Radioisotope power systems utilising americium-241 as a source of heat have been under development in Europe as part of a European Space Agency funded programme since 2009. The aim is to develop all of the building blocks that would enable Europe to

We report the fabrication and characterization of lattice matched single junction InGaAs thermophotovoltaic cells grown on InP substrates with an EQE >90% over a broad spectral range. The I-V characteristics of the cells are examined for a range of operating temperatures and illumination conditions. An accurate model of the cell performance, including the flat-spot behaviour exhibited by the cells, is developed using the commercial PC1D package. We use this model to estimate the output of these cells with an example low-cost spectral control system, which suggest that these cells would produce system efficiencies >10%, with the potential for efficiencies >20%.

Thermophotovoltaic cells with a range of band gaps are modeled under a variety of illumination conditions, including a range of source temperatures and a variable degree of spectral control. Thus, the balance between the requirements of high power densities and high efficiencies can be investigated. The influence of elevated cell temperatures, cell cooling, Auger recombination, and series resistances have been included, and all weight the optimum band gap thermophotovoltaic cell toward higher band gaps than the ∼0.5–0.6 eV conventional optimum. The cells have been modeled using fundamental physical parameters from the InGaAs and InGaAsP material system which accurately reproduce reported device performance and allow a comparison to theoretical limits.

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Recycling of thermoelectric materials: thermoelectric leg and copper plates removed by targeted oxidation or thermoelectric legs removed by high-intensity ultrasonication.