Performance was evaluated for a passive solar space heating system utilizing heat pipes to transfer heat through an insulated wall from an absorber outside the building to a storage tank inside the building. The one-directional, thermal diode heat transfer effect of heat pipes make them ideal for passive solar applications. Gains by the heat pipe are not lost during cloud cover or periods of lo...

Solar thermophotovoltaic (STPV) systems convert solar energy into electricity via thermally radiated photons at tailored wavelengths to increase energy conversion efficiency. In this work, we report the design and analysis of a STPV system with 2D photonic crystals (PhCs) using a high-fidelity thermal-electrical hybrid model that includes the thermal coupling between the absorber/emitter/PV cel...

Energy has emerged as one of the most significant and universal concerns society will face in this century. Currently, the world relies on fossil fuels to produce 86% of its energy. However, the combustion of fossil fuels generates greenhouse gases, a major factor responsible for global warming. Because concentrated solar thermal (CST) systems offer a pathway to a cost-competitive alternative t...

the shape of a solar collector is an important factor in solar-to-thermal energy conversion. conical shape is one of the stationary and symmetric shapes that can be employed as a solar water heater. flow rate of working fluid on the solar collector has an important effect on the efficiency of the collector. the present study is an experimentally investigated of the performance of the solar coni...

Abstract—This paper deals with the analytical investigation of thermal and thermohydraulic performance of double flow solar air heaters with corrugated and flat plate absorber. A mathematical model of double flow solar air heater has been presented, and a computer program in C++ language is developed to estimate the outlet temperature of air for the evaluation of thermal and thermohydraulic eff...

The generation of electricity from solar thermal source has continued to garner more attention due to the very attractive environmental performance, the applicability to small distributed users and as alternative to the fossil fuels power generation. Indeed, solar thermal energy, through the coupling with ORC systems, becomes fit for electric power generation as well and, with a proper thermal ...

Here we realize a broadband absorber by using a hyperbolic metamaterial composed of alternating aluminum-alumina thin films based on superposition of multiple slow-wave modes. Our super absorber ensures broadband and polarization-insensitive light absorption over almost the entire solar spectrum, near-infrared and short-wavelength infrared regime (500–2500 nm) with a simulated absorption of ove...

The study of ideal absorbers, which can efficiently absorb light over a broad range of wavelengths, is of fundamental importance, as well as critical for many applications from solar steam generation and thermophotovoltaics to light/thermal detectors. As a result of recent advances in plasmonics, plasmonic absorbers have attracted a lot of attention. However, the performance and scalability of ...

The shape of a solar collector is an important factor in solar-to-thermal energy conversion. Conical shape is one of the stationary and symmetric shapes that can be employed as a solar water heater. Flow rate of working fluid on the solar collector has an important effect on the efficiency of the collector. The present study is an experimentally investigated of the performance of the solar coni...

Titanium diboride (TiB2) is a low-density refractory material belonging to the family of ultra-high temperature ceramics (UHTCs). This paper reports on the production and microstructural and optical characterization of nearly fully dense TiB2, with particular interest to its potential utilization as novel thermal solar absorber. Monolithic bulk samples are produced starting from elemental react...