TPV Power Generation System Using a High Temperature Metal Radiant Burner

Abstract

Interest has grown in micro‐combined heat and power (micro‐CHP). Thermophotovoltaic (TPV) generation of electricity in fuel‐fired furnaces is one of the micro‐CHP technologies that are attracting technical attention. Previous investigations have shown that a radiant burner that can efficiently convert fuel chemical energy into radiation energy is crucial to realize a practical TPV power system. In this work, we developed a TPV power generation system using a gas‐fired metal radiant burner. The burner consists of a high temperature alloy emitter, which could have an increased emissivity at short wavelengths and low emissivity at long wavelengths. The metal emitter is capable of bearing high temperatures of interest to fuel‐fired TPV power conversion. GaSb TPV cells were tested in the combustion‐driven radiant source. Electric output characteristics of the TPV cells were investigated at various operating conditions. The electric power output of the TPV cells was demonstrated to be promising. At an emitter temperature of 1185°C, an electric power density of 0.476 W/cm2 was generated by the GaSb cells. It is shown that the metal emitter is attractive and could be applied to practical fuel‐fired TPV power systems.