Thermophotovoltaic panel and a method for making a thermophotovoltaic panel

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11082000-B2
Application number	US-201716337807-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 9, 2017
Priority date	Oct 10, 2016
Publication date	Aug 3, 2021
Grant date	Aug 3, 2021

Abstract

A thermophotovoltaic panel, including a first surface for receiving solar radiation, photovoltaic cells connected to said first receiving surface, a heat exchanger connected to said photovoltaic cells, and a second surface, opposite to the first, for supporting the panel, said heat exchanger being positioned between said first receiving surface and said second supporting surface, wherein said photovoltaic cells and said exchanger are embedded in at least one resin, preferably cold-polymerised epoxy resin, to constitute a body including said first receiving surface and said second supporting surface, wherein at least one layer of resin at said first receiving surface is constituted of substantially transparent resin.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A thermophotovoltaic panel, comprising:
a first receiving surface for receiving solar radiation,
photovoltaic cells connected to the first surface,
a heat exchanger connected to the photovoltaic cells, and
a second supporting surface, opposite to the first receiving surface, for supporting the panel,
the heat exchanger being positioned between the first receiving surface and the second supporting surface,
a resin in which the photovoltaic cells and the heat exchanger are embedded to constitute a body comprising the first receiving surface and the second supporting surface,
wherein the resin includes a first layer at the first receiving surface and the first layer is a transparent resin;
wherein the resin includes a second layer at the second supporting surface and the second layer has thermal insulating properties.

2. The thermophotovoltaic panel according to claim 1 , wherein the first layer surrounds the photovoltaic cells.

3. The thermophotovoltaic panel according to claim 1 , wherein the second layer at least partly surrounds the heat exchanger.

4. The thermophotovoltaic panel according to claim 1 , wherein the heat exchanger comprises at least one central body including flow channels for a fluid.

5. The thermophotovoltaic panel according to claim 4 , wherein the at least one central body includes a plurality of central bodies that are adjacent and fixed to each other.

6. The thermophotovoltaic panel according to claim 4 , wherein the heat exchanger comprises a first closing manifold connected to a first end of the at least one central body, and a second closing manifold connected to a second end of the at least one central body, wherein at least one chosen from the first and the second closing manifolds has a substantially trapezoidal cross-section.

7. The thermophotovoltaic panel according to claim 4 , wherein the heat exchanger comprises at least one intermediate body and an end body, with the at least one intermediate body being positioned between the at least one central body and the end body, wherein the end body constitutes a manifold and includes an infeed hole for the fluid and wherein the intermediate body includes flow channels for the fluid.

8. The thermophotovoltaic panel according to claim 4 , wherein the heat exchanger comprises a first end body and a second end body, wherein at least one chosen from the first and the second end bodies comprises a first portion having a substantially triangular cross-section and including channels and a second portion having a substantially triangular cross-section and including an infeed hole for the fluid.

9. The thermophotovoltaic panel according to claim 1 , configured as a floor tile or a roofing tile.

10. The thermophotovoltaic panel according to claim 1 , and further comprising at least one chosen from an electric contact and a hydraulic coupling, at least partly positioned in the second supporting surface.

11. The thermophotovoltaic panel according to claim 1 , wherein the second supporting surface comprises at least one groove configured as a seat for pipes or supports to be connected to the panel.

12. A method for making a thermophotovoltaic panel, comprising the steps of:
providing a thermophotovoltaic panel, comprising:
a first receiving surface for receiving solar radiation,
photovoltaic cells connected to the first receiving surface,
a heat exchanger connected to the photovoltaic cells, and
a second supporting surface, opposite to the first receiving surface, for supporting the panel,
the heat exchanger being positioned between the first receiving surface and the second supporting surface,
a resin in which the photovoltaic cells and the heat exchanger are embedded to constitute a body comprising the first receiving surface and the second supporting surface,
wherein the resin includes a first layer at the first receiving surface and the first layer is a transparent resin,
wherein the resin includes a second layer at the second supporting surface and the second layer has thermal insulating properties,

making a mold,
placing the heat exchanger and the photovoltaic cells in the mold,
cold pouring the resin into the mold,
removing the panel from the mold.

13. The method according to claim 12 , and further comprising pouring the second layer into the mold and waiting for the second layer to solidify, then pouring the first layer.

14. The method according to claim 12 , wherein the mold comprises at least one removable element for making panels of different sizes.

15. The method according to claim 12 , wherein the resin is a cold-polymerized epoxy resin.

16. The thermophotovoltaic panel according to claim 1 , wherein the resin is a cold-polymerized epoxy resin.

17. The thermophotovoltaic panel according to claim 1 , wherein the second layer is an opaque resin.

18. The thermophotovoltaic panel according to claim 4 , wherein the central body is made of aluminum alloy.

Assignees

• Univ Bologna Alma Mater Studiorum

Inventors

• Fabbri Giampietro
• Greppi Matteo
• Proli Paolo

Classifications

• H10F77/63

  Arrangements for cooling directly associated or integrated with photovoltaic cells, e.g. heat sinks directly associated with the photovoltaic cells or integrated Peltier elements for active cooling · CPC title

• H10F19/804

  Materials of encapsulations · CPC title

• H10F19/80 Primary

  Encapsulations or containers for integrated devices, or assemblies of multiple devices, having photovoltaic cells · CPC title

• F24S2025/017

  Tensioning means · CPC title

• F24S2025/011

  Arrangements for mounting elements inside solar collectors; Spacers inside solar collectors · CPC title