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Researchers at the University of Houston have invented a new device that can either efficiently capture solar energy or store it until it is needed.
Unlike solar cells that rely on photovoltaic technology to directly generate electricity, this hybrid device can absorb heat from the sun and store it as thermal energy. It solves some problems that hinder the use of solar energy on a larger scale, such as: limited time for sunlight, cloudy days, and other limiting factors. This technology provides a way for people to use solar energy around the clock.
This work is described in a paper published in Joule, which combines molecular energy storage and latent heat storage to produce an integrated energy harvesting and storage device for 24/7 operation. Researchers report that the energy harvesting efficiency of small-scale operations is 73%, and that of large-scale operations can be as high as 90%.
Hadi Ghasemi, associate professor of mechanical engineering at UH, is the corresponding author of the paper. He said that the high efficiency of the system is because it can capture the entire spectrum of sunlight and use it immediately after harvesting, while converting the remaining part into molecular energy storage.
The device uses norbornadiene-quadricyclane (norbornadiene-quadricyclane) as a molecular storage material. The compound is an organic compound. It can be kept stable while extending the energy storage time. Ghasemi said that different materials of the same concept can be used to optimize performance-including operating temperature and efficiency.
T. Randall Lee, professor of chemistry at Cullen Distinguished University, said the device has improved efficiency in many ways: solar energy is stored in the form of molecules rather than heat, and it dissipates over time, and integrated systems Because there is no need to pipe the stored energy, heat loss is reduced.
Lee said: "During the day, solar thermal energy can be collected at temperatures up to 120 degrees Celsius (about 248 degrees Fahrenheit)." Lee is also the principal researcher at the UH Texas Superconductivity Center. "At night, when there is little or no solar radiation, the molecular storage material stores the collected energy and converts it from molecules with lower energy to molecules with higher energy."
This, he said, makes the stored energy warmer at night than during the day-thereby increasing the energy that can be used even in the absence of sunlight.
Click here to view the original paper
(Originally from: Daily Solar China New Energy Network Comprehensive)
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