The Administrators of the Tulane Educational Fund

David M Bar-On

Daniel Shawn Codd

Matthew David Escarra

Yaping Ji

Kazi M Islam

Jacqueline C Failla

Claire C Davis

Maxwell W Woody

Luke Artzt

Matthew Barrios

A hybrid receiver for a concentrator photovoltaic-thermal power system combines a concentrator photovoltaic (CPV) module and a thermal module that converts concentrated sunlight into electrical energy and thermal heat. Heat transfer fluid flowing through a cooling block removes waste heat generated by photovoltaic cells in the CPV module. The heat transfer fluid then flows through a helical tube illuminated by sunlight that misses the CPV module. Only one fluid system is used to both remove the photovoltaic-cell waste heat and capture high-temperature thermal energy from sunlight. Fluid leaving the hybrid receiver can have a temperature greater than 200° C., and therefore may be used as a source of process heat for a variety of commercial and industrial applications. The hybrid receiver can maintain the photovoltaic cells at temperatures below 110° C. while achieving overall energy conversion efficiencies exceeding 80%.

Hybrid receiver for concentrated photovoltaic-thermal power systems, and associated methods

Growing community of inventors

New Orleans, LA, United States of America

David M Bar-On