Waste Energy Collection and Conversion using Advanced Thermophotovoltaics systems

Thermophotovoltaic (TPV) technology can harness the waste energy dissipated by heavy industrial processes to generate clean electricity. The efficiency of TPV systems depends on several factors, including the temperature of the thermal emitter, the bandgap of the photovoltaic cell, and the spectral matching between the emitter and the cell. Currently, state-of-the-art TPV devices can achieve efficiencies up to 50%, while most TPV systems typically have efficiencies in the range of 5-20%. Nonetheless, improving the efficiency of TPV devices remains an active area of research and development. The tandem configuration within the TPV device utilizes multiple solar cells stacked on top of each other, with each cell designed to absorb different portions of the solar spectrum. This configuration not only increases the overall efficiency of the TPV device but also enables better energy conversion and utilization. In our study, we evaluate the performance of TPV solar cell configurations. Using the finite element method, we have numerically studied the performance of these solar cells when used to harness waste energy within the range of 1500-2500K. We observe a maximum power density of 0.8 W/cm² is obtained with TPV cell when using a TPV having a maximum of 20% efficiency. Further, we evaluate the performance of these devices when used alongside non-uniform heat sources and explore pathways for their efficiency improvement.