Publication

Solar thermophotovoltaic device

2026

Abstract

The invention relates to a thermophotovoltaic device, comprising: - an absorber layer configured to absorb photonic radiation, particularly daylight, within a focal spot as a part of a surface of the absorber layer and convert it into heat energy; - an emitter layer positioned adjacent to the absorber layer or integrally formed with it, configured to emit thermal radiation due to the heat energy via a surface of the emitter layer; - at least one photovoltaic cell positioned to receive the emitted thermal radiation from the emitter layer and convert it into electrical energy using the photoelectric effect; - a heat spreading layer embedded within the absorber layer and/or emitter layer configured to distribute heat energy lateral over the emitter surface.

Official source

https://infoscience.epfl.ch/entities/publication/7f0faec1-af96-45ad-b0c9-cb322c31f1fa

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2026

Abstract

Official source

https://infoscience.epfl.ch/entities/publication/7f0faec1-af96-45ad-b0c9-cb322c31f1fa

About this result

Related concepts (32)

Solar cell

A solar cell, or photovoltaic cell, is an electronic device that converts the energy of light directly into electricity by the photovoltaic effect, which is a physical phenomenon. It is a form of photoelectric cell, defined as a device whose electrical characteristics, such as current, voltage, or resistance, vary when exposed to light. Individual solar cell devices are often the electrical building blocks of photovoltaic modules, known colloquially as solar panels.

Thermal radiation

Thermal radiation is electromagnetic radiation generated by the thermal motion of particles in matter. Thermal radiation is generated when heat from the movement of charges in the material (electrons and protons in common forms of matter) is converted to electromagnetic radiation. All matter with a temperature greater than absolute zero emits thermal radiation. At room temperature, most of the emission is in the infrared (IR) spectrum. Particle motion results in charge-acceleration or dipole oscillation which produces electromagnetic radiation.

Black-body radiation

Black-body radiation is the thermal electromagnetic radiation within, or surrounding, a body in thermodynamic equilibrium with its environment, emitted by a black body (an idealized opaque, non-reflective body). It has a specific, continuous spectrum of wavelengths, inversely related to intensity, that depend only on the body's temperature, which is assumed, for the sake of calculations and theory, to be uniform and constant.

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Solar thermophotovoltaic device

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