PFI-TT: Novel Silicon Photovoltaics for Efficient and Low-cost Conversion of Heat to Electricity

Regents Of The University Of Michigan - Ann Arbor, Ann Arbor MI

Investigators

Abstract

The broader impact/commercial potential of this Partnerships for Innovation - Technology Translation (PFI-TT) project is to improve storage of energy created by solar cells. photovoltaics. The proposed technology is designed for use in utility-scale stationary electricity storage systems, or thermal batteries, with a novel systems architecture. This project will demonstrate a low-cost approach to energy storage using earth-abundant storage materials and able to be deployed virtually anywhere in the world. The proposed project advances a cost-effective form of photovoltaic cell with a novel architecture. This system utilizes incident thermal radiation with near-perfect efficiency. The objective of the project is to design and demonstrate a scalable airbridge silicon thermophotovoltaic (TPV) technology that achieves sufficiently high efficiencies to enable the deployment of thermal batteries. The project will also explore the integration of the TPV cells with high-temperature thermal storage media to provide design guidelines for future system-level demonstration projects. Overall, the proposed project will provide a more complete understanding of how the airbridge architecture can enable an energy system that provides long-duration energy storage at a significantly lower cost than existing approaches. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.