Abstract
Very high conversion efficiencies may be expected from solar cells for appropriately tailored spectra. In thermophotovoltaics, concentrated sunlight is used to heat a “black body” cavity which re-emits lower-temperature radiation. Solar cells immersed in the cavity can absorb the higher energy photons present and convert these to electric power with high efficiency. A generalization of this scheme is considered as a model for calculating the conversion efficiency expected for a real thermophotovoltaic system. This is shown to depend strongly on the concentration ratio used, as well as other factors. It is shown that conversion efficiencies above 30 per cent will require optics concentration ratios of the order of 10,000, for attainable values of other parameters. Cell conversion efficiencies exceed 60 per cent; however system performance is strongly degraded by parasitic losses and by re-radiation from the entrance aperture of the system.
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