Control of thermal emission for thermophotovoltaic systems

Abstract

Thermal emitters play a key role in controlling the thermal radiation emitted in thermophotovoltaic systems and in increasing their energy conversion efficiency. Here, we present different designs of emitters with spectrally selective properties, based on easy-to-fabricate multilayer structures and characterized by a sharp transition from high to low emissivity in the region of interest. Those structures make use of refractory materials to allow working at high operating temperatures and they can be easily customized to maximize the thermal emission in the region of the desired wavelengths.