Submit your papersSubmit Now
For Enquiries: [email protected]
IIARD LogoIIARD

Performance Improvement of Concentrated Solar Thermal Collectors using Ti and AlN Composite Coatings for Photothermal Conversion Applications

Mutawalli Bello, Abdulrasheed Nuhu

Abstract

Despite numerous attempts and achievements recorded so far towards photothermal conversion of radiant energy from the sun for power generation, the attention on improving the existing systems towards achieving high efficiency has given less attention. In this perspective, we have synthesized Ti and AlN thin film multilayer solar absorber coatings used in improving concentrated solar collectors for power generation. The coatings was deposited onto a modified stainless steel substrate using Direct Current (DC)/Radio Frequency (RF) magnetron sputtering at room temperature. The coating exhibited high solar absorptance of 0.91 and low thermal emittance of 0.15 in the solar and infrared regions respectively. The coatings was found to be structurally, optically and thermally stable up to a temperature of about 450 oC in ambient air. The adhesion test analysis revealed that the coated layers are well adhered to one another and on to the substrate. These results indicate the present coatings has the potentials in improving high temperature concentrated collectors for photothermal conversion application.

Keywords

Photothermal conversionRadiant energyThin filmImagin camera

References

[1] M. Bello and S. Shanmugan, “Achievements in mid and high-temperature selective absorber coatings by physical vapor deposition (PVD) for solar thermal Application-A review,” J. Alloys Compd., vol. 839, p. 155510, 2020, doi: 10.1016/j.jallcom.2020.155510. [2] M. Bello and S. Shanmugan, “High-temperature AlN and Ti multilayer cermet for solar absorber coating?: structural and optical properties,” 2022, doi: 10.1007/s12648-022- 02334-y. [3] C. E. Kennedy, “Review of Mid- to High- Temperature Solar Selective Absorber Materials Review of Mid- to High- Temperature Solar Selective Absorber Materials,” no. July, 2002. [4] K. P. Ranjith, U. Basavaraju, H. C. Barshilia, and B. Basu, “Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells On the origin of spectrally selective high solar absorptance of TiB 2 -based tandem absorber with double layer antireflection coatings,” Sol. Energy Mater. Sol. Cells, vol. 220, no. June 2020, 2021. [5] M. Bilokur, A. R. Gentle, M. D. Arnold, M. B. Cortie, and G. B. Smith, “High temperature optically stable spectrally-selective Ti1-xAlxN-based multilayer coating for concentrated solar thermal applications,” Sol. Energy Mater. Sol. Cells, vol. 200, no. March, pp. 1–7, 2019, doi: 10.1016/j.solmat.2019.109964. [6] L. Chaoying, S. Zhiqiang, H. Feng, Z. Hebin, and M. Juanrong, “Design, synthesis and thermal stability study on graded TiNxOy solar selective absorbing coating fabricated by pulsed DC reactive magnetron sputtering,” Mater. Charact., vol. 173, no. January, p. 110921, 2021, doi: 10.1016/j.matchar.2021.110921. [7] T. C. Rojas, A. Caro, G. Lozano, and J. C. S, “Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells High-temperature solar-selective coatings based on Cr ( Al ) N . Part 1?: Microstructure and optical properties of CrN y and Cr 1-x Al x N y films prepared by DC / HiPIMS,” Sol. Energy Mater. Sol. Cells J., vol. 223, no. December 2020, 2021. [8] A. Dan, A. Biswas, P. Sarkar, S. Kashyap, and K. Chattopadhyay, “Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells Enhancing spectrally selective response of W / WAlN / WAlON / Al 2 O 3 – Based nanostructured multilayer absorber coating through graded optical constants,” Sol. Energy Mater. Sol. Cells, vol. 176, no. November 2017, pp. 157– 166, 2018, doi: 10.1016/j.solmat.2017.11.013. [9] H. X. Guo et al., “Double-layer solar absorber coating based on high entropy ceramic AlCrMoTaTiN: Structure, optical properties and failure mechanism,” Surfaces and Interfaces, vol. 24, no. November 2020, p. 101062, 2021, doi: 10.1016/j.surfin.2021.101062. [10] X.-H. G. Y. Dong-Mei , Cheng-Yu He, Xiao-Li Qiu, Shuai-Sheng Zhao, Hui-Xia Guo, Gang Liu, “A multilayer solar absorber coating based on NbMoTaW refractory high entropy alloy: Optical properties, thermal stability and failure mechanism,” Mater. Today Energy, 2021, doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/ j.mtener.2021.100789. [11] J. Jyothi, S. Latha, P. Bera, H. S. Nagaraja, and H. C. Barshilia, “Optimization of process parameters to achieve spectrally selective TiAlC/TiAlCN/TiAlSiCN/TiAlSiCO/TiAlSiO high temperature solar absorber coating,” Sol. Energy, vol. 139, pp. 58–67, 2016, doi: 10.1016/j.solener.2016.09.010. [12] M. B and S. Shanmugan, “Investigation of in-plane heat distribution, thermal stability and mechanical properties of SS-(Fe3O4)/Ti/AlN/Ti/SiO2 as absorber coatings for efficient high temperature concentrated solar power systems,” J. Alloys Compd., vol. 901, p. 163576, 2022, doi: 10.1016/j.jallcom.2021.163576. [13] C. Wang, J. Shi, Z. Geng, and X. Ling, “Polychromic Al-AlN cermet solar absorber coating with high absorption efficiency and excellent durability,” Sol. Energy Mater. Sol. Cells, vol. 144, pp. 14–22, 2016, doi: 10.1016/j.solmat.2015.07.049. [14] M. Bello, S. Subramani, M. Marzaini, and B. Mohd, “Results in Physics The impact of Fe 3 O 4 on the performance of ultrathin Ti / AlN / Ti tandem coating on stainless-steel for solar selective absorber application,” Results Phys., vol. 19, no. November, p. 103582, 2020, doi: 10.1016/j.rinp.2020.103582. [15] J. Feng et al., “Solar selective absorbing coatings TiN/TiSiN/SiN prepared on stainless steel substrates,” Vacuum, vol. 121, pp. 135–141, 2015, doi: 10.1016/j.vacuum.2015.08.013. [16] E. Wäckelgård et al., “Development of W-SiO2and Nb-TiO2 solar absorber coatings for combined heat and power systems at intermediate operation temperatures,” Sol. Energy Mater. Sol. Cells, vol. 133, pp. 180–193, 2015, doi: 10.1016/j.solmat.2014.10.022. [17] P. Ma, Q. Geng, X. Gao, S. Yang, and G. Liu, “Solution combustion of spinel CuMn2O4 ceramic pigments for thickness sensitive spectrally selective (TSSS) paint coatings,” Ceram. Int., vol. 42, no. 10, pp. 11966–11973, 2016, doi: 10.1016/j.ceramint.2016.04.122.

More Articles from INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENGINEERING AND MODERN TECHNOLOGY