Modeling and Simulation for PVDF-based Pyroelectric Energy Harvester

Energy harvesting technology allows the capturing of unused ambient energy such as solar, wind, thermal, strain and kinetic, energy of gas and liquid flows which is then converted into another form of usable energy. This paper focuses on the thermal-electrical energy harvesting based on pyroelectric effect. Pyroelectric materials generate a voltage, when subjected temperature variation. The pyroelectric polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) films were fabricated and characterized for pyroelectric and dielectric parameters. Using the foregoing parameters, the energy-harvesting capacity has been theoretically explored by capturing thermal energy available in the environment of Huntsville (pavement), Saudi Arabia (ambient) and MARS (ambient). The predicted maximum cumulative voltage by the end of a 300 hours cycle is approximately 0.13, 0.7 and 7.7 volts for Huntsville and Saudi Arabia and MARS, respectively for the PVDF based 10 cm2 pyro-elements. The results indicate that the electrical energy harvesting via pyroelectricity holds promise for powering autonomous low-duty electric devices. Furthermore, the mathematical modeling and numerical simulations can be helpful in designing of pyroelectric micro-power generators

Perovskites: Transforming Photovoltaics, a Mini-review.

he recent power-packed advent of perovskite solar cells is transforming photovoltaics (PV) with their superior efficiencies, ease of fabrication, and cost. This perovskite solar cell further boasts of many unexplored features that can further enhance its PV properties and lead to it being branded as a successful commercial product. This article provides a detailed insight of the organometal halide based perovskite structure, its unique stoichiometric design, and its underlying principles for PV applications. The compatibility of various PV layers and its fabrication methods is also discussed

Efficient Planar Perovskite Solar Cell by Spray and Brush Solution-Processing Methods.

Perovskite compounds have the potential to transform photovoltaics technology, as they are easy to fabricate, have better stability, and possess superior power conversion efficiency. In this research, a versatile solution-processing method called spray+brush (SB) has been adopted to achieve a power-conversion efficiency of 3.52% for pure organometal halide perovskite devices. It has been observed that this method is more efficient and cost effective than the perovskite devices fabricated by spray (1.95%) and brush (1.17%) methods alone. The SB method of solution processing can be promising for various other organic coatings