Numerical Simulation and Structure Optimization of Multilayer Metamaterial Plus-Shaped Solar Absorber Design Based on Graphene and SiO2 Substrate for Renewable Energy Generation

Abstract

Renewable energy is the energy for future generations as it is clean and widely available. The solar absorber is a sustainable energy source that converts solar energy into heat energy. The structural optimization is analyzed to enhance the absorption of the multilayer design. The proposed efficient solar absorber is made of a multilayer plus-shaped resonator supported by a SiO2 substrate with a graphene spacer. The multilayer approach is utilized to enhance the absorption of the overall structure. The absorption of the multilayer solar absorber design is presented with AM 1.5 response observing the amount of energy absorbed from solar radiation. The different structural parameters are optimized to obtain the efficiency plus-shaped absorber design. The results of a different angle of incidence clearly show that the absorber is giving high absorption over a wide-angle range. The design results are also being analyzed with other similar works to show the improvement. The proposed absorber with high efficiency will be a good choice for solar thermal energy conversion applications.