SBIR Phase I: Macroscale Knudsen Pumped Solar Thermal Collector

这项小型企业创新研究（SBIR）第一阶段项目将评估一种新型平板太阳能集热器的可行性，该集热器的性能和经济性将得到显著提高。目前的小型集热器受辐射损耗的限制，在效率为45%至55%的情况下，最高工作温度为120℃。提出的设计将使用一种新的保温策略，既保温又减少红外损耗。设计还将进行优化，以诱导热蒸腾泵送。这种效果将减少或消除泵送传热流体造成的寄生损失。最近的模型表明，该集热器的理论工作温度超过250℃，效率达到70%，成本降低3倍。该项目将开发集热器的综合3D多物理场模型，并进行基础实验以支持该模型。太阳能加热和冷却系统的性能/经济模型也将与初步的制造成本分析一起开发。该结果将为在第二阶段的后续工作中制造按比例放大的原型提供基础。该项目的更广泛的影响/商业潜力是为高性能太阳能集热器奠定基础，该集热器适用于城市分布式太阳能加热冷却系统。由于它们的性能，美国市场上的太阳能集热器仅限于生产热水。由于美国的能源价格较低，这些集热器支持的太阳能热水系统只取得了有限的市场渗透。基于新集热器设计的系统将能够提供热水以及更高价值的能源资源，如空间冷却和加热。额外的收入来源将使它们在低成本能源环境中具有经济可行性。通过燃气和电力进行的传统水加热每年使美国经济损失超过270亿美元，每年产生超过1.8亿吨的二氧化碳排放。商业和住宅暖通空调消耗了美国总能源使用量的15%，每年的支出为1500亿美元，每年的二氧化碳排放量超过8000万吨。利用太阳能解决方案解决这些综合市场，仅在美国就能实现数亿吨的二氧化碳减排，并节省数千亿美元的能源支出。

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project will assess the feasibility of a novel flat plate solar thermal collector with significantly improved performance and economics. Current small scale collectors are limited by radiative losses to a maximum operational temperature of 120C at efficiencies of 45% to 55%. The proposed design will use a novel heat retention strategy for both insulation and IR loss reduction. The design will also be optimized to induce thermal transpiration pumping. This effect will minimize or eliminate parasitic losses caused by pumping heat transfer fluids. For the proposed collector, recent models indicate theoretical operating temperatures in excess of 250C, efficiencies 70%, and a 3X cost reduction are attainable. The project will develop a comprehensive 3D multi-physics model of the collector and perform basic experiments to support it. A solar heating and cooling system performance/economic model will also be developed along with a preliminary manufacturing cost analysis. The result will provide the basis for the fabrication of a scaled up prototype in a follow on Phase II effort.The broader impact/commercial potential of this project is to lay the groundwork for a high performance solar thermal collector suitable for urban deployment in distributed solar heating cooling systems. Because of their performance, solar collectors on the U.S. market are limited to the generation of hot water. Due to low energy prices in the U.S., the solar water heating systems these collectors support have achieved only limited market penetration. Systems based on the new collector design will be capable of providing hot water as well as higher value energy resources such as space cooling and heating. The additional revenue streams will make them economically viable in a low-cost energy landscape. Conventional water heating via gas and electricity costs the US economy in excess of $27B per year and produces more than 180 megatons/year in CO2 emissions. Commercial and residential HVAC consumes 15% of the total energy used in the U.S., representing $150B/year in expenditures and over 80 megatons/year in CO2 emissions. Addressing these combined markets with solar solutions would realize hundreds of megatons in CO2 emissions reductions and save hundreds billions of dollars in energy expenditures in the U.S. alone.