Theoretical and experimental analysis of a solar thermoelectric power generation device based on gravity-assisted heat pipes and solar irradiation. (1st November 2016) - Zhang, Zhe
Graphical abstract: Highlights: A technical solution to the power supply of wireless sensor networks is presented. The low voltage produced by device is boosted from around 1 V to more than 4 V. An output current and voltage of the device is acquired as 343 mA and 1057 mV. The device provides output power 362.56 mW in no electricity conditions. The economic value of device is demonstrated. Abstract: Solar thermoelectric power generation has been widely used to solve the power supply limitation issue for low-power wireless sensors because of its light weight, high reliability, low cost, lack of noise, and environmental friendliness. A solar thermoelectric power generation system based on gravity-assisted heat pipes and solar radiation is devised in this paper, and its behavior is continuously measured in realistic outdoor circumstances. The effects of key parameters, including solar luminous flux, load resistance, a proportional coefficient, and a relative Seebeck coefficient, are analyzed. Related experimental results show that the device can output a voltage of 1057 mV and an electrical current of 343 mA, resulting in an output power of 362.56 mW. With a stable external energy conversion module under aluminous flux of 7.81 × 10 4 lx, the voltage converted from the nature solar radiation is boosted from 1057 mV to 4.40 V, which meets the rated operating voltage of low power consumption components, such as low-power wireless sensors and ZigBee modules. An economic analysis of the system shows that the solar thermoelectric power generation device is both economically and technically competitive when it is applied in a low-voltage wireless sensor network.