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Experimental testing of SiNx/SiO2 thin film filters for a concentrating solar hybrid PV/T collector

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  • Crisostomo, Felipe
  • Taylor, Robert A.
  • Zhang, Tian
  • Perez-Wurfl, Ivan
  • Rosengarten, Gary
  • Everett, Vernie
  • Hawkes, Evatt R.

Abstract

Achieving high temperature thermal outputs from concentrating photovoltaic/thermal (PV/T) systems presents a challenge in that the performance of the PV cells declines with increasing temperature. Spectral beam splitting is an attractive approach to address this conflict by thermally decoupling the PV and thermal receivers, allowing the PV cells to operate at low temperature and the thermal receiver to operate at high temperature. In this study, SiNx/SiO2 multilayer thin film filters were designed and fabricated to act as beam splitting devices in a 10 sun, linear Fresnel mirror-based, concentrating PV/T solar collector. In this collector, reflected light is directed to a silicon PV cell whilst the transmitted light is directed to a thermal receiver. Plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) was used to fabricate the filters which were designed to obtain maximum hybrid output. The resulting devices have high reflectance (greater than 95%) for light between 713 and 1067 nm and high transmittance (greater than 90%) for sunlight outside that reflection window. The concentration of process gases in the PECVD reactor was varied in order to reduce undesired absorption at short wavelengths –lower than 650 nm– by the SiNx layers. Indoor testing was carried out for the filters in a system which consists of a Si PV cell, a thermal sensor, and a solid-state plasma light source (6500 K black body spectrum). This study tested filter performance for various angles of incidence (AOI) between 20 and 45°. The experimental results indicate that the PV cells, illuminated with the reflected light from the filters, operate on average at 9.2% absolute higher efficiency than the same cells without the filter. Furthermore, for the best filter, in terms of relative percentage, the measured hybrid output (weighted by a worth factor of electrical vs. thermal energy) is ∼9% higher than the electrical output of a PV cell stand-alone system exposed to the same light source. This paper represents the first study of a hybrid PV/T solar collector using SiNx/SiO2 thin film filters and demonstrates the feasibility of such systems. This study also indicates that this type of system can utilize 85.6% of the incoming solar spectrum based on the measured optical properties of the filters.

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  • Crisostomo, Felipe & Taylor, Robert A. & Zhang, Tian & Perez-Wurfl, Ivan & Rosengarten, Gary & Everett, Vernie & Hawkes, Evatt R., 2014. "Experimental testing of SiNx/SiO2 thin film filters for a concentrating solar hybrid PV/T collector," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 72(C), pages 79-87.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:renene:v:72:y:2014:i:c:p:79-87
    DOI: 10.1016/j.renene.2014.06.033
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    1. Otanicar, Todd P. & Theisen, Stephen & Norman, Tyler & Tyagi, Himanshu & Taylor, Robert A., 2015. "Envisioning advanced solar electricity generation: Parametric studies of CPV/T systems with spectral filtering and high temperature PV," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 140(C), pages 224-233.
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    3. Crisostomo, Felipe & Taylor, Robert A. & Surjadi, Desiree & Mojiri, Ahmad & Rosengarten, Gary & Hawkes, Evatt R., 2015. "Spectral splitting strategy and optical model for the development of a concentrating hybrid PV/T collector," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 141(C), pages 238-246.
    4. An, Wei & Zhang, Jie & Zhu, Tong & Gao, Naiping, 2016. "Investigation on a spectral splitting photovoltaic/thermal hybrid system based on polypyrrole nanofluid: Preliminary test," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 86(C), pages 633-642.
    5. Hong, Wenpeng & Li, Boyu & Li, Haoran & Niu, Xiaojuan & Li, Yan & Lan, Jingrui, 2022. "Recent progress in thermal energy recovery from the decoupled photovoltaic/thermal system equipped with spectral splitters," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 167(C).
    6. Brekke, Nick & Dale, John & DeJarnette, Drew & Hari, Parameswar & Orosz, Matthew & Roberts, Kenneth & Tunkara, Ebrima & Otanicar, Todd, 2018. "Detailed performance model of a hybrid photovoltaic/thermal system utilizing selective spectral nanofluid absorption," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 123(C), pages 683-693.
    7. Wang, Kai & Pantaleo, Antonio M. & Herrando, María & Faccia, Michele & Pesmazoglou, Ioannis & Franchetti, Benjamin M. & Markides, Christos N., 2020. "Spectral-splitting hybrid PV-thermal (PVT) systems for combined heat and power provision to dairy farms," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 159(C), pages 1047-1065.
    8. Huang, Gan & Wang, Kai & Curt, Sara Riera & Franchetti, Benjamin & Pesmazoglou, Ioannis & Markides, Christos N., 2021. "On the performance of concentrating fluid-based spectral-splitting hybrid PV-thermal (PV-T) solar collectors," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 174(C), pages 590-605.
    9. Widyolar, Bennett & Jiang, Lun & Winston, Roland, 2018. "Spectral beam splitting in hybrid PV/T parabolic trough systems for power generation," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 209(C), pages 236-250.
    10. Mojiri, Ahmad & Stanley, Cameron & Rodriguez-Sanchez, David & Everett, Vernie & Blakers, Andrew & Rosengarten, Gary, 2016. "A spectral-splitting PV–thermal volumetric solar receiver," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 169(C), pages 63-71.
    11. Ju, Xing & Xu, Chao & Han, Xue & Du, Xiaoze & Wei, Gaosheng & Yang, Yongping, 2017. "A review of the concentrated photovoltaic/thermal (CPVT) hybrid solar systems based on the spectral beam splitting technology," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 187(C), pages 534-563.
    12. Li, Boyu & Hong, Wenpeng & Li, Haoran & Lan, Jingrui & Zi, Junliang, 2022. "Optimized energy distribution management in the nanofluid-assisted photovoltaic/thermal system via exergy efficiency analysis," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 242(C).
    13. Lamnatou, Chr. & Vaillon, R. & Parola, S. & Chemisana, D., 2021. "Photovoltaic/thermal systems based on concentrating and non-concentrating technologies: Working fluids at low, medium and high temperatures," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 137(C).
    14. Wu, Jinshun & Zhang, Xingxing & Shen, Jingchun & Wu, Yupeng & Connelly, Karen & Yang, Tong & Tang, Llewellyn & Xiao, Manxuan & Wei, Yixuan & Jiang, Ke & Chen, Chao & Xu, Peng & Wang, Hong, 2017. "A review of thermal absorbers and their integration methods for the combined solar photovoltaic/thermal (PV/T) modules," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 75(C), pages 839-854.
    15. Han, Xinyue & Xue, Dengshuai & Zheng, Jun & Alelyani, Sami M. & Chen, Xiaobin, 2019. "Spectral characterization of spectrally selective liquid absorption filters and exploring their effects on concentrator solar cells," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 131(C), pages 938-945.
    16. Stanley, Cameron & Mojiri, Ahmad & Rahat, Mirza & Blakers, Andrew & Rosengarten, Gary, 2016. "Performance testing of a spectral beam splitting hybrid PVT solar receiver for linear concentrators," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 168(C), pages 303-313.
    17. Chen, Haifei & Li, Guiqiang & Zhong, Yang & Wang, Yunjie & Cai, Baorui & Yang, Jie & Badiei, Ali & Zhang, Yang, 2021. "Exergy analysis of a high concentration photovoltaic and thermal system for comprehensive use of heat and electricity," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 225(C).
    18. Crisostomo, Felipe & Hjerrild, Natasha & Mesgari, Sara & Li, Qiyuan & Taylor, Robert A., 2017. "A hybrid PV/T collector using spectrally selective absorbing nanofluids," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 193(C), pages 1-14.
    19. Qu, Wanjun & Xing, Xueli & Cao, Yali & Liu, Taixiu & Hong, Hui & Jin, Hongguang, 2020. "A concentrating solar power system integrated photovoltaic and mid-temperature solar thermochemical processes," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 262(C).
    20. Kandilli, Canan & Külahlı, Gürhan, 2017. "Performance analysis of a concentrated solar energy for lighting-power generation combined system based on spectral beam splitting," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 101(C), pages 713-727.
    21. Huaxu, Liang & Fuqiang, Wang & Dong, Zhang & Ziming, Cheng & Chuanxin, Zhang & Bo, Lin & Huijin, Xu, 2020. "Experimental investigation of cost-effective ZnO nanofluid based spectral splitting CPV/T system," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 194(C).
    22. An, Wei & Wu, Jinrui & Zhu, Tong & Zhu, Qunzhi, 2016. "Experimental investigation of a concentrating PV/T collector with Cu9S5 nanofluid spectral splitting filter," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 184(C), pages 197-206.
    23. Liang, Huaxu & Wang, Fuqiang & Yang, Luwei & Cheng, Ziming & Shuai, Yong & Tan, Heping, 2021. "Progress in full spectrum solar energy utilization by spectral beam splitting hybrid PV/T system," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 141(C).
    24. Si Kuan Thio & Sung-Yong Park, 2019. "Dispersive Optical Systems for Highly-Concentrated Solar Spectrum Splitting: Concept, Design, and Performance Analyses," Energies, MDPI, vol. 12(24), pages 1-18, December.
    25. Qu, Wanjun & Hong, Hui & Jin, Hongguang, 2019. "A spectral splitting solar concentrator for cascading solar energy utilization by integrating photovoltaics and solar thermal fuel," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 248(C), pages 162-173.

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