AN INFRARED BANDPASS THERMOPHOTOVOLTAIC FILTER PRODUCTION PROCESS

THE CONVERSION OF INFRARED (IR) ENERGY BY MEANS OF PHOTOVOLTAIC CELLS, KNOWN AS THERMOPHOTOVOLTAICS (TPV), WAS SUGGESTED IN THE EARLY 1970S AND HAS BEEN RESEARCHED BY MANY WORKERS SINCE THEN. THE RECENT DEVELOPMENTS OF LOW-BANDGAP PHOTOVOLTAIC CELLS AND IR BANDPASS FILTERS HAVE FINALLY MADE THE PROMISE OF HIGH EFFICIENCY THERMOPHOTOVOLTAIC ENERGY CONVERSION A REALITY. THIS PROJECT SEEKS TO DEVELOP SEEKS TO DEVELOP A LOW-COST MEANS OF PRODUCTING THE LARGE AREAS OF THE IR BANDPASS FILTERS REQUIRED FOR THERMOPHOTOVOLTAIC APPLICATIONS. PRELIMINARY ANALYSES OF THE PROPOSED PRODUCTION PROCESS INDICATE THAT THE FILTERS MAY BE PRODUCED FOR AS LITTLE AS TWENTY FIVE CENTS PER SQUARE CENTIMETER. USING THESE LOW COST FILTERS, THERMOPHOTOVOLTAIC SYSTEMS COULD ECONOMICALLY REACH EFFICIENCIES IN EXCESS OF TWENTY PERCENT WITH IR SOURCE TEMPERATURES AS LOW AS ONE THOUSAND DEGREES CENTIGRADE. PHASE I WILL ADDRESS THE FEASIBILITY OF THE PRODUCTION PROCESS FOR THE FILTERS.