title: Design of wide-angle solar-selective absorbers using aperiodic metal-dielectric stacks.
abstract: Spectral control of the emissivity of surfaces is essential in applications such as solar thermal and thermophotovoltaic energy conversion in order to achieve the highest conversion efficiencies possible. We investigated the spectral performance of planar aperiodic metal-dielectric multilayer coatings for these applications. The response of the coatings was optimized for a target operational temperature using needle-optimization based on a transfer matrix approach. Excellent spectral selectivity was achieved over a wide angular range. These aperiodic metal-dielectric stacks have the potential to significantly increase the efficiency of thermophotovoltaic and solar thermal conversion systems. Optimal coatings for concentrated solar thermal conversion were modeled to have a thermal emissivity <7% at 720K while absorbing >94% of the incident light. In addition, optimized coatings for solar thermophotovoltaic applications were modeled to have thermal emissivity <16% at 1750K while absorbing >85% of the concentrated solar radiation.
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Electrical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA. sergeant@stanford.edu
authors.forename: Nicholas P
authors.initials: NP
authors.lastname: Sergeant
authors.forename: Olivier
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Pincon
authors.forename: Mukul
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Agrawal
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Peumans
mesh_terms: D017076:Computer-Aided Design; D011211:Electric Power Supplies; D004867:Equipment Design; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis; D008567:Membranes, Artificial; D008670:Metals / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000528:radiation effects*; D012993:Solar Energy
chemical_list: D008567:Membranes, Artificial; D008670:Metals