A thermophotovoltaic generator provides a greater power output while maintaining a compact, simplistic structure. The generator includes a burner having adjustable fuel and air flows, an infrared radiation emitter suspended above the flame nozzle of the burner and a cylindrical receiver surrounding the emitter. The emitter is a conical infrared emitter connected to the burner by wires. The emitter is positioned above the burner nozzle such that the emitter is immersed in the generated hydrocarbon flame. The emitter material catalyzes combustion on its surface. Infrared energy radiated by the heated emitter is collected by a cylindrical receiver that completely encircles the emitter. The receiver includes a flexible circuit having an inner surface, an outer surface, opposite ends, top and bottom edges and bending regions. First and second rows of low bandgap cells are connected to the top and bottom edges of the circuit, respectively, away from the bending regions. Copper contact pads are placed on the top cell bonding side of the circuit. A thin, polyimide insulating layer is placed over the outer surface of the circuit and the contact pads, and a thin metal sheet is located under the insulating layer. Heat sinks having aluminum air cooling fins are bonded to the metal sheet. The receiver is rolled into a cylinder, with opposite ends of the circuit connected and with the inner surface of the circuit positioned closest to the emitter. By dramatically increasing the emitter surface area in the flame and by increasing the low bandgap cell packing density of the receiver, greater power outputs are realized.
The present invention provides a small-scaled portable electrical power generator comprising a base, which includes an assembly surface, a fuel chamber, and at least one fuel delivery channels connected to the fuel chamber and placed under the assembly surface; a power generation means which includes at least one solar battery packs placed on the assembly surface of the base, a solar battery pack contains two opposing solar batteries which face each other with their light-collecting surfaces and their power outputs being connected; a light generation means placed on the assembly surface of the base, which includes at least one hollow tube that is placed in-between the solar batteries of the solar battery packs and includes at least one hollow tube capable of capillarity that is connected to the at least one fuel delivery channels so that fuel can always be filled into them; and an igniting means which includes at least one operative igniters placed nearby the at least one hollow tubes, and can be manipulated to ignite the fuel inside the hollow tubes.
A small and light cylindrical thermophotovoltaic generator uses gaseous fuels, a counter flow heat exchanger, regenerator and low bandgap photovoltaic cells. In the fuel injection system, with preheated air from a recuperator, fuel combustion begins immediately when the fuel and air first meet. A hot and compact burn results from complete and rapid fuel and air mixing. A venturi necks down the air flow, and a chemically etched jet shim disk creates over 150 small fuel jet streams. The emitter geometric configuration provides good hot gas energy transfer to the IR emitter. Four alternate emitter configurations accomplish the good heat transfer. One emitter is a composite SiC with integrally formed internal fins which extend into the combustion chamber. The photovoltaic converter assembly has good spectral control, good high rate but lightweight heat removal and high current-carrying capability, while maintaining low parasitic IR absorption. A modular photovoltaic converter circuit is complete with series connected low bandgap filtered cells, a heat spreader and high current-carrying mirror-shielded interconnects. An efficient but lightweight and short heat exchanger regenerator is fairly easy to fabricate by inserting an array of angled vanes through slits in a simple cylinder. One regenerator is formed with integrally extruded or machined fins on a high temperature SiC composite.
The invention teaches a method and apparatus for the generation of electric power by recycling the heat generated by various industrial processes. Thermophotovoltaic cells are used to convert the heat radiated from the industrial apparatus used to perform the various processes into electricity. Arrays of thermophotovoltaic cells placed around the apparatus, which may optionally be surrounded by an infrared (IR) emitter. The emitter serves to convert the IR radiation of the initial heat source into IR radiation having a more uniform wavelength. The cell arrays are spaced outward from a convection barrier tube and a short pass filter that may be placed around the IR emitter. A heat sink may be placed outside of the perimeter formed by the array of thermophotovoltaic cells, this serves to cool the thermophotovoltaic arrays, and also increases the power density of the cells, which in turn improves the power generation capacity of the array.
A method and apparatus for the direct conversion of energy by thermovoltaic energy conversion having first and second tubesheets, at least one photon emitter plate secured to and extending from the first tubesheet, at least one cold plate secured to and extending from the second tubesheet, a plurality of thermovoltaic cells disposed along oppositely disposed exterior surfaces of the cold plate, and means cooperating with the tubesheet for maintaining a vacuum between the photon emitter plate and the cold plate.
A microcavity apparatus and systems for maintaining microcavity spacing over a macroscopic area. An application of this invention is a microscale generator. This microscale generator includes a first element for receiving energy; a second element, opposite the first element for transferring energy; at least one panel on either of the first element or the second element, the panel facing the other element; a device for controlling the distance between the at least one panel and the facing element to form a predetermined, sub-micron gap between the panel and the facing element for increasing energy transfer to the element for receiving; and a device, responsive to the energy transfer, for generating electricity.
