Modeling Joule Heating Effect on Thermal Efficiency of Photovoltaic Thermal (PVT) Collectors with Operation Mode Factor (OMF)

The purpose of the present study is developing the operation mode factor (OMF) by remodeling the thermal efficiency model of a hybrid PVT collector during steady state. Joule heating occurs when the photovoltaic (PV) panel operates at a high current during maximum power point tracking (MPPT) on higher irradiation. Under these conditions, some electrical energy converts to thermal energy within the PV cells. Joule heating contributed to increasing the PVT thermal efficiency. The steps were to construct the OMF by remodeling the thermal efficiency involving the Joule heating effect and to validate the results using the model by comparing the simulation and experiment. The dimensionless OMF was responsible for changes in thermal efficiency for PVT-mode. The conductive heat transfer coefficient from the surface to the absorber was the most decisive component in the OMF. Heat removal factor and OMF might be interrelated at the mass flow rate by decreasing PV temperature to maintain Joule heating. The proposed model with OMF had explained PVT-mode and T-mode with the RMS value of less than 1%. This model complemented the results of the previous studies. The results may contribute from the initial design to the operational monitoring for thermal to electrical energy production.

Phase controlled synthesis of transition metal carbide nanocrystals by ultrafast flash Joule heating

Nanoscale carbides enhance ultra-strong ceramics and show activity as high-performance catalysts. Traditional lengthy carburization methods for carbide syntheses usually result in coked surface, large particle size, and uncontrolled phase. Here, a flash Joule heating process is developed for ultrafast synthesis of carbide nanocrystals within 1 s. Various interstitial transition metal carbides (TiC, ZrC, HfC, VC, NbC, TaC, Cr2C3, MoC, and W2C) and covalent carbides (B4C and SiC) are produced using low-cost precursors. By controlling pulse voltages, phase-pure molybdenum carbides including β-Mo2C and metastable α-MoC1-x and η-MoC1-x are selectively synthesized, demonstrating the excellent phase engineering ability of the flash Joule heating by broadly tunable energy input that can exceed 3000 K coupled with kinetically controlled ultrafast cooling (>104 K s−1). Theoretical calculation reveals carbon vacancies as the driving factor for topotactic transition of carbide phases. The phase-dependent hydrogen evolution capability of molybdenum carbides is investigated with β-Mo2C showing the best performance.

Abnormal Shear Performance of Microscale Ball Grid Array Structure Cu/Sn–3.0Ag–0.5Cu/Cu Solder Joints with Increasing Current Density

The shear performance and fracture behavior of microscale ball grid array structure Cu/Sn–3.0Ag–0.5Cu/Cu solder joints with increasing electric current density (from 1.0 × 103 to 6.0 × 103 A/cm2) at various test temperatures (25 °C, 55 °C, 85 °C, 115 °C, 145 °C, and 175 °C) were investigated systematically. Shear strength increases initially, then decreases with increasing current density at a test temperature of no more than 85 °C; the enhancement effect of current stressing on shear strength decreases and finally diminishes with increasing test temperatures. These changes are mainly due to the counteraction of the athermal effect of current stressing and Joule heating. After decoupling and quantifying the contribution of the athermal effect to the shear strength of solder joints, the results show that the influence of the athermal effect presents a transition from an enhancement state to a deterioration state with increasing current density, and the critical current density for the transition decreases with increasing test temperatures. Joule heating is always in a deterioration state on the shear strength of solder joints, which gradually becomes the dominant factor with increasing test temperatures and current density. In addition, the fracture location changes from the solder matrix to the interface between the solder matrix and the intermetallic compound (IMC) layer (the solder/IMC layer interface) with increasing current density, showing a ductile-to-brittle transition. The interfacial fracture is triggered by current crowding at the groove of the IMC layer and driven by mismatch strain at the solder/IMC layer interface, and the critical current density for the occurrence of interfacial fracture decreases with increasing test temperatures.

Development of Magnetically Soft Amorphous Microwires for Technological Applications

Amorphous magnetic microwires can be suitable for a variety of technological applications due to their excellent magnetic softness and giant magnetoimpedance (GMI) effect. Several approaches for optimization of soft magnetic properties and GMI effect of magnetic microwires covered with an insulating, flexible, and biocompatible glass coating with tunable magnetic properties are overviewed. The high GMI effect and soft magnetic properties, achieved even in as-prepared Co-rich microwires with a vanishing magnetostriction coefficient, can be further improved by appropriate heat treatment (including stress-annealing and Joule heating). Although as-prepared Fe-rich amorphous microwires exhibit low GMI ratio and rectangular hysteresis loops, stress-annealing, Joule heating, and combined stress-annealed followed by conventional furnace annealing can substantially improve the GMI effect (by more than an order of magnitude).