SBIR Phase I: Macroscale Knudsen Pumped Solar Thermal Collector

这个小型企业创新研究(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都有显著改善。目前的小型集热器的辐射损耗限制在最高工作温度为120摄氏度，效率为45%至55%。建议的设计将使用一种新的保温策略来降低绝缘和IR损耗。该设计还将进行优化，以诱导热发汗泵送。这种效果将最大限度地减少或消除泵送换热流体造成的寄生损失。对于建议的收集器，最新的模型表明，理论工作温度超过250℃，效率可达到70%，成本可降低3倍。该项目将开发收集器的综合3D多物理模型，并进行基础实验来支持它。还将开发太阳能供暖和制冷系统性能/经济模型以及初步制造成本分析。这一结果将为下一步第二阶段的放大原型制造提供基础。该项目的更广泛的影响/商业潜力是为适合城市部署的分布式太阳能加热冷却系统的高性能太阳能集热器奠定基础。由于它们的性能，美国市场上的太阳能收集器仅限于产生热水。由于美国能源价格较低，这些收集器支持的太阳能热水系统只实现了有限的市场渗透率。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，如空间制冷和供暖。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。通过燃气和电力的传统热水供暖每年给美国经济造成的成本超过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耗的15%，相当于每年1500亿美元的支出和超过8000万吨/年的二氧化碳排放。用太阳能解决方案解决这些组合市场将实现数亿吨的二氧化碳减排，并仅在美国就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.