An experimental investigation to develop and test a burner and a heat recovery system for thermophotovoltaic (TPV) applications is presented. Experimental data have been compared with theoretical calculations and considerations in the pre-design and design phases of the project to find the weakest point of the concept and to validate the expected performance. The TPV generator has been designed as a compact module in order to be used as a range extender in an electric car. The heat recovery system is the key element to increase the efficiency of the system. The heat recovery system presented in this paper is a rotary type regenerator that is very compact and has higher effectiveness in comparison with other types of regenerators with the same number of transfer units (NTU). The experimental data have been used to verify the numerical models used in the calculations for design of the regenerator matrix. A new version of the numerical model has been developed to take into account the variation of the thermal properties of the system with the temperature. Dimensions, weight, efficiency, emissions and high working temperatures have been the most important competitive constraints to observe for design of the system. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.