A review on the performance of photovoltaic/thermoelectric hybrid generators

Abstract

Summary Utilization of a broad range of solar spectrum has the potential for high power output from solar cells. However, solar photovoltaics (PVs) can convert only part of the solar electromagnetic spectrum into electricity efficiently. The remaining of the solar radiation is often dissipated in the form of heat, which causes performance reduction and reduces the life expectancy of the solar PV cell. Thermoelectric generators (TEGs) are devices that operate like a heat engine by converting thermal energy into electricity through thermoelectric effect. Integrating a TEG into a PV converter will enhance its efficiency and reduce the amount of heat dissipated. Different studies have been carried out and are still taking place to increase the total efficiency of a coupled photovoltaic thermoelectric generator (PV‐TEG) system. This review discusses the concept of PV converters and thermoelectric devices and presents the various models and numerical and experimental investigations on performance enhancement of integrated PV‐TEGs. The influence of key parameters on the performance of PV‐TEG were also discussed. The review is expected to serve as a reference to recent work on research and development of integrated PV‐TEG systems.

Experimental study of the performance of concentrator photovoltaic/thermoelectric generator system integrated with a new 3D printed microchannel heat sink

“…This system is called hybrid PV/thermoelectric power generator (TEG) system, which has been studied by many researches. [24][25][26] Sahin et al 27 reviewed several systems of PV converters and thermoelectric units. They discussed the previous work to enhance the performance of combined PV-TEGs.…”

Multi‐objective optimization of hybrid renewable energy system based on biomass and fuel cells

“…In the current era, the claim for requiring nontraditional renewable energy resources such as biomass, fuel cells, and thermoelectric generators is increased. [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13] Also mitigating the carbon emissions from the energy branch is needed because it was increased by 2.7% which accounted for nearly 50% of the growth in global carbon emissions. 14 The rapid growth in renewable energy, coupled with a reduction in the share of coal, has led to further improvements in carbon emissions in the energy sector so that the effect of the increased request of energy on carbon emissions has been offset to some extent.…”

“…In the current era, the claim for requiring nontraditional renewable energy resources such as biomass, fuel cells, and thermoelectric generators is increased 1‐13 . Also mitigating the carbon emissions from the energy branch is needed because it was increased by 2.7% which accounted for nearly 50% of the growth in global carbon emissions 14 .…”

Low-Temperature Thermionic Converters Based on Metal–Nanostructured Carbon Composites

“…The realization of the idea of direct conversion of solar energy into an electrical one stimulated a progress in the photovoltaic [1, 2], thermoelectric [3,4], and corresponding hybrid systems [5][6][7][8][9][10] as well as in thermionic converters [11][12][13][14][15] and their hybrids [16][17][18][19]. Herewith, a thermionic energy converter (TEC) can provide higher current and power densities as compared with thermoelectric and photoelectric converters, and the efficiency of a non-hybrid TEC in high-and medium-temperature modes can reach 63.8% and 45%, respectively [15].…”