本研究致力於研發一體積小且具有高能量密度之燃燒驅動式熱光電動力系統，由於微小燃燒系統會面臨熱散失、壁面冷熄、滯留時間太短等問題，因此本研究首要任務為設計一個微燃燒尺度之燃燒器，此燃燒器主要以觸媒(白金管)和石英管所組成，觸媒能降低活化能並有效克服熱能冷熄與自由基冷熄等問題，並於白金管上貫穿數個微孔及搭配背向式階梯的穩焰機制，能使火焰有效地穩駐於微管道中，而石英管具有高透明性，能整合燃燒器內部所幅射出的火焰螢光及白金管受熱後所產生的幅射光，一同導入於熱光電板轉換成電能輸出。此外，本計畫的另一特色是在石英管內側管壁上披覆氧化鐵層，使其成為幅射器。氧化鐵披覆層的幅射器相較碳化矽管更易加熱至白炙狀態產生幅射光，藉此增加微動力系統的光電轉換效率。因此，本研究計畫針對小尺度的燃燒裝置進行基礎實驗與數值模擬，藉此了解熱光電微動力系統的設計原理與關鍵技術，進而設計與製作出高效率與高可靠度的小型燃燒驅動式熱光電力之原型系統。

This study centers on the development of a micro-scale combustion-driven thermophotovoltaic (TPV) power generation system. The Micro-TPV system is a direct energy conversion device. It does not have any moving parts, and it converts the thermal power to electrical power directly. In this study, the first task is to design a combustor as an emitter for TPV power system. The characteristics of the combustor is to use catalyst tube with specific configuration and fuel/air mixture deployments to overcome the shortcomings of combustion instability and radical termination in a small-scale confined channel. Backward-facing step and percolated platinum tube are employed in a small-scale combustor to enhance flame stabilization and extend stable flammability. The stable operating range of the proposed tubular combustor is determined. The quartz tube has a unique feature of high-transparency, and it helps harvest the radiant emissions from the flame and catalyst inside the tube and integrate the radiant emission. Alternatively, coating metal-oxidized layer inside the quartz tube can be used as an emitter, and its advantage is quickly heating up to incandescence compared with SiC tube. The GaSb PV cell is engaged in the TPV system due to its inherently low band gap of PV cells. The integration sphere is performed to measure the radiant emissions of the proposed reactor. Eventually, assembling the TPV reactor with PV cell arrays is demonstrated and the corresponding overall efficiency is determined.

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