TY - JOUR
T1 - High performance isothermal photo-thermionic solar converters
AU - Segev, Gideon
AU - Kribus, Abraham
AU - Rosenwaks, Yossi
N1 - Funding Information:
G. Segev acknowledges the support of Eshkol fellowship from the Israel Ministry of Science and Technology.
PY - 2013
Y1 - 2013
N2 - A new class of solar energy converters is described, based on photon-enhanced thermionic emission of electrons into a vacuum region between two electrodes. In contrast to conventional thermionic converters, the two electrodes are at the same temperature, and the cathode is side-illuminated rather than front-illuminated. This configuration leads to several advantages: close coupling of multiple units in a series connection high-voltage configuration; higher area for electron emission; and recovery of waste heat at a higher temperature compared to heat recovery from the anode of a conventional thermionic converter. The conversion efficiency from solar radiation to electricity of the new photo-thermionic device may be in the range of 30-40% at moderate operation temperatures and moderate concentration of the incident sunlight. Recovery of the waste heat and further conversion from heat to electricity may raise the overall conversion efficiency to the range of 40-50%.
AB - A new class of solar energy converters is described, based on photon-enhanced thermionic emission of electrons into a vacuum region between two electrodes. In contrast to conventional thermionic converters, the two electrodes are at the same temperature, and the cathode is side-illuminated rather than front-illuminated. This configuration leads to several advantages: close coupling of multiple units in a series connection high-voltage configuration; higher area for electron emission; and recovery of waste heat at a higher temperature compared to heat recovery from the anode of a conventional thermionic converter. The conversion efficiency from solar radiation to electricity of the new photo-thermionic device may be in the range of 30-40% at moderate operation temperatures and moderate concentration of the incident sunlight. Recovery of the waste heat and further conversion from heat to electricity may raise the overall conversion efficiency to the range of 40-50%.
KW - Photon enhanced thermionic emission
KW - Thermionic emission
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84874843078&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.solmat.2013.02.002
DO - 10.1016/j.solmat.2013.02.002
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AN - SCOPUS:84874843078
SN - 0927-0248
VL - 113
SP - 114
EP - 123
JO - Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells
JF - Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells
ER -
