SBIR Phase I: Scalable Photonic Crystal Fabrication for Mesoscale Fuel to Electricity Conversion

这一小企业创新研究（SBIR）第一阶段项目的更广泛的影响/商业潜力是在10瓦以上的规模上展示光子晶体热光伏（TPV）系统的技术和经济可行性，这将对便携式和远程应用的发电产生变革性影响。小型、高能量密度的TPV电源有可能通过将电池重量减少75%来改变目前依赖电池供电的多个市场。例如，极地地区的远程科学仪器站依靠1000-2000磅的电池在长达6个月的极夜中运行，导致安装成本很高。下马的战士携带10-20磅的电池，如果他们能携带弹药和水，将有更大的能力。小型无人驾驶飞行器如果能够自行飞到偏远和无法到达的地点，执行更长时间的使命，然后返回，将会更加有效。拟议中的项目将开发光子晶体制造的新方法，以大大提高TPV能源发电的效率-以热和光为中介将燃料转化为电力。TPV发电机的工作原理是燃烧燃料，将选择性发射器加热至白炽，产生红外辐射，驱动专门的光伏电池发电。光子晶体选择性发射器通过使其发射光谱与光伏电池几乎完美匹配而大大提高了发电机的效率。我们的光子晶体是一个正方形阵列的圆柱形微腔蚀刻到难熔金属基板。该项目的研究目标解决了限制光子晶体在TPV中使用的技术障碍：使用新型高通量工艺从商业箔制备可扩展的衬底;使用传统半导体制造工具在大型柔性衬底上进行纳米加工;以及通过钎焊与发电机集成。该项目的预期技术成果是开发一种能够将光子晶体发射器面积突破性地增加50倍的工艺，以实现在柔性衬底上制造光子晶体，并降低光子晶体成本-该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识产权进行评估，被认为值得支持。优点和更广泛的影响审查标准。

The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project is the demonstration of the technical and economic feasibility of a photonic crystal enabled thermophotovoltaic (TPV) system at scales over 10 watts, which would have transformative effects in power generation for portable and remote applications. A small, high energy density TPV power source has the potential to transform multiple markets that currently rely on battery power by reducing the battery weight by 75%. For example, remote scientific instrumentation stations in polar regions rely on 1000-2000 pounds of batteries to operate through the six-month polar night, resulting in high installation costs. Dismounted warfighters carry 10-20 pounds of batteries and would have greater capability if they could carry ammunition and water instead. Small unmanned aerial vehicles would be more effective if they could fly themselves to remote and inaccessible locations, perform their mission for longer, and then return.The proposed project will develop a new approach to photonic crystal fabrication to greatly improve the efficiency of TPV energy generation - the conversion of fuel into electricity with heat and light as intermediaries. A TPV generator works by burning fuel to heat a selective emitter to incandescence, leading to infrared radiation which drives specialized photovoltaic cells to generate electricity. A photonic crystal selective emitter greatly improves the efficiency of the generator by almost perfectly matching its emission spectrum to the photovoltaic cell. Our photonic crystal is a square array of cylindrical micro-cavities etched into a refractory metal substrate. The research objectives of this project address the technical hurdles that limit the use of photonic crystals in TPV: scalable substrate preparation from commercial foils using a novel high-throughput process; nanofabrication over large flexible substrates using traditional semiconductor manufacturing tools; and integration with the generator by brazing. The anticipated technical results of this project are to develop a process capable of a breakthrough fifty-fold increase in photonic crystal emitter area, to enable photonic crystal fabrication on flexible substrates, and to reduce photonic crystal cost - all leading to a practical TPV generator that meets market demands.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.