Biomimetic hierarchical structure for enhancing concentrated solar energy converting and utilizing efficiency

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Renewable Energy Engineering
• Optics

Background:

• Concentrated solar technology faces challenges including local overheating, poor light absorption, and inefficient solar energy diffusion.
• Existing uniform porous structures struggle to optimize solar energy conversion and utilization.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose and investigate a biomimetic hierarchical structure for enhanced concentrated solar energy conversion and utilization.
• To address limitations of local overheating, inadequate light absorption, and insufficient energy diffusion in concentrated solar technology.

Main Methods:

• Comparative analysis of uniform porous and biomimetic hierarchical structures.
• Optimization of biomimetic hierarchical structure geometrical parameters using the finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method and particle swarm optimization.
• Investigation of radiation regulation and photon management principles.

Main Results:

• The biomimetic hierarchical structure significantly enhances effective light absorption by 3.4% and energy flow diffusion efficiency by over 25% compared to uniform porous structures.
• Increasing pore size is more beneficial for the biomimetic hierarchical structure than decreasing pore size.
• Key feature sizes defining the boundaries between large and small pores were identified.

Conclusions:

• Biomimetic hierarchical structures offer a promising strategy for improving concentrated solar energy efficiency.
• This research provides valuable guidance for optimizing solar thermochemical reactors, solar cells, and photocatalytic carriers.
• The findings highlight the potential of bio-inspired designs in advancing solar energy technologies.