Achieving a broad-spectrum photovoltaic system by hybridizing a two-stage thermoelectric generator. (1st May 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Zhao, Qin; Zhang, Houcheng; Hu, Ziyang; Hou, Shujin
• Is Part Of: Energy conversion and management. Volume 211(2020)
• Publication Date: 2020-05-01
• Subjects: Solar hybrid system -- Dye-sensitized solar cell -- Two-stage thermoelectric generator -- Thomson effect -- Power output density -- Energy efficiency; Direct energy conversion -- Periodicals; Energy storage -- Periodicals; Energy transfer -- Periodicals; Énergie -- Conversion directe -- Périodiques; Direct energy conversion; Periodicals; 621.3105
• DOI: 10.1016/j.enconman.2020.112778
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0196-8904

Abstract

Highlights: A new hybrid system is proposed for broadbandly sunlight harvesting. Each component within the proposed hybrid system is analytically described. Hybrid system gains 4.33% and 64.25% improvements in MPOD and MEE, respectively. Thomson effect degrades MPOD and MEE by 1.49% and 0.05%, respectively. Effects of some designing parameters and operating conditions are revealed. Abstract: A novel solar hybrid system (SHS) that couples a two-stage thermoelectric generator (TTEG) to a dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC) is put forward to broadbandly capture the inlet sunlight, in which the TTEG considers Thomson effect as well as Peltier effect and Seebeck effect. The mathematical relationship between the TTEG dimensionless operating electric current and the DSSC operating electric current is determined. Theoretical calculation indicates the maximum power output density (MPOD) and maximum energy efficiency (MEE) of DSSC are, respectively, 77.82 W m −2 and 4.94%, and the MPOD and MEE of SHS are, respectively, improved by 4.33% and 64.25% in comparison with the single DSSC. Moreover, the MPOD and MEE of SHS with Thomson effect are 1.49% and 0.05% smaller than that without Thomson effect, respectively. Exhaustive parametric studies are conducted to examine the dependence of SHS performance on comprehensive designing parameters and operating conditions, including temperature difference between operating temperature and environment temperature, Schottky barrier, thickness of porous nano-TiO2 semiconductor film, thermoelectric element (TEE) number ratio of top stage to bottom stage, total number of TEE, length and cross-sectional area of semiconductor legs. The obtained results are helpful for designing and optimizing such an actual SHS.