Theoretical efficiency of solar thermoelectric energy generators
This paper investigates the theoretical efficiency of solar thermoelectric generators (STEGs). A model is established including thermal concentration in addition to optical concentration. Based on the model, the maximum efficiency of STEGs is a product of the opto-thermal efficiency and the device e...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | en_US |
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American Institute of Physics (AIP)
2013
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| Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/78245 https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3968-8530 |
| _version_ | 1811090871681024000 |
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| author | Chen, Gang |
| author2 | Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Mechanical Engineering |
| author_facet | Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Mechanical Engineering Chen, Gang |
| author_sort | Chen, Gang |
| collection | MIT |
| description | This paper investigates the theoretical efficiency of solar thermoelectric generators (STEGs). A model is established including thermal concentration in addition to optical concentration. Based on the model, the maximum efficiency of STEGs is a product of the opto-thermal efficiency and the device efficiency. The device efficiency increases but the opto-thermal efficiency decreases with increasing hot side temperature, leading to an optimal hot-side temperature that maximizes the STEG efficiency. For a given optical concentration ratio, this optimal hot-side temperature depends on the thermoelectric materials’ nondimensional figure-or-merit, the optical properties of wavelength-selective surface and the efficiency of the optical system. Operating in an evacuated environment, STEGs can have attractive efficiency with little or no optical concentration working in the low temperature range (150–250 °C) for which Bi[subscript 2]Te[subscript 3]-based materials are suitable. |
| first_indexed | 2024-09-23T14:53:17Z |
| format | Article |
| id | mit-1721.1/78245 |
| institution | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
| language | en_US |
| last_indexed | 2024-09-23T14:53:17Z |
| publishDate | 2013 |
| publisher | American Institute of Physics (AIP) |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | mit-1721.1/782452022-10-01T23:09:05Z Theoretical efficiency of solar thermoelectric energy generators Chen, Gang Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Mechanical Engineering Chen, Gang This paper investigates the theoretical efficiency of solar thermoelectric generators (STEGs). A model is established including thermal concentration in addition to optical concentration. Based on the model, the maximum efficiency of STEGs is a product of the opto-thermal efficiency and the device efficiency. The device efficiency increases but the opto-thermal efficiency decreases with increasing hot side temperature, leading to an optimal hot-side temperature that maximizes the STEG efficiency. For a given optical concentration ratio, this optimal hot-side temperature depends on the thermoelectric materials’ nondimensional figure-or-merit, the optical properties of wavelength-selective surface and the efficiency of the optical system. Operating in an evacuated environment, STEGs can have attractive efficiency with little or no optical concentration working in the low temperature range (150–250 °C) for which Bi[subscript 2]Te[subscript 3]-based materials are suitable. United States. Dept. of Energy. Office of Basic Energy Sciences (Award DE-SC0001299) 2013-03-28T19:28:59Z 2013-03-28T19:28:59Z 2011-05 2010-12 Article http://purl.org/eprint/type/JournalArticle 0021-8979 1089-7550 http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/78245 Chen, Gang. “Theoretical Efficiency of Solar Thermoelectric Energy Generators.” Journal of Applied Physics 109.10 (2011): 104908. ©2011 American Institute of Physics https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3968-8530 en_US http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.3583182 Journal of Applied Physics Article is made available in accordance with the publisher's policy and may be subject to US copyright law. Please refer to the publisher's site for terms of use. application/pdf American Institute of Physics (AIP) MIT web domain |
| spellingShingle | Chen, Gang Theoretical efficiency of solar thermoelectric energy generators |
| title | Theoretical efficiency of solar thermoelectric energy generators |
| title_full | Theoretical efficiency of solar thermoelectric energy generators |
| title_fullStr | Theoretical efficiency of solar thermoelectric energy generators |
| title_full_unstemmed | Theoretical efficiency of solar thermoelectric energy generators |
| title_short | Theoretical efficiency of solar thermoelectric energy generators |
| title_sort | theoretical efficiency of solar thermoelectric energy generators |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/78245 https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3968-8530 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT chengang theoreticalefficiencyofsolarthermoelectricenergygenerators |