Related papers: Maximal nighttime electrical power generation via …
Thermoelectric (TE) refrigeration such as Peltier cooler enables a unique opportunity in electric energy to directly convert thermal energy. Here, we propose a TE module with both refrigeration and power generation modes by utilizing…
We report the fabrication and measurement of thermophotovoltaic (TPV) cells with efficiencies of >40%, which is a record high TPV efficiency and the first experimental demonstration of the efficiency of high-bandgap tandem TPV cells. TPV…
I propose a design strategy to enhance the performance of heat engine via absorption of thermal energy from the channel region. The absorption of thermal energy can be actuated by inelastic processes and may be accomplished by an energy…
Thermal radiative energy transport is essential for high-temperature energy harvesting technologies, including thermophotovoltaics (TPVs) and grid-scale thermal energy storage. However, the inherently low emissivity of conventional…
Optimization analyses of thermoelectric generators operation is of importance both for practical applications and theoretical considerations. Depending on the desired goal, two different strategies are possible to achieve high performance:…
Radiative cooling is a passive cooling strategy with zero consumption of electricity. Although this technology can work well during optimal atmospheric conditions at nighttime, it is essential to achieve efficient radiative cooling during…
Systemic optimization of thermoelectric materials is arduous due to their conflicting electrical and thermal properties. A strategy based on Design of Experiments and machine learning is developed to optimize the thermoelectric efficiency…
We derive the thermodynamic limits of harvesting power from the outgoing thermal radiation from the ambient to the cold outer space. The derivations are based on a duality relation between thermal engines that harvest solar radiation and…
This study explores the integration of thermoelectric generators (TEGs) and phase change materials (PCMs) to enhance the efficiency of photovoltaic (PV) panels in high-temperature conditions. An AP-PM-20 Polycrystalline PV panel,…
Thermoelectric effects allow the generation of electrical power from waste heat and the electrical control of cooling and heating. Remarkably, these effects are also highly sensitive to the asymmetry in the density of states around the…
We report that electricity can be generated from limitless thermal motion of ions by two dimensional (2D) surface of silicon wafer at room temperature. A typical silicon device, on which asymmetric electrodes with Au and Ag thin films were…
It is well known that performance of a thermophotovoltaic (TPV) device can be enhanced if the vacuum gap between the thermal emitter and the TPV cell becomes nanoscale due to the photon tunneling of evanescent waves. Having multiple…
Thermionic energy conversion (TEC) using nano materials is an emerging field of research. Graphene can stand high temperature as high as 4600 K in vacuum. Its work function can be engineered from its high value (for monolayer/bilayer) 4.6…
Thermal energy storage (TES) systems coupled with heat pumps offer significant potential for improving building energy efficiency by shifting electricity demand to off-peak hours. However, conventional operating strategies maintain…
Harvesting low-grade heat to electricity is attractive for powering wearable electronic devices. Here, we demonstrate nW-scale thermoelectric power generation in devices from thin film assemblies of microwave-synthesized p-Sb2Te3 nanoplates…
Low-dimensional electronic systems in thermoelectrics have the potential to achieve high thermal-to-electric energy conversion efficiency. A key measure of performance is the efficiency when the device is operated under maximum power…
The photoelectric effect induced by blackbody radiation could be a mechanism to harvest ambient thermal energy at a uniform temperature. Here, I describe (without going too much into mathematical details) the theoretical model I developed…
A preliminary study of the Energy Production Demonstrator (EPD) concept - a solid heavy metal target irradiated by GeV-range intense proton beams and producing more energy than consuming - is carried out. Neutron production, fission, energy…
We propose a concentrated thermionic emission solar cell design, which demonstrates a high solar-to-electricity energy conversion efficiency larger than 10\% under 600 sun, by harnessing the exceptional electrical, thermal and radiative…
The thermoelectric (TE) properties of a material are dramatically altered when electron-electron interactions become the dominant scattering mechanism. In the degenerate hydrodynamic regime, the thermal conductivity is reduced and becomes a…