In order to achieve high efficiency in a thermophotovoltaic (TPV) generator, it is important that a high fraction of emitted photons with energies below the TPV cell bandgap are reflected back to the emitter. This can be accomplished in several ways, and one suggestion is to place an edge filter between the emitter and the TPV cell array in an elliptical optic design. An animation tool, developed in the Excel(R) prograrn. for determining the efficiency of an optical system is presented. The animation components are a black body emitter, an edge filter, and an array of TPV cells. The tool has been used to demonstrate the importance of an efficient filter and the usefulness of optics that makes the edge of the filter as sharp as possible. It is available at (C) 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.