Software Metapapers

WPTherml: A Python Package for the Design of Materials for Harnessing Heat

Authors:

Abstract

WPTherml is a Python package for the design of materials with tailored optical and thermal properties for the vast number of energy applications where control of absorption and emission of radiation, or conversion of heat to radiation or vice versa, is paramount. The optical properties are treated within classical electrodynamics via the Transfer Matrix Method which rigorously solves Maxwell’s equations for layered isotropic media. A flexible multilayer class connects rigorous electrodynamics properties to figures of merit for a variety of thermal applications, and facilitates extensions to other applications for greater reuse potential. WPTherml can be accessed at https://github.com/FoleyLab/wptherml.

Keywords:

NanophotonicsSolar ThermophotovoltaicsPassive CoolingRadiative CoolingComputational ElectrodynamicsConcentrated Solar PowerTransfer Matrix Method
  • Year: 2019
  • Volume: 7 Issue: 1
  • Page/Article: 28
  • DOI: 10.5334/jors.271
  • Submitted on 22 Mar 2019
  • Accepted on 9 Aug 2019
  • Published on 19 Aug 2019
  • Peer Reviewed