Control of Spectral Emittance Using a Rare-Earth Oxide Film Coated on a Ceramic Plate

摘要

The spectral emission of a ceramic plate coated with a rare-earth oxide thin film was investigated for thermophotovoltaic (TPV) applications using a one-dimensional radiative transfer analysis. The selective emitter has emission bands at wavelengths around 1 and 1.5 μm due to erbium. In the temperature range between 1400 and 1500 K, the radiant energy within these bands is remarkably large, because the Planck distribution has a peak at a wavelength of approximately 2 μm. In addition, the spectral response of aGaSb TPV cell has a peak at around 1.5 μm; therefore, the radiant energy of the emission bands is quite useful for the TPV generation of electricity. The total spectral efficiency for both the 1 μm and 1.5 μm bands reaches a maximum value of 0.295 for a film thickness between 0.2 and 0.3 mm.