The Effect of Annealing under Non-vacuum on the Optical Properties of TiAlN Non-vacuum Solar Selective Absorbing Coating Prepared by Cathodic Arc Evaporation

TiAIN solar selective absorbing coatings which were deposited on 304L stainless steel using cathodic arc evaporation method were annealed under non-vacuum at different temperatures with different times. The optical properties （absorptance and emittance） of the coatings were measured by a spectrophotometer. It was found that, after being annealed for 2 hours at different temperatures, the absorptance of the coatings reached the highest value of 0.92 at 700 ℃ while the emittance got the lowest value of 0.38 at 800 ℃. When the coatings were annealed at 600 ℃ for 24 hours, the optical properties changed to 0.92/0.44 （absorptance/ emittance）. By measuring the structure, morphology, elements and surface roughness of the coatings, it was found that both the elemental composition and the surface roughness of the coatings changed as a result of annealing, and these changes caused the change of the optical properties of the coatings.

A review of high-temperature selective absorbing coatings for solar thermal applications

Solar selective absorbing coatings directly harvest solar energy in the form of heat.The higher temperatures are required to drive higher power-cycle efficiencies in favor of lower costs of energy.According to different dielectrics,high temperature coatings can mainly be divided to double cermet solar selective coatings,transition metal nitride multilayer coatings and transition metal oxide multilayer coatings.This paper assesses the photothermal conversion efficiency and thermal stability,and discusses the challenges and strategies of improving both thermal and optical properties.Double cermet layers can stabilize nanocrystalline structures by alloying,while transition metal nitride/oxide layers generally choose the reliable materials with superior mechanical properties and thermal stability.The purpose of this review is to get the optimized systems,and propose further research directions at higher temperature,such as all-ceramic absorbing coatings.

Optical Design and Preparation of High Performance Mo/NiAlN/NiAlON/SiO_2 Solar Selective Absorbing Coating

A new solar selective absorbing coating of Mo/NiAlN/NiAlON/SiO_2 multilayer was prepared on stainless steel(SS) substrates by magnetron sputtering for solar thermal power applications. The optical constants and thickness of individual layers were simulated using the Scout software based on the experimentally measured reflectance and transmittance spectra of individual layers. The coating of Mo/NiAlN/NiAlON/SiO_2 with an ideal solar absorptance(α) of 0.945 in the solar spectrum range was designed via the optical constants of each layer in the Scout software. The Mo/NiAlN/NiAlON/SiO_2 coating was deposited via the optimized layer thickness. A good spectral selectivity with absorptance(α=0.936) and emittance(ε=0.09, T=80 ℃) was obtained. This method, which incorporates the optical simulation with the related experiments, provides a convenient approach to obtain the ideal solar selective absorbing coatings.

Preparation of solar selective absorbing CuO coating for medium temperature application

A new method of preparing CuO solar selective absorbing coating for medium temperature is presented.After pretreatment,brass was overlaid with CuO by chemical plating.The effects of reactant concentration,reaction tem-perature and reaction time on the absorptivity of CuO coating were investigated.The optimized condition of preparing CuO coating was obtained.The CuO coating was analyzed with X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy(XPS)and scanning electron microscopy(SEM).In order to prolong the period of use,the CuO coating was protected by TiO2.The experi-ment shows that the TiO2/CuO coating is more heat-resistant,acid-resistant,and wear resistant than CuO coating,without losing absorptivity markedly.The TiO2 coating can reduce emissivity and protect the CuO coating.

A double-layer radiative cooling coating that utilizes the refractive index difference between layers to achieve extremely high solar reflectivity

Passive daytime radiative cooling(PDRC)technology has great potential in reducing cooling energy consumption.In order to further improve the spectral performance of PDRC coatings,current researchers mostly focus on the selection and size design of functional particles,while ignoring the optical properties enhancement effect caused by the interlayer binder.In this study,based on the principle that the refractive index difference between layers enhanced the backscattering performance of the solar spectrum,we proposed and manufactured a double-layer PDRC coating with polyvinylidene difluoride(PVDF)as the filmforming material in the upper layer and polydimethylsiloxane(PDMS)as the film-forming material in the lower layer,both filled with Al_(2)O_(3) and SiO_(2) particles.The double-layer PDRC coating exhibited excellent spectral performance that a high solar reflectivity of 98%and an emissivity of 0.95 at the“atmospheric window”band.In comparison,the solar spectrum reflectivity of the single-layer PDRC coatings based on PVDF and PDMS of the same thickness was 95%and 94.7%,respectively.Outdoor tests showed that the PDRC coating achieved a temperature decrease of up to 7.1℃ under direct sunlight at noon time.In addition,the PDRC coating had excellent weather resistance,water resistance,and other basic properties.This article opens up a new idea and provides methodological guidance for the design of double-layer PDRC coatings.

The Impact of Annealing Temperature on the Optical Performance of Cr-Cr_2O_3 Produced by Plasma Spraying as Solar Energy Selective Absorber Coating

A series of selective solar absorber coatings of Cr-Cr2O3 were deposited in different content on stainless steel by plasma spraying.The samples were annealed at different temperatures.The optical performance(both the solar absorptance and the thermal emittance)were studied by spectrophotometry.The surface morphology,the structure and the surface roughness were investigated by scanning electron microscopy(SEM),X-ray diffraction(XRD),and roughmeter respectively.The results show that,as the content of Cr increased,the solar absorptance(α)decreased greatly,from 0.91 to 0.84.Meanwhile,the thermal emittance(ε) decreased more greatly,from 0.86 to about 0.64.The ratio between the solar absorptance and the thermal emittance increased from 1.06 to 1.31.Annealing had a great impact on the optical performance.Annealing temperature is an important element.But its influence was a little complex.To pure Cr coating,annealing at 500℃ was a perfect chosen,where the ratio between the solar absorptance and the thermal emittance was highest of 1.46.

Preparation and thermal stability on non-vacuum high temperature solar selective absorbing coatings

Spectrally selective TiAl/TiAlN/TiAlON/TiAlO coating was deposited on stainless steel and copper substrates using a multiarc ion plating system.The structure,morphology,optical reflectance and electrical resistivity were investigated by X-ray diffraction(XRD),scanning electron microscopy(SEM),spectrophotometer and four-point probe meter,respectively.The results show that the coating exhibits high absorptance(―0.9) and low emittance(0.09―0.19).The coating remains stable in air up to 650℃ for 1h.These properties are of extraordinary interest in solar thermal power generations and energy saving buildings.

Design,fabrication and energy-saving evaluation of five-layer structure based transparent heat mirror coatings for windows application

Transparent heat mirror which allows the transmission of visible sunlight while reflects the infrared thermal energy is an effective building energy efficiency technology for hot climatic regions.In this work,a five-layer dielectric/metal/dielectric/metal/dielectric(DMDMD)coating of Si_(3)N_(4)/Ag/Si_(3)N_(4)/Ag/Si_(3)N_(4)structure is proposed.The radiative properties of the five-layer coatings are theoretically investigated by transfer matrix method.The thicknesses of the layers are optimized by using particle swarm optimization method.The sample of the designed Si_(3)N_(4)/Ag/Si_(3)N_(4)/Ag/Si_(3)N_(4)coating is prepared and the building energy performance when applying the DMDMD coating in a simple office room is also investigated,taking the hot weather condition of Guangzhou,China as an example.The simulated results show that the Tave+Rave value of the five-layer coating is 8%higher than that of the three-layer coating,and the long-wave emittance of the five-layer coating is 24.8%lower than that of the three-layer coating.And the application of the five-layer coatings on the glazed window could provide the highest energy saving rate of 8.9%when compared with the traditional low-e coatings.

Thermal Stability and Degeneration Behavior of Solar Selective Absorber Based on WTi-Al_(2)O_(3)Cermet

A WTi-Al_(2)O_(3)cermet-based solar selective absorber was prepared to investigate the atomic diffusion induced spectral selectivity degeneration.The as-deposited coating exhibits superior absorptance(0.934)and low thermal emittance(0.098),as well as excellent thermal stability with a selectivity of 0.900/0.07 even after annealing at 923 K for 400 h in Ar ambient.However,the multilayer coating failed after being subjected to annealing at 923 K for 400 h in an air environment,as indicated by a decrease in solar absorptance to 0.912 and an increase in thermal emittance to 0.634.The microstructure characterizations reveal that the annealed coating exhibits a columnar morphology along the vertical direction of the substrate.The presence of abundant grain boundaries in the multilayer coating promotes the outward diffusion of Cr and Mn atoms in the stainless-steel substrate.The Mn atoms,in particular,possess the capability to migrate towards the surface of the coating and undergo an oxidation reaction with oxygen,facilitating the formation of a thick Mn_(2)O_(3)layer.The roughness of the coating surface was significantly increased in this case,adversely affecting solar absorptance due to amplified sunlight reflection.In addition,the rocketing of thermal emittance is attributed to the destabilization of W infrared reflective layer during the annealing.These findings highlight the importance of considering the outward diffusion of Mn and Cr elements in the stainless-steel substrate when optimizing solar selective absorbers.

Thermodynamic analysis on medium-high temperature solar thermal systems with selective coatings

Thermodynamics analysis was carried out for solar thermal receivers with different selective coatings.The relation between the energy conversion efficiency of a medium-high temperature solar thermal system,the spectral properties of selective coating and the operating temperature of the receiver were discussed.Furthermore,the relation between the optimum operating temperatures,the exergy efficiencies and the incident solar flux were analyzed for the traditional concentrating system and concentrating beam splitting system,respectively.According to the analysis results for the thermal receiver with blackbody surface and selective coatings,the optimum cutoff wavelength was obtained for the ideal selective coating.An analysis method for the optimum operating temperature calculation was developed for thermal receivers with selective coating.The optimum operating temperature for an actual selective coating was analyzed on the basis of the proposed theory.

Greatly enhanced solar absorption via high entropy ceramic AlCrTaTiZrN based solar selective absorber coatings

High entropy alloys(HEAs),which is at the expense of high cost compared to traditional alloy,should not be confined to the mechanical properties,but should be employed to devise a novel combination with unique functional and mechanical performances.In this work,high entropy alloy nitride(HEAN)is utilized as a novel double absorption layer to improve solar absorption in the high temperature solar selective absorbing coatings(SSACs).Our primary motivation is to lower thermal emittance(ε)and enhance solar absorptance(a).In order to realize this goal,coating design(CODE)software is employed to design and optimize the proposed HEAN based SSACs using appropriate dielectric function model.The ultimate as-deposited coating shows good optical properties with a high a value of 0.965 and a lowεvalue of 0.086(at 82C).The estimate of thermal stability tests indicates that HEAN based SSACs has the ability to resist instability in high working temperature,which keeps good optical properties(a¼0.925,ε¼0.070)after annealing at 600C for 10 h.

Selective Absorber Coatings and Technological Advancements in Performance Enhancement for Parabolic Trough Solar Collector

Parabolic trough solar collector systems are the most advanced concentrating solar power technology for large-scale power generation purposes. The current work reviews various selective coating materials and their characteristics for different designs in concentrating solar power. Solar selective absorbing coatings collect solar radiation and convert it to heat. To promote higher efficiency and lower energy costs at higher temperatures requires, this study aims to analyse the fundamental chemistry and thermal stability of some key coatings currently being used and even under investigation to find reasons for differences, information gaps and potential for improvement in results. In recent years, several novel and useful solar absorber coatings have been developed. However, qualification test methods such as corrosion resistance, thermal stability testing and prediction of service life, which have essential technical value for large-scale solar absorbers, are lacking. Coatings are used to enhance the performance of reflectors and absorbers in terms of quality, efficiency, maintenance and cost. Differentiated coatings are required as there are no uniformly perfect materials in various applications, working conditions and material variations. Much more knowledge of the physical and chemical properties and durability of the coatings is required, which will help prevent failures that could not be discovered previously.

全玻璃真空太阳集热管关键技术参数研究进展

全玻璃真空太阳集热管是太阳能热利用系统的重要组成部分,其性能参数的优劣直接影响到太阳能热利用系统的热性能、耐久可靠性和节能效果。文章从真空管基本结构和工作原理的介绍出发,对影响真空管性能的光学性能、热性能等关键技术参数及玻璃管材料、真空性能等其他技术要求的研究进展做了详细分析,并在长期从事科研和检测工作的基础上,给出了提升真空管的产品性能可从玻璃管生产优化、新涂层开发、真空性能加强、技术创新、先进设备开发、标准修订等方面的建议。

Thickness Dependence of Structural and Optical Properties of Chromium Thin Films as an Infrared Reflector for Solar-thermal Conversion Applications

The thermal emittance of Cr film, as an IR reflector, was investigated for the use in SSAC. The Cr thin films with different thicknesses were deposited on silicon wafers, optical quartz and stainless steel substrates by cathodic arc ion plating technology as a metallic IR reflector layer in SSAC. The thickness of Cr thin films was optimized to achieve the minimum thermal emittance. The effects of structural, microstructural, optical, surface and cross-sectional morphological properties of Cr thin films were investigated on the emittance. An optimal thickness about 450 nm of the Cr thin film for the lowest total thermal emittance of 0.05 was obtained. The experimental results suggested that the Cr metallic thin film with optimal thickness could be used as an effective infrared reflector for the development of SSAC structure.

太阳能选择性吸收涂层的失效机制及优化策略

在光热系统中,集热器作为光热转化的核心部件通过光谱选择性吸收涂层将太阳能转化为热能。因此,对选择性吸收涂层进行优化能够有效提高集热器的工作效率。选择性吸收涂层的主要吸收机理为本征吸收和干涉吸收,提升涂层吸收效率的策略有材料掺杂、等离激元、光学陷阱等。在集热器实际工作过程中,选择性吸收涂层的失效是影响其效率的主要因素,明确失效原因和寻找解决方案是进一步研究选择性吸收涂层的重点。综述了太阳能选择性吸收涂层的种类及原理,梳理了涂层的失效机制,总结了抑制涂层失效的方法。

基于AZO的光谱选择性反射膜制备及其在聚光器中的应用研究

铝掺杂氧化锌(AZO)薄膜在红外波段具有高反射率的特性。设计了SiO_(2)/AZO/Al_(2)O_(3)/Glass/SiO_(2)光谱选择性反射膜。通过软件仿真和实验研究,探究了SiO_(2)、AZO、Al_(2)O_(3)薄膜的光学常数以及物理厚度对SiO_(2)/AZO/Al_(2)O_(3)/Glass/SiO_(2)薄膜光谱特性的影响,确定了光谱选择性反射薄膜的制备工艺参数。根据工艺制得了对可见光平均透射率接近90%、红外(2.5~20μm)平均反射率大于85%的光谱选择性反射膜,薄膜的辐射率为0.08~0.12。以表面镀有光谱选择性反射膜的玻璃作为线性菲涅尔式聚光系统中的二次聚光器窗口,设计了新型二次聚光器。光谱选择性反射玻璃有效阻挡了集热管的热辐射,使聚光器辐射热损失降低约66%。

光谱选择性太阳能吸收涂层的研究进展

选择性吸收涂层技术是公认的太阳能光热转换较为核心的技术,它对提高太阳能热转换效率,大规模推广太阳能光热应用起着至关重要的作用。主要综述了光谱选择性太阳能吸收涂层的分类及制备方法。

太阳能光谱选择性吸收涂层研究进展

太阳能是一种永不枯竭的清洁能源,目前,实现太阳能直接利用的方式主要是光-热转化技术。光谱选择性吸收涂层是光-热利用技术的核心。从光谱选择性吸收涂层的选择性吸收机理出发,阐述了涂层选择性吸收的理论依据。根据相应的理论,详细阐述了光谱选择性吸收涂层的结构。同时,综述了国内外光谱选择性吸收涂层的制备方法以及相关的研究进展。

中高温太阳光谱选择性吸收涂层的研究进展

近年来,中高温太阳光谱选择性吸收涂层(以下简称为中高温吸收涂层)的研制及其在工业上的应用成为人们日益关注的焦点。本文在分类总结中高温吸收涂层的基本类型、作用机理和制备方法的同时,介绍了国内外不少科研工作者的研究工作和最新成果,并对中高温吸收涂层的制备方法优缺点及其发展方向进行了探讨。

真空管式太阳能集热器研究最新进展

从选择性吸收涂层的材料、结构、热稳定性及真空环境等方面综述了真空管式太阳能集热器的研究进展。不锈钢、Ti、Al、Ni类材料适于制备中低温选择性吸收涂层;而Mo和W类等高熔点材料,适于高温涂层。涂层结构方面,主要有吸收层/介质减反层的光干涉类、金属红外反射层/金属介质吸收层/介质减反层的金属陶瓷类。影响涂层热稳定性的主要因素是高温下涂层的破裂、氧化及元素扩散,涂层厚度与结构也能影响热稳定性。结果表明:①选择性吸收涂层制备,应采用电化学或磁控溅射技术并结合纳米材料对涂层进行多层化、梯度化研究;②应着重发展Mo类金属陶瓷型的热稳定性好的涂层,以实现高温高效集热;③应加快实现太阳能集热器的智能化、自动化与建筑一体化。