Multi-field coupling characteristics of the thermophotovoltaic cell under high-intensity laser beam radiation

Abstract

Improving energy conversion efficiency is a crucial challenge in the development of thermophotovoltaic (TPV) technology, particularly under high-intensity radiation, where enhancing energy reuse can have significant environmental benefits. The current study aims to address this challenge by constructing an optical-thermal-electric coupled conversion model of a single thermophotovoltaic (TPV) cell under high-intensity laser beam radiation. The primary connection parameter in the coupling model is a spectral response (SR). Therefore, the SR experimental platform has been established to obtain accurate parameter values. A fitting formula between SR, temperature, and wavelength was established and validated by testing. Based on the suitable fitting formula, the finite element method (FEM) has been used to study the energy distribution of incident optical and thermal heat transfer, as well as the electric characteristics of the TPV cell. The performance of a thermophotovoltaic (TPV) cell can be characterized by its I-V curve, which is influenced by various factors such as temperature, incident radiation, and spot size. In particular, it was found that when the incident radiation energy is the same as the spot size increases from 4 to 7 cm, the change in current is not proportional to the spot diameter. The results showed that the maximum power output could be achieved when the spot diameter was 6 cm. However, the temperature is the decisive factor affecting the conversion performance of the cell. The energy conversion efficiency can rise by 40.54% if the convective heat transfer coefficient is doubled. Therefore, it is important to maintain the TPV cell at a low temperature to achieve optimal electric conversion efficiency.