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Accuflect™ Reflectors in Thermophotovoltaics
Accuflect™
reflectors are used to improve the efficiency of the next generation of
thermophotovoltaic power sources being researched.
Thermophotovoltaic
devices rely on semiconductors with band gaps small enough to generate
electricity when exposed to infrared radiation. Materials
such as
germanium and various antimonides with band gaps on the order of
0.7electron volts are being used to produce usable electric
power
from a 1000°C emitter.
A typical converter consists of a heated
emitter that may be designed to emit radiation unidirectionally and
configured to minimize conductive, convective and stray radiation
energy losses. Various heating methods including joule,
solar
and combustion are used to raise the emitter temperature high enough so
the radiative energy exceeds the bandgap of the semiconductor
photovoltaic receiver. The emitted radiation passes through a
photonic crystal high pass filter. Wavelengths with energy
levels
below the bandgap of the receiver are reflected back to the emitter,
those with usable energy levels are passed through the crystal and fall
on the semiconductor receiver where they generate an
electrical
current.
Accuflect™ IR is used on the surrounding insulating
structure to reflect stray radiation away from the walls and back onto
the emitter. The material serves to reduce energy losses at
the
walls of the converter housing and the reflected radiation falling on
the emitter results in a recuperative effect reducing the energy
requirement to maintain the emitter temperature.
See
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