SBIR Phase I: Macroscale Knudsen Pumped Solar Thermal Collector

该小型企业创新研究（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，该集热器具有显着提高的性能和经济性。目前的小型集热器受到辐射损失的限制，最高工作温度为120 ℃，效率为45%至55%。拟议的设计将使用一种新的保温策略，既绝缘和IR损失减少。该设计也将被优化，以诱导热蒸发泵送。这种效果将最小化或消除由泵送传热流体引起的寄生损失。对于所提出的收集器，最近的模型表明，理论工作温度超过250 ℃，效率70%，成本降低3倍是可以实现的。该项目将开发集热器的综合三维多物理模型，并进行基础实验以支持该模型。还将开发太阳能加热和冷却系统性能/经济模型，沿着进行初步的制造成本分析。结果将提供一个按比例放大的原型在第二阶段的后续工作的制造基础。该项目的更广泛的影响/商业潜力是奠定了一个高性能的太阳能集热器适合在分布式太阳能加热冷却系统的城市部署的基础。由于其性能，美国市场上的太阳能集热器仅限于产生热水。由于美国能源价格较低，这些集热器所支持的太阳能热水系统仅实现了有限的市场渗透。基于新的集热器设计的系统将能够提供热水以及更高价值的能源，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。通过天然气和电力进行的传统水加热每年花费美国经济超过270亿美元，并产生超过1.8亿吨/年的二氧化碳排放量。商业和住宅HVAC消耗美国总能源的15%，这意味着每年1500亿美元的支出和超过8000万吨/年的二氧化碳排放。利用太阳能解决方案解决这些综合市场将实现数百兆吨的二氧化碳减排，仅在美国就可以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.