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Thermodynamic assessment of solar photon-enhanced thermionic conversion

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  • Xiao, Gang
  • Zheng, Guanghua
  • Ni, Dong
  • Li, Qiang
  • Qiu, Min
  • Ni, Mingjiang

Abstract

Photon-enhanced thermionic conversion, an innovative solar power technology, combines photovoltaic and thermionic effects into a single process, and has the potential to surpass the Shockley–Queisser limit and conventional photo-thermal limit. However, there is little understanding about the energy conversion process from a thermodynamic point of view. A detailed thermodynamic model is proposed, encompassing energy and exergy balance, and entropy analysis to evaluate a process for solar photon-enhanced thermionic conversion. The correlation of photons, phonons and electrons is presented, as well as the energy transfer pathway in solar thermionic conversion. The total solar-to-electricity efficiency of energy and exergy are 54.32% and 58.42%, respectively, for a photon-enhanced thermionic converter combined with a Carnot engine, at a 1.20 eV bandgap with an electron affinity of 1.20 eV when the concentrated solar flux is 500 kW/m2. The combination of photoexcitation and thermalization facilitates the overall thermionic emission exergy ratio up to 62.36%, higher than that of conventional thermionic conversion by 10.92%. Temperature-entropy diagrams with quantitative analysis are proposed for the thermodynamic processes of thermionic and photon-enhanced thermionic conversion. The electron fluid cycles from the Fermi level of the anode back to the valance band of the cathode with a reduced entropy, while being thermalized from the conduction band in photon-enhanced thermionic conversion, contributing to the entire conversion of photoexcited energy to electricity.

Suggested Citation

  • Xiao, Gang & Zheng, Guanghua & Ni, Dong & Li, Qiang & Qiu, Min & Ni, Mingjiang, 2018. "Thermodynamic assessment of solar photon-enhanced thermionic conversion," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 223(C), pages 134-145.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:appene:v:223:y:2018:i:c:p:134-145
    DOI: 10.1016/j.apenergy.2018.04.044
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    2. Zeneli, M. & Malgarinos, I. & Nikolopoulos, A. & Nikolopoulos, N. & Grammelis, P. & Karellas, S. & Kakaras, E., 2019. "Numerical simulation of a silicon-based latent heat thermal energy storage system operating at ultra-high temperatures," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 242(C), pages 837-853.

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