The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Sep. 02, 2014
Filed:
Nov. 30, 2012
Mtpv Power Corporation, Austin, TX (US);
Paul Greiff, Wayland, MA (US);
Robert Dimatteo, Belmont, MA (US);
Eric Brown, Cambridge, MA (US);
Christopher Leitz, Watertown, MA (US);
MTPV Power Corporation, Austin, TX (US);
Abstract
An improved submicron gap thermophotovoltaic structure and method comprising an emitter substrate with a first surface for receiving heat energy and a second surface for emitting infrared radiation across an evacuated submicron gap to a juxtaposed first surface of an infrared radiation-transparent window substrate having a high refractive index. A second surface of the infrared radiation-transparent substrate opposite the first surface is affixed to a photovoltaic cell substrate by an infrared-transparent compliant adhesive layer. Relying on the high refractive index of the infrared radiation-transparent window substrate, the low refractive index of the submicron gap and Snell's law, the infrared radiation received by the first surface of the infrared radiation-transparent window substrate is focused onto a more perpendicular path to the surface of the photovoltaic cell substrate. This results in increased electrical power output and improved efficiency by the thermophotovoltaic structure.