Thread: Thermovoltaic car close to reality?

Currently record for solar cell efficiency is 42% which
is larger then peak efficiency for internal combustion engine (38%).Typical solar concentrators are able to concentrate light up to 1000 times.It should give power density about 100 Kw-h per 1/4 square meter of panel.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_c...aics_.28CPV.29
So will we be able to see thermovoltaic combustion cars in which light of burning body (such as gas) is converted into electricity?It could be especially good for plug-in hybrid vehicles.Contain much less parts,etc.

What is the energy efficiency of burning fuel (any fuel) to produce light?

What is the energy efficiency of burning fuel (any fuel) to produce light?

I think it depends on conditions in which burning occur.
I guess if we have thermally isolated system,nearly all
energy should convert into infrared light.Burning hydrocarbons,for example,have frequency around 4.5 microns.Semiconductors such as Lead Selenide http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lead_selenide should be proper for this frequency.You would need to have combustion camera surrounded by vacuum or at least some thermal isolator such as silica gel to prevent heat to escape as energy of moving particles.Exhaust managing could be a problem,so you
may need to surround exhaust pipe with thermovoltaic
cells too.But this is difficult to say,engineers should know.