Photothermal solar container efficiency formula

Can photo-thermal conversion phase change materials improve solar energy utilization?

MDPI

What is photo-thermal conversion efficiency?

The photo-thermal conversion efficiency is a critical factor in determining the photo-thermal conversion performance of PCMs. As shown in Table 1, most photo-thermal conversion efficiency exceeds 80% or even 90%, indicating excellent photo-thermal conversion performance.

How does photothermal conversion of solar energy work?

Photothermal conversion of solar energy, to produce hot fluid or hot air, takes place in solar collectors. Efficient conversion requires that a solar-absorbing surface is in thermal contact with the fluid or gas, and that thermal losses to the environment are minimized.

Can photo-thermal conversion phase change materials improve solar energy utilization?

Photo-thermal conversion phase change materials (PCMs), which can overcome the gap between the demand and supply of solar energy, have shown significant potential in solar energy utilization. The photo-thermal conversion efficiency is a critical factor in determining the photo-thermal conversion performance of PCMs.

Does latent heat affect photo-thermal conversion efficiency?

However, in terms of photo-thermal conversion and storage by PCMs, as presented in Table 1, the majority of the open literature only considers the latent heat to calculate the photo-thermal conversion efficiency, which cannot reflect the actual photo-thermal conversion performance of PCMs during the whole energy conversion and storage process.

Are photo-thermal conversion efficiency of PCMS accurate?

As an improvement, a modified method, considering both sensible and latent heat absorption and the temperature difference within the PCMs, was proposed to determine the photo-thermal conversion efficiency of PCMs accurately.

Are photothermal conversion materials effective?

Photothermal conversion materials: photoconversion efficiency still needs to be further improved. Ideal photothermal materials should widely absorb solar energy in 250–2500 μm with less cost-effectiveness and easy scalability. But the currently used materials are generally active under specific wavelength range.