Development of thermophotovoltaic technology in waste heat recovery: A Review of the last five years

Abstract

Reducing carbon emissions has emerged as one of the most significant challenges in achieving global sustainability goals. A substantial portion of this objective focuses on mitigating emissions resulting from the combustion of fossil fuels in industrial processes. While production activities in the industrial sector contribute significantly to carbon emissions, a large fraction of the heat generated remains underutilized. In this context, thermophotovoltaic (TPV) systems present an effective solution for waste heat recovery in high-temperature industries. This study provides a comprehensive review of advancements in high-efficiency TPV systems and their applications in industrial waste heat recovery over the past five years. Specifically, selective emitters and photovoltaic cells have been analyzed at the system level, with critical components and relevant micro/nano fabrication techniques examined to enhance energy conversion efficiency. From an application perspective, the feasibility of TPV technologies in high-temperature industries is investigated in relation to global waste heat utilization trends, with the steel industry serving as a case study to illustrate the potential of TPV systems in waste heat recovery and contributions to carbon neutrality.

Keywords

• Thermophotovoltaic
• Waste heat recovery
• Iron steel industry
• Micro/nano fabrication techniques
• Burning

Atık ısı geri kazanımında termofotovoltaik teknolojisinin gelişimi: Son beş yıla dair bir inceleme

Öz

Günümüzde karbon emisyonlarının azaltılması, küresel sürdürülebilirlik hedefleri doğrultusunda karşılaşılan en büyük zorluklardan biri olarak öne çıkmaktadır. Bu hedefin önemli bir kısmı, sanayide fosil yakıtların yakılmasından kaynaklanan emisyonların azaltılmasına odaklanmaktadır. Sanayi sektöründe gerçekleştirilen üretim süreçleri, ciddi miktarda karbon emisyonuna yol açarken, üretilen ısının büyük bir kısmı verimli bir şekilde kullanılamamaktadır. Bu bağlamda, yüksek sıcaklıkta faaliyet gösteren endüstrilerde oluşan atık ısının geri kazanımında termofotovoltaik (TPV) sistemler etkili bir çözüm olarak dikkat çekmektedir. Bu çalışmada, yüksek verimli TPV sistemlerinin son beş yıldaki gelişmeleri ve endüstriyel atık ısı uygulamaları kapsamlı bir şekilde incelenmiştir. Özellikle seçici yayıcılar ve fotovoltaik hücreler sistem düzeyinde analiz edilmiş, enerji dönüşüm verimliliğini artırmaya yönelik kritik bileşenler ve ilgili mikro/nano üretim teknikleri ele alınmıştır. Uygulama perspektifinde, TPV teknolojilerinin yüksek sıcaklık endüstrilerindeki uygulanabilirliği, dünya genelindeki atık ısı kullanım durumuyla ilişkilendirilmiş ve demir çelik endüstrisi örneği üzerinden TPV sistemlerinin atık ısı geri kazanımı ile karbon nötrlüğüne katkıları irdelenmiştir.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Termofotovoltaik
• Atık ısı geri kazanımı
• Demir çelik sektörü
• Mikro/nano üretim teknikleri
• Yanma

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