Overview of Thermophotovoltaic Efficiency Characterization Techniques

Thermophotovoltaic (TPV) systems are a promising technology for power generation from thermal sources. Understanding how the efficiency of emerging TPVs is reported and how it relates to expected performance under realistic operating conditions is important for deployment of this technology and can inform future progress in the field. This work provides an overview of the main efficiency characterization techniques used today, including full and partial TPV irradiance, and direct and indirect (optical) heat transfer measurements. The overall steps of each method are discussed, along with their respective advantages and shortcomings from the perspective of mimicking practical operation. By surveying current methodologies, this study highlights areas for improvement and seeks to guide in selecting and refining efficiency characterization methods for TPV systems.