Performance assessment of catalytic combustion-driven thermophotovoltaic platinum tubular reactor

This study is aimed to enhance the overall efficiency of micro-thermophotovoltaic (micro-TPV) reactor by collecting radiations from emitter and combustion chamber. However, the proper fuel deployment and fluid design for the micro-TPV reactor are strongly associated with combustion stability and radiant intensity of the micro-TPV reactor. Therefore, the system performance of the micro-TPV reactor was investigated with regard to combustion, thermal radiation, and electrical output. A platinum tube with a ring of perforated holes was utilised with specific fuel deployment, that is, hydrogen employed in the inner chamber for facilitating induction of methane catalytic combustion in the outer chamber. Because of the inherently high diffusivity of hydrogen, the heat and radicals could be delivered to the other chamber through the perforated holes; in this manner, the methane catalytic combustion could be successfully initiated. The flame-stabilizing mechanism of micro-TPV platinum tubular reactor was addressed and interpreted through the simplified simulation of segmented platinum tubular reactor with a gap. The effective power efficiency of the TPV system was 3.24% when ERin-H2 = 0.7 and ERout-CH4 = 0.9. With a mirror and a recirculating tube, effective power efficiency was enhanced to 6.32%.