Accurate spectral irradiance measurement in the near-infrared range is significant for the design and characterization of photodetector and photovoltaic cells. Approximation method is commonly used to solve for the input power using estimated spectral irradiance, where the dependency on wavelength and temperature remains uncertain. This study aims to determine the power spectrum at different radiation temperatures using a single pixel photodetector, taking into consideration factors such as transmission spectra of alumina radiator, CaF2 collimating lens, responsivity, and measured photocurrent information of photodetectors. Utilizing predictive mathematical model, five commercial photodetectors, including Silicon, Germanium, In0.53Ga0.47As, In0.73Ga0.27As, and In0.83Ga0.17As were used to solve for the power densities as a function of wavelengths at radiation temperatures of 1000 °C and 1500 °C. The spectral irradiance of photodetectors was determined with a percentage difference of <4.9 %, presenting an accurate power density estimation for the spectrum at a wide range of radiation temperatures. Power irradiance data obtained were validated in the narrow wavelength range with 1000 nm, 1400 nm, 1500 nm, and 2000 nm bandpass filters. The reported work demonstrates a simple and efficient way which could contribute to develop a cost-effective method of measuring and determining the spectrum irradiances of objects at different radiation temperatures. This predictive analysis method hopefully intensifies the progress of efforts to reduce the reliance on complex optoelectronic instruments in accurately solving power irradiance information.
Generally, waste heat is redundantly released into the surrounding by anthropogenic activities without strategized planning. Consequently, urban heat islands and global warming chronically increases over time. Thermophotovoltaic (TPV) systems can be potentially deployed to harvest waste heat and recuperate energy to tackle this global issue with supplementary generation of electrical energy. This paper presents a critical review on two dominant types of semiconductor materials, namely gallium antimonide (GaSb) and indium gallium arsenide (InGaAs), as the potential candidates for TPV cells. The advantages and drawbacks of non-epitaxy and epitaxy growth methods are well-discussed based on different semiconductor materials. In addition, this paper critically examines and summarizes the electrical cell performance of TPV cells made of GaSb, InGaAs and other narrow bandgap semiconductor materials. The cell conversion efficiency improvement in terms of structural design and architectural optimization are also comprehensively analyzed and discussed. Lastly, the practical applications, current issues and challenges of TPV cells are critically reviewed and concluded with recommendations for future research. The highlighted insights of this review will contribute to the increase in effort towards development of future TPV systems with improved cell conversion efficiency.
The optimization of thermophotovoltaic (TPV) cell efficiency is essential since it leads to a significant increase in the output power. Typically, the optimization of In0.53Ga0.47As TPV cell has been limited to single variable such as the emitter thickness, while the effects of the variation in other design variables are assumed to be negligible. The reported efficiencies of In0.53Ga0.47As TPV cell mostly remain