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Hybrid Solar Energy System with integrated Concentration Photovoltaic Cells and Thermoelectric Devices

Verma, Darpan
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin1553613351859182

Abstract Details

2019, MS, University of Cincinnati, Engineering and Applied Science: Electrical Engineering.
This work aims at demonstrating the concept of utilizing waste heat of Photovoltaic cell by thermoelectric devices. Experiments are performed to study the effect of variation of sun concentration from 0.25 to 1.8 suns (1 sun = 1000 W/m2) on the efficiency of the Photovoltaic cell having 5 cm x 5 cm dimensions. It is found that with the increase of sun intensity from 400 (x0.25) to 1600 W/m2 (x1.6) the photovoltaic cell shows variation of the power output from 0.10 W to 0.25 W. Also, this sun intensity variation resulted in the heating of photovoltaic cell. We measured the top and bottom surface temperatures of the photovoltaic cell. The top surface temperature varied in range from 304.7 K to 380.3 K with increasing solar intensity, while the bottom surface has a lower temperature compared to the top surface varying from 303.85 K to 370.55 K. Thermoelectric devices are attached to the bottom surface of the photovoltaic cell to recover the waste heat from the photovoltaic cell. In order to demonstrate the thermoelectric principle, we have first measured the power output we could fetch through the K type thermocouple junction; the same TC junction we have used to measure the temperature on the bottom surface of photovoltaic cell. At input sun intensity of 1800 W/m2 we have measured the maximum power output of around 0.28 µW from this single thermocouple junction. Finally, a V- type longitudinal thermoelectric device made of multiple TE legs is fabricated and attached at the back surface of the photovoltaic cell to demonstrate the increase of the power output. We have also discussed how increasing in the thermal contact area of the thermocouple device could help in increasing the power output from the PV cell. Also, in this work we have performed full three-dimensional numerical simulation on the hybrid photovoltaic and transverse thermoelectric device with natural air convection using ANSYS to gauge the power generation performance for future research.
Je-Hyeong Bahk, Ph.D. (Committee Chair)
Marc Cahay, Ph.D. (Committee Member)
Peter Kosel, Ph.D. (Committee Member)
112 p.
Engineering
Hybrid Thermoelectric photovoltaic; Cooling; Transverse Thermoelectric Device; Natural Convection; Solar cell heat source; Efficiency

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Verma, D. (2019). Hybrid Solar Energy System with integrated Concentration Photovoltaic Cells and Thermoelectric Devices [Master's thesis, University of Cincinnati]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin1553613351859182

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Verma, Darpan. Hybrid Solar Energy System with integrated Concentration Photovoltaic Cells and Thermoelectric Devices. 2019. University of Cincinnati, Master's thesis. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin1553613351859182.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Verma, Darpan. "Hybrid Solar Energy System with integrated Concentration Photovoltaic Cells and Thermoelectric Devices." Master's thesis, University of Cincinnati, 2019. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin1553613351859182

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

ucin1553613351859182
322
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This open access ETD is published by University of Cincinnati and OhioLINK.