A method and apparatus for energy production comprising providing reactive material containing, at least, an exothermic double electron capture capable isotope and supplying pair-formation energy to at least part of the reactive material to form at least one irreversible double electron capture capable nuclei-pair to produce a net exothermic reaction is disclosed. The reactive material may comprise a metallic alloy. A method and apparatus for energy production comprising heating a three or more element metallic alloy in a chemically inert atmosphere to initiate and/or sustain an exothermic reaction between at least two of the metallic elements of the alloy is herein disclosed. The pressure at the surface of the metallic alloy may be maintained below 1000 atm. The reaction may be initiated, maintained or re-initiated by temperature cycling within a target temperature range. The heat from the reaction may be converted to electric energy by means of a stacked thermophotovoltaic arrangement, comprising a hot surface, a first stage photovoltaic element, a photoemissive LED and a second stage photovoltaic element.

The present disclosure provides a photovoltaic-photothermal reaction complementary full-spectrum solar utilization system, comprising: a waveband thermal reactor having a reactant flow channel and a reaction chamber therein, a photovoltaic cell attached to a surface of the waveband thermal reactor, and a full spectrum concentrator configured to concentrate full spectrum sunlight onto a surface of the photovoltaic cell, wherein the full spectrum concentrating device concentrates the full spectrum sunlight onto a upper surface of the opaque or transmissive photovoltaic cell, wherein a portion of the sunlight is converted into electric energy and another portion of the sunlight is converted into thermal energy, and wherein the thermal energy is utilized by the waveband thermal reactor to preheat reactant(s) in the reaction chamber and to make a portion of the reactant(s) to undergo an endothermic chemical reaction such that the thermal energy is stored as chemical energy.

The present disclosure provides a photovoltaic-photothermal reaction complementary full-spectrum solar utilization system, comprising: a waveband thermal reactor having a reactant flow channel and a reaction chamber therein, a photovoltaic cell attached to a surface of the waveband thermal reactor, and a full spectrum concentrator configured to concentrate full spectrum sunlight onto a surface of the photovoltaic cell, wherein the full spectrum concentrating device concentrates the full spectrum sunlight onto a upper surface of the opaque or transmissive photovoltaic cell, wherein a portion of the sunlight is converted into electric energy and another portion of the sunlight is converted into thermal energy, and wherein the thermal energy is utilized by the waveband thermal reactor to preheat reactant(s) in the reaction chamber and to make a portion of the reactant(s) to undergo an endothermic chemical reaction such that the thermal energy is stored as chemical energy.

A thermophotovoltaic panel, including a first surface for receiving solar radiation, photovoltaic cells connected to said first receiving surface, a heat exchanger connected to said photovoltaic cells, and a second surface, opposite to the first, for supporting the panel, said heat exchanger being positioned between said first receiving surface and said second supporting surface, wherein said photovoltaic cells and said exchanger are embedded in at least one resin, preferably cold-polymerised epoxy resin, to constitute a body including said first receiving surface and said second supporting surface, wherein at least one layer of resin at said first receiving surface is constituted of substantially transparent resin.

A thermophotovoltaic panel, including a first surface for receiving solar radiation, photovoltaic cells connected to said first receiving surface, a heat exchanger connected to said photovoltaic cells, and a second surface, opposite to the first, for supporting the panel, said heat exchanger being positioned between said first receiving surface and said second supporting surface, wherein said photovoltaic cells and said exchanger are embedded in at least one resin, preferably cold-polymerised epoxy resin, to constitute a body including said first receiving surface and said second supporting surface, wherein at least one layer of resin at said first receiving surface is constituted of substantially transparent resin.

A method includes etching and patterning a metal cladding of a metal clad laminate to form electrically conductive pads, leads and terminals therewith across a surface of the metal clad laminate, and sputter depositing pairs of N-type thermoelectric legs and P-type thermoelectric legs electrically in contact with one another on top of the formed electrically conductive pads across the surface of the metal clad laminate. The method also includes depositing conductive interconnects on top of the pairs of the N-type thermoelectric legs and the P-type thermoelectric legs to connect all of the pairs of the N-type thermoelectric legs and the P-type thermoelectric legs to one another to form the thermoelectric module, and utilizing a temperature gradient perpendicular to a plane of the surface of the metal clad laminate of the formed thermoelectric module to derive thermoelectric power from a system element.

A method includes etching and patterning a metal cladding of a metal clad laminate to form electrically conductive pads, leads and terminals therewith across a surface of the metal clad laminate, and sputter depositing pairs of N-type thermoelectric legs and P-type thermoelectric legs electrically in contact with one another on top of the formed electrically conductive pads across the surface of the metal clad laminate. The method also includes depositing conductive interconnects on top of the pairs of the N-type thermoelectric legs and the P-type thermoelectric legs to connect all of the pairs of the N-type thermoelectric legs and the P-type thermoelectric legs to one another to form the thermoelectric module, and utilizing a temperature gradient perpendicular to a plane of the surface of the metal clad laminate of the formed thermoelectric module to derive thermoelectric power from a system element.

Various disclosed embodiments include combined heating and power modules and combined heat and power devices. In an illustrative embodiment, a combined heat and power device includes a heating system including: at least one burner; at least one igniter configured to ignite the at least one burner; a fluid motivator assembly including an electrically powered prime mover; and a heat exchanger fluidly couplable to the fluid motivator assembly. At least one thermophotovoltaic converter has a photon emitter and at least one photovoltaic cell, the photon emitter being thermally couplable to the at least one burner, the at least one photovoltaic cell being thermally couplable to the heat exchanger.

Various disclosed embodiments include combined heating and power modules and combined heat and power devices. In an illustrative embodiment, a combined heat and power device includes a heating system including: at least one burner; at least one igniter configured to ignite the at least one burner; a fluid motivator assembly including an electrically powered prime mover; and a heat exchanger fluidly couplable to the fluid motivator assembly. At least one thermophotovoltaic converter has a photon emitter and at least one photovoltaic cell, the photon emitter being thermally couplable to the at least one burner, the at least one photovoltaic cell being thermally couplable to the heat exchanger.

A system including a first cylindrical structure embedded into a second cylindrical structure. The first cylindrical structure includes a combustion chamber. The first cylinder additionally includes a plurality of plasmonic materials on an outer wall of the first cylindrical structure. The second cylindrical structure includes a plurality of photovoltaic cells on an inner wall of the second cylindrical structure. A radius of the second cylindrical structure is greater than a radius of the first cylindrical structure.