A comparison of planar and cylindrical thermophotovoltaic energy conversion systems

The authors have previously reported results of computer modeling of planar thermophotovoltaic (TPV) systems. It is well known, however, that the geometry of such systems is one of the primary determinants of system performance. At the NASA Lewis Research Center, the authors have produced a new computer modeling code that permits the investigation of a wide variety of system configurations. They have used this code to perform an analysis of the effects of system geometry on performance. In this paper, they present results of an analysis of the effects of the geometry of planar and cylindrical TPV systems on the efficiency of the thermal cavity.