Work

Efficient ultrabroadband octagon–cylinder solar thermal absorber with tungsten layer for heat conversion optimized using machine learning for advanced thermal applications

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: The large consumption of natural resources in electricity production makes it an unsustainable option for long-term processes. The side effects of large-scale electricity generation can harm the environment, particularly impacting water and air quality. There is a need for renewable thermal energy generation which can meet this growing energy demand. Solar thermal energy has replaced traditional methods of electricity generation, resulting in minimal air pollution. Solar thermal absorbers, designed to convert sunlight directly into heat energy, are widely used in various thermal systems. A three-layer Ti-GaSb-W thermal absorber, which has achieved spectral absorptance of 93.57% at a wideband rate of 2800 nm. Machine learning optimization is applied for the parameter analysis to be configured for the ultrabroadband type with a 0.95 R 2 value. In addition, graphene thermal absorbers can be applied to heating processes in water, industrial applications, geothermal systems, artificial photosynthesis, agriculture, and biogenic processes.

Source: Case Studies in Thermal Engineering

DOI: 10.1016/j.csite.2026.107823

Authors: Bo Bo Han, Shobhit K. Patel, Aymen Flah, Yogesh Sharma, Fahad Ahmed Al-Zahrani