I-Corps Teams: Photonic Crystal Enabled Thermophotovoltaic Portable Power Generator

I-Corps项目更广泛的影响/商业潜力是实现一种具有前所未有能量密度的新型便携式电源，这可能对军事和商业便携式/自主系统产生变革性影响。例如，使用该技术的士兵便携式发电机可以在72小时的任务中减轻50-75%的重量，这意味着士兵可以携带更多的水和弹药，或者减少因重量而受伤的几率。拟议中的技术还可以扩展无人机和其他无人驾驶车辆在陆地、空中和水上的操作。目前，这些应用几乎完全由电池供电，尽管碳氢化合物燃料的能量密度是电池的60倍。拟议的技术还可用于新兴市场的应急和救灾、遥感和能源获取等一系列商业应用。这个I-Corps项目是热光伏的一种新方法，使用光子晶体选择性发射器，可以在1-100 W范围内实现燃料到电力的实际转换。该技术的工作原理是利用热和光作为媒介将燃料转化为电能。具体来说，碳氢化合物燃烧将光子晶体发射器加热到白炽状态，从而产生热辐射，从而驱动专门的光伏电池发电。目前，对于长时间需要1-100瓦电力的应用，还没有有效的电源，这是一个需求迅速增长的空间。这项技术将使超便携、可靠和无声的能源发电成为可能，特别是对于那些无法使用传统电源的应用。

The broader impact/commercial potential of this I-Corps project is to enable a new portable power source with unprecedented energy density, which could have transformative effects on military and commercial portable/autonomous systems. For example, a portable power generator for soldiers using the proposed technology would result in a 50-75% weight reduction on a 72-hour mission, meaning soldiers could bring more water and ammo or reduce chance of injury due to weight. The proposed technology could also extend the operation of drones and other unmanned vehicles on land, air, and water. Currently these applications are almost exclusively powered by batteries, despite hydrocarbon fuel being 60 times more energy dense. The proposed technology could also be used in a number of commercial applications from emergency response and disaster relief, remote sensing, and energy access in emerging markets.This I-Corps project is a new approach to thermophotovoltaics, using a photonic crystal selective emitter, that enables practical fuel to electricity conversion in the 1-100 W range. The technology works by converting fuel to electricity using heat and light as intermediaries. Specifically, hydrocarbon combustion heats a photonic crystal emitter to incandescence, leading to thermal radiation which drives specialized photovoltaic cells to generate electricity. Currently, there is no effective power source for applications requiring 1-100 Watts of electricity for extended duration, a space where demand is burgeoning. This technology would enable ultraportable, reliable, and silent energy generation, particularly for applications that do not have access to conventional power sources.