Toward high performance radioisotope thermophotovoltaic systems using spectral control

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• 作者：Xiawa Wang^a ; ^b ; ^{xiawaw@mit.edu" class="auth_mail" title="E-mail the corresponding author} ; Walker Chan^b ; Veronika Stelmakh^a ; ^b ; Ivan Celanovic^b ; Peter Fisher^b ; ^c
• 关键词：Radioisotope electrical generator ; Photonic crystal ; Spectral control ; RTPV ; Thermophotovoltaic
• 刊名：Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment
• 出版年：2016
• 出版时间：1 December 2016
• 年：2016
• 卷：838
• 期：Complete
• 页码：28-32
• 全文大小：724 K

文摘

This work describes RTPV-PhC-1, an initial prototype for a radioisotope thermophotovoltaic (RTPV) system using a two-dimensional photonic crystal emitter and low bandgap thermophotovoltaic (TPV) cell to realize spectral control. We validated a system simulation using the measurements of RTPV-PhC-1 and its comparison setup RTPV-FlatTa-1 with the same configuration except a polished tantalum emitter. The emitter of RTPV-PhC-1 powered by an electric heater providing energy equivalent to one plutonia fuel pellet reached 950 °C with 52 W of thermal input power and produced 208 mW output power from 1 cm² TPV cell. We compared the system performance using a photonic crystal emitter to a polished flat tantalum emitter and found that spectral control with the photonic crystal was four times more efficient. Based on the simulation, with more cell areas, better TPV cells, and improved insulation design, the system powered by a fuel pellet equivalent heat source is expected to reach an efficiency of 7.8%.