Efficiency Limit of Molecular Solar Thermal Energy Collecting Devices
Journal article, 2013
As a larger fraction of energy is based on solar energy an other renewable energy sources, technologies for energy storage and conversion is becoming, increasingly important Molecular solar thermal (MOST) is a concept for long-term storage of solar energy in molecules and release of the energy as heat with full regeneration of the initial materials The process is inherently closed cycle and emission free. No assessment of the fundamental efficiency limits of the technology has been made. In this report, I efficiency limits and fundamental factors for molecular design of molecular solar thermal systems are discussed. Maximum efficiencies and potential temperature gradients are estimated using a number of basic assumptions on desired storage lifetimes and energy losses. The predicted maximum solar energy conversion efficiency is 10.6% at a S-1-S-0 gap of 1.89 eV. At this S-1-S-0 gap, the stored energy is able to create temperature differences of similar to 300 degrees C. Several existing systems have an energy storage density in line with the predicted maximum one but do so at larger than optimal S-1-S-0 gaps.
trifluoromethyl-substituted norbornadiene
Maximum solar
photoresponsive
detailed balance limit
(fulvalene)tetracarbonyldiruthenium
thermal
Energy conversion
Solar energy
moieties
storage
energy-conversion efficiency
system
polymers
Molecular solar thermal
photochemical up-conversion
Energy efficiency
Energy storage
cells
donor-acceptor norbornadiene
Solar
Author
Karl Börjesson
Chalmers, Chemical and Biological Engineering, Polymer Technology
Anders Lennartsson
Chalmers, Chemical and Biological Engineering, Polymer Technology
Kasper Moth-Poulsen
Chalmers, Chemical and Biological Engineering, Polymer Technology
ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering
2168-0485 (eISSN)
Vol. 1 6 585-590Molecular Solar Thermal Energy Storage and Conversion
Swedish Research Council (VR) (2011-3613), 2012-01-01 -- 2015-12-31.
Subject Categories
Chemical Sciences
Areas of Advance
Materials Science
DOI
10.1021/sc300107z