Investigation On The Performance Of Near-field Thermal Radiation Intermediate-band Photovoltaic Cells

With the aggravation of energy crisis and environmental pollution,people gradually realize the problems caused by the reserve,exploitation and utilization of nonrenewable energy,such as coal,petroleum,natural gas,and etc.Therefore,the development of new renewable energy sources and improving the efficiency of energy utilization have become key issues for scholars from all over the world.In this paper,based on the current developments of the theories of thermophotovoltaic cells,intermediate band photovoltaic cells,and the near-field thermal radiation,an intermediate-band photovoltaic cell driven by the near-field thermal radiation is proposed.The main contents consist of four parts as follows:The first chapter mainly introduces the theoretic and experimental research progresses of thermophotovoltaic cells,the near-field thermal radiation,and intermediate band photovoltaic cells as well as their respective characteristics and advantages.The second chapter is about the theory of near-field thermal radiation and the working mechanism of intermediate band solar cells.The main purpose is to lay a theoretical foundation for the novel thermophotovoltaic model proposed in the third chapter.In the third chapter,the theoretical model of the intermediate-band photovoltaic cell driven by the near-field thermal radiation is proposed.Based on the theory in the second chapter and the principle of detailed balance,the important performance relationships of the cell are acquired.By employing the optical parameters obtained from experiments,the numerical simulations of the novel thermophotovoltaic cells with three types of materials are carried out.By taking the output power density and the conversion efficiency as the objective functions,the relevant parameters of the cell are optimized,and the operating range of the best material is obtained.The fourth chapter includes the summary and the prospect.This chapter will summarize the research works of the new type of thermophotovoltaic cell and give the highlights.After that,the shortcomings of the model of the new thermophotovoltaic cell as well as what can be further optimized will be pointed out,and the plan for the future research work will be made.The new type of thermophotovoltaic cell studied in this thesis not only has a theoretical significance,but also has a certain practical reference value.It will play a guiding role in the development of new high-performance thermophotovoltaic cells and the relating new energy-conversion devices.