOLAR ENERGY MATERIALS AND SOLAR CELLS
(2024)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Hao Liu, Qiming Liu, Jinpei Liu, Yonggang Zhao, Yingjie Yu, Yue An, Ganghui Wei, Yanzheng Li, Yujun Fu, Junshuai Li, Deyan He
Summary: Moisture in the air is identified as the main cause of performance degradation in organic-inorganic hybrid solar cells. Exposure to air leads to the growth of thin oxide layer on the interface and the formation of silver sulfide, increasing the series resistance and decreasing the fill factor, thus degrading the cell performance.
SOLAR ENERGY MATERIALS AND SOLAR CELLS
(2024)
Article
Energy & Fuels
E. Blanco, P. Martin, M. Dominguez, P. Fernandez-Palacios, I. Lombardero, C. Sanchez-Perez, I. Garcia, C. Algora, M. Gabas
Summary: This study addresses the lack of optical parameters for p-type Ge wafers by determining the complex refractive indices of commercial Ge wafers with varying doping levels. The obtained data successfully reproduces the critical points associated with interband transitions and absorption features below the bandgap. The refractive indices were validated through experimental measurements and solar cell simulations.
SOLAR ENERGY MATERIALS AND SOLAR CELLS
(2024)