Frontiers in Energy >

2013 , Vol. 7 >Issue 2: 146 - 154

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11708-013-0253-y

RESEARCH ARTICLE

Experimental investigation and feasibility analysis of a thermophotovoltaic cogeneration system in high-temperature production processes

  • Jianxiang WANG 1 ,
  • Hong YE , 1 ,
  • Xi WU 2 ,
  • Hujun WANG 1 ,
  • Xiaojie XU 3
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  • 1. Department of Thermal Science and Energy Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230027, China
  • 2. Department of Thermal Science and Energy Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230027, China; School of Physics Science and Technology, Soochow University, Suzhou 215006, China
  • 3. School of Physics Science and Technology, Soochow University, Suzhou 215006, China

Received date: 09 Oct 2012

Accepted date: 31 Jan 2013

Published date: 05 Jun 2013

Copyright

2014 Higher Education Press and Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg
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Abstract

The experimental I-V characteristics of a Si cell module in a thermophotovoltaic (TPV) system were investigated using SiC or Yb2O3 radiator. The results demonstrate that the short-circuit current increases while the open-circuit voltage, along with the fill factor, decreases with the cell temperature when the radiator temperature increases from 1273 to 1573 K, leading to a suppressed increase of the output power of the system. The maximum output power density of the cell module is 0.05 W/cm2 when the temperature of the SiC radiator is 1573 K, while the electrical efficiency of the system is only 0.22%. The efficiency is 1.3% with a Yb2O3 radiator at the same temperature, however, the maximum output power density drops to 0.03 W/cm2. The values of the open-circuit voltage and the maximum output power obtained from the theoretical model conform to the experimental ones. But the theoretical short-circuit current is higher because of the existence of the contact resistance inside the cell module. In addition, the performance and cost of TPV cogeneration systems with the SiC or Yb2O3 radiator using industrial high-temperature waste heat were analyzed. The system electrical efficiency could reach 3.1% with a Yb2O3 radiator at 1573 K. The system cost and investment recovery period are 6732 EUR/kWel and 14 years, respectively.

Key words： thermophotovoltaic (TPV); industrial waste heat; ytterbium oxide; system efficiency

Cite this article

Jianxiang WANG , Hong YE , Xi WU , Hujun WANG , Xiaojie XU . Experimental investigation and feasibility analysis of a thermophotovoltaic cogeneration system in high-temperature production processes[J]. Frontiers in Energy, 2013 , 7(2) : 146 -154 . DOI: 10.1007/s11708-013-0253-y

Acknowledgments

This work is supported by the National High Technology Research and Development Program of China (863 Program) (No. 2007AA05Z236).

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