Thermal conversion of solar radiation for possible applications in industrial heat convertors

Abstract

The proposed solar thermal absorber consists of sandwich structure-inspired Ti–SiO2–Ti (Titanium–Silicon Dioxide -Titanium) Metal-insulator-Metal (MIM) material. Here proposed thermal absorber has materials, Ti as ground, SiO2 as substrate and Ti as resonator. The design of solar thermal absorber is well-versed with the modern theory of absorption and made up on a nanometre basis with each parameter being less than 500 nm. An average absorption of 96.34 % has been achieved throughout the wavelength range of 0.2–3 μm including various regions including UV, Visible, NIR, and MIR with an average absorptance 92.72 %, 93.81 %, 96.58 %, 98.55 % respectively. The proposed nanoscale solar absorber also has 1920 nm of wavelength range above 95 % with an average absorptance of 97.985 % and 2730 nm of wavelength range above 90%with an average absorptance of 96.6 %, although transverse electric (TE) and magnetic (TM) modes achieved an average absorptance of 96.34 % and 94.1 % respectively. We also have noticed characteristics like large angular and polarization-independent in the proposed solar energy absorber structure which eventually benefitted the applications of optoelectronics.