Direct Solar/Thermal to Electrical Energy Conversion Technologies

Syllabus

Course Meeting Times

Lectures: 1 session / week, 1.5 hours / session

Course Description

This course introduces principles and technologies for converting heat into electricity via solid-state devices. The first part of the course discusses thermoelectric energy conversion and thermoelectric materials, thermionic energy conversion, and photovoltaics. The second part of the course discusses solar thermal technologies. Various solar heat collection systems will be reviewed, followed by an introduction to the principles of solar thermophotovoltaics and solar thermoelectrics. Spectral control techniques, which are critical for solar thermal systems, will be discussed.

Format: Lectures

Homework: Weekly reading and one page reports, 60%

Final project: 40%

Grade: Pass or fail (final confirmation on 2nd week)

Course Calendar

WEEK #	TOPICS
1	Introduction Review of 1st and 2nd law, statistical distribution Review of heat transfer Fourier law Newton’s law of cooling Planck’s blackbody radiation law, Stefan-Boltzmann law
2	Thermoelectric effect and thermoelectric devices Seebeck effect Peltier effect Thomson effect Thermoelectric figure of merit Applications
3	Energy states in matter Electron band structure Phonon spectrum of solids Density of states Carrier density
4	Kinetic formulation of thermoelectricity Coupled electron heat transport Electron engineering Phonon engineering
5	Current research on thermoelectric materials Classical thermoelectric materials Commercial materials: oxides, half-Heusler Nanostructures Complex materials
6	Thermionic power conversion Richardson formula Thermionic engines: vacuum, solid-state Schottky barrier and diode pn junction and diode
7	Photovoltaic cells Solid-state thermionics Solar cell basic principles Efficiency: maximization, limiting factors Types of PV cells, single junction and multi-junction
8	Radiative heat transfer Blackbody radiation Motion of the earth and sun Solar spectra: AM0, AM1, AM1.5, etc. Definition of radiative properties: emissivity, absorptivity, reflectivity, transmissivity Maximum efficiency, temperature of solar thermal engines Wavelength selective surfaces
9	Solar concentration and solar thermal technology Solar hot water systems Imaging and nonimaging optics Tracking and nontracking systems Methods for concentration: trough, tower, dish EM wave calculation of surface properties Solar thermoelectrics
10	Guest Lecture: Chris Schuh, “Nanostructured Materials: Stability Against Thermal Coarsening.”
11	Guest Lecture: Ivan Čelanović, “Photonic Crystals: Shaping the Flow of Thermal Radiation.” Thermophotovoltaic power generation Photonic crystal design Electronic and photonic bandgap properties PV module design challenges
12	Applications of thermoelectrics and photovoltaics Solar thermovoltaics Selective surfaces Solar thermophotonics Solar thermoelectrics