Thermoelectric (TE) modules utilize available temperature differences to generate electricity by the Seebeck effect. The current study investigates the merits of employing thermoelectrics to harvest additional electric energy instead of just cooling concentrating photovoltaic (CPV) modules by heat sinks (heat extractors). One of the attractive options to convert solar energy into electricity efficiently is to laminate TE modules between CPV modules and heat extractors to form a CPV-TE/thermal (CPV-TE/T) hybrid system. In order to perform an accurate estimation of the additional electrical energy harvested, a coupled-field model is developed to calculate the electrical performance of TE devices, which incorporates a rigorous interfacial energy balance including the Seebeck effect, the Peltier effect, and Joule heating, and results in better predictions of the conversion capability. Moreover, a 3D multiphysics computational model for the HCPV-TE/T water collector system consisting of a solar concentrator, 10 serially connected GaAs/Ge photovoltaic (PV) cells, 300 couples of bismuth telluride TE modules, and a cooling channel with heat-recovery capability, is implemented by using the commercial FE–tool Comsol Multiphysics®. A conjugate heat transfer model is used, assuming laminar flow through the cooling channel. The performance and efficiencies of the hybrid system are analyzed. As compared with the traditional photovoltaic/thermal (PV/T) system, a comparable thermal efficiency and a higher 8% increase of the electrical efficiency can be observed through the PV-TE hybrid system. Additionally, with the identical convective surface area and cooling flow rate in both configurations, the PV-TE/T hybrid system yields higher PV cell temperatures but more uniform temperature distributions across the cell array, which thus eliminates the current matching problem; however, the higher cell temperatures lower the PV module's fatigue life, which has become one of the biggest challenges in the PV-TE hybrid system.
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December 2014
Research-Article
Performance Analysis of a Combination System of Concentrating Photovoltaic/Thermal Collector and Thermoelectric Generators
Xinqiang Xu,
Xinqiang Xu
Department of Mechanical Engineering,
e-mail: xxu2@binghamton.edu
Binghamton University–SUNY
,Binghamton, NY 13902
e-mail: xxu2@binghamton.edu
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Siyi Zhou,
Siyi Zhou
Department of Mechanical Engineering,
e-mail: szhou3@binghamton.edu
Binghamton University–SUNY
,Binghamton, NY 13902
e-mail: szhou3@binghamton.edu
Search for other works by this author on:
Bahgat G. Sammakia,
Bahgat G. Sammakia
Department of Mechanical Engineering,
e-mail: bahgat@binghamton.edu
Binghamton University–SUNY
,Binghamton, NY 13902
e-mail: bahgat@binghamton.edu
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Bruce T. Murray
Bruce T. Murray
Department of Mechanical Engineering,
e-mail: bmurrary@binghamton.edu
Binghamton University–SUNY
,Binghamton, NY 13902
e-mail: bmurrary@binghamton.edu
Search for other works by this author on:
Xinqiang Xu
Department of Mechanical Engineering,
e-mail: xxu2@binghamton.edu
Binghamton University–SUNY
,Binghamton, NY 13902
e-mail: xxu2@binghamton.edu
Siyi Zhou
Department of Mechanical Engineering,
e-mail: szhou3@binghamton.edu
Binghamton University–SUNY
,Binghamton, NY 13902
e-mail: szhou3@binghamton.edu
Mark M. Meyers
Bahgat G. Sammakia
Department of Mechanical Engineering,
e-mail: bahgat@binghamton.edu
Binghamton University–SUNY
,Binghamton, NY 13902
e-mail: bahgat@binghamton.edu
Bruce T. Murray
Department of Mechanical Engineering,
e-mail: bmurrary@binghamton.edu
Binghamton University–SUNY
,Binghamton, NY 13902
e-mail: bmurrary@binghamton.edu
Contributed by the Electronic and Photonic Packaging Division of ASME for publication in the JOURNAL OF ELECTRONIC PACKAGING. Manuscript received September 11, 2013; final manuscript received July 19, 2014; published online September 19, 2014. Assoc. Editor: Ashish Gupta.
J. Electron. Packag. Dec 2014, 136(4): 041004 (7 pages)
Published Online: September 19, 2014
Article history
Received:
September 11, 2013
Revision Received:
July 19, 2014
Citation
Xu, X., Zhou, S., Meyers, M. M., Sammakia, B. G., and Murray, B. T. (September 19, 2014). "Performance Analysis of a Combination System of Concentrating Photovoltaic/Thermal Collector and Thermoelectric Generators." ASME. J. Electron. Packag. December 2014; 136(4): 041004. https://doi.org/10.1115/1.4028060
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