24-Sep-2021 | Market Research Store
The U.S. Army Research Laboratory have recently underlined their research with attempts to quantify in larger measure with the integration of additional sensors and enhanced communication tools in order to provide lightweight tools and portable power solutions that have now become more challenging. This new format of research has demonstrated a new approach for turning thermal energy into electric energy using a method that is more compact and effective than its current format of production. The team notes that as hot objects radiate light in the form of photons into their surroundings, the emitted photons are often captured by a photovoltaic cell and are often converted into electric energy for further use. This approach to energy conversion is referred to as far-field thermophotovoltaics or FF-TPVs and has been in the development and experimental stage for a few years.
The team however notes that this method of production suffers from custom built photovoltaic cells and emitted designs that are best suited for near-field operations. The latest technique that is exhibited by the team has a power density that deals with an order of magnitude higher than that of the best reported near field-TPV systems while operating at six-time higher efficiency rate than its predecessor. The team notes that the abilities of the latter are expected to pave way for future near-field-TPV applications. The army used large amounts of power during deployment measurements and battlefield operations are often carried out by the soldiers in a weight constrained system. The team further noted that in the near-field-TPVs if successful, this invention could serve as a more compact and energy efficient power source for the soldier as these devices will have the ability to function at a lower operating temperature than the conventional TPVs.
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