• Energy Research
• 7. Clean energy close
• US close
• CN close
• Karlsruhe Institute of Technology close

Abstract A Triangle Cycle with a piston engine expansion unit is used to convert low temperature heat into electrical energy. In this process, the isentropic efficiency of the expansion unit is considered to be unknown, and a theoretical approach for the calculation of isentropic efficiency is presented. A number of influences are taken into account – dead volume, residual mass, liquid injection performance and wall heat transfer. Various working fluids are investigated in a wide range of temperatures (333K–573K), engine speeds (5 Hz–30 Hz) and stroke volumes (0.1 L–50 L). The isentropic efficiency of water as working fluid is in the range of 0.75–0.88 and drops significantly for high stroke volumes and engine speeds. In general, injection mass has the most impact on isentropic efficiency because it influences dead volume and injection performance. The injection mass increases with vapor density and therefore is significantly influenced by working fluid and temperatures. The Triangle Cycle is compared with Organic Rankine Cycles by using determined isentropic efficiency. The exergetic efficiency of the Triangle Cycle using water is up to 35–70% higher than that of supercritical Organic Rankine Cycles in situations with a heat source temperature of up to 450K.

AbstractImproving the long-term stability of perovskite solar cells is critical to the deployment of this technology. Despite the great emphasis laid on stability-related investigations, publications lack consistency in experimental procedures and parameters reported. It is therefore challenging to reproduce and compare results and thereby develop a deep understanding of degradation mechanisms. Here, we report a consensus between researchers in the field on procedures for testing perovskite solar cell stability, which are based on the International Summit on Organic Photovoltaic Stability (ISOS) protocols. We propose additional procedures to account for properties specific to PSCs such as ion redistribution under electric fields, reversible degradation and to distinguish ambient-induced degradation from other stress factors. These protocols are not intended as a replacement of the existing qualification standards, but rather they aim to unify the stability assessment and to understand failure modes. Finally, we identify key procedural information which we suggest reporting in publications to improve reproducibility and enable large data set analysis.

Abstract We propose a novel transparent electrode consisting of silver (Ag)–aluminum doped zinc oxide (AZO)–nickel (Ni) deposited at room temperature on glass and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) for flexible organic photovoltaics. The electrode combines the high electrical conductivity and mechanical ductility of Ag, the transparency and antireflection of AZO and the high work function and stability of Ni. Environmental stability results confirmed that the electrode maintains its optical and electrical properties at both elevated temperature (500 °C) and under damp heat conditions (85 °C and 85% relative humidity). To demonstrate its functional potential, the electrode has been used as the transparent anode in an organic solar cell (OSC), which shows an efficiency of 2.6%, very close to the value (2.9%) obtained in a similar cell using the widely used indium tin oxide (ITO). With respect to ITO, the proposed transparent electrode has several advantages, including mechanical flexibility, room temperature processing and low cost.

We present a methodology for applying silicon pho-nonic crystals (Si PnCs) to photovoltaics (PV). One-dimensional PnCs made from ultrathin Si, indium tin oxide, and graphene are designed, as well as two-dimensional Si-only PnCs. The general elastic wave equations are employed to solve the frequency band structures. The obtained bandgap can effectively suppress the carrier relaxation. The potential of Si PnCs for PV applications is theoretically assessed within our model. The calculated upper limit of the thermodynamic efficiency is approximately 58%, which is well beyond the Shockley–Queisser limit of either a Si solar cell or an all-Si tandem solar cell. Very importantly, our calculations show that it is not necessary to fully suppress the carrier relaxation to achieve ultrahigh efficiency. This work offers a strategy to develop ultrahigh-efficiency single-junction Si solar cells using the Si PnCs with ultrathin absorbers at extremely material cost.