1 research outputs found
Colloidal carbon and silica : their use in solar energy
The aims of this thesis are to optimise the use of colloidal carbon and
silica in photothermal solar selective surface coatings and colloidal
silica in antireflection coatings.
(i) Photothermal solar selective coatings.
Using an effective medium theory (Maxwell Garnett equation) and the
experimental determination of the conversion efficiency, the optimum volume
fraction and film thickness of the colloidal carbon and silica coatings can
be determined. The temperature stability of these coatings will also be
discussed.
(ii) Antireflection coatings.
In studying the effect of the antireflection properties of the
colloidal silica coatings with respect to the variation of the silica
primary particle size, a determination of the optimum colloidal silica
coating can be made.
Chemical bath dipping procedures will be used in this thesis as a means
of applying the coatings. This is seen as an economically attractive method
in fabricating these films