| 摘要 |
Converter device for converting energy from electromagnetic radiation, in particular concentrated solar energy, in electrical power, comprising a thermionic emitter (2) and an absorber (1) of electromagnetic radiation, configured to transform electromagnetic radiation energy to thermal energy, having an outer surface (10) configured to be exposed to electromagnetic radiation and an inner surface integrally coupled to the thermionic emitter (2), the outer surface (10) being provided with a sub-micrometer periodic surface structure, the thermionic emitter (2) being monolithically integrated on said inner surface of the absorber (1), the absorber (1) being made of a material selected from the group comprising or consisting of carbide or aluminium nitride-based ceramic materials, and pyrolitic graphite, the thermionic emitter (2) being made of a material selected from the group comprising or consisting of thin film diamond deposited through chemical vapour deposition (CVD), thin film titanium nitride (TiN) or molybdenum silicide or di carbides or di borides-based ceramic materials, and refractory metals. |
| 主权项 |
1. A Converter device for converting energy from electromagnetic radiation, in particular concentrated solar energy, in electrical power, comprising a thermionic emitter separated by an inter-electrode space from a thermionic collector, the thermionic emitter and the thermionic collector being provided with electrical connection means configured to be connectable to a first external electrical load for supplying electrical power, wherein the converter device further comprises an absorber of electromagnetic radiation, configured to transform electromagnetic radiation energy to thermal energy, having an outer surface configured to be exposed to electromagnetic radiation and an inner surface integrally coupled to the thermionic emitter, the outer surface being provided with a sub-micrometer periodic surface structure, the thermionic emitter being monolithically integrated on said inner surface of the absorber, the absorber being made of a material selected from:
ceramic materials of:
hafnium carbide (HfC),hafnium carbide (HfC) having a volume percentage of molybdenum silicide (MoSi2) lower than 40%,silicon carbide (SiC),silicon carbide (SiC) containing additives in a volume percentage lower than 20%,silicon carbide (SiC) containing additives in a volume percentage lower than 20% and further comprising molybdenum silicide in a volume percentage ranging from 20% to 40%,aluminum nitride (AlN)-based ceramic materials containing additives and further containing a volume percentage of silicon carbide ranging from 5% to 25% and a volume percentage of molybdenum silicide ranging from 20% to 40%,tantalum carbide (TaC), ortantalum carbide (TaC)-based ceramic material, or pyrolitic graphite,the thermionic emitter being made of a material comprising:
thin film diamond of thickness lower than 25 micrometers deposited through chemical vapour deposition (CVD), thin film diamond of thickness lower than 25 micrometers deposited through CVD having a n-type doping, thin film diamond of thickness lower than 25 micrometers deposited through CVD having surface chemical termination with at least one of monoatomic hydrogen, depositions of zirconium and caesium, thin film diamond of thickness lower than 25 micrometers deposited through CVD having a n-type doping and having surface chemical termination with at least one of monoatomic hydrogen, depositions of zirconium and caesium, thin film ceramic materials of thickness lower than 25 micrometers of: titanium nitride (TiN)-based ceramic materials, molybdenum silicide-based ceramic materials, carbide-based ceramic materials, or boride-based ceramic materials, and refractory metals in thin film form with thickness not larger than 1 micrometer. |
