Performance investigation of a system hybridizing dye‐sensitized solar cell with thermoelectric devices for power and cooling

Abstract

Summary To realize the broad energy utilization, a novel combined system mainly consisting of a dye‐sensitized solar cell (DSSC), a thermoelectric generator (TEG), and a thermoelectric cooler (TEC) is proposed. The heat released by the DSSC is partially utilized for TEG to generate electricity, thereby driving the TEC for cooling. Considering diverse irreversible losses of the system, the power density, energy efficiency, and exergy efficiency of the coupled system are discussed concretely. In the TEG‐TEC current working range, when the power density or efficiency increase rate of the integrated model reaches a maximum, the corresponding power density, energy efficiency, and exergy efficiency are 38.439 W m−2, 13.21%, and 28.34%, respectively, which are 4.42%, 4.43%, and 4.38% higher than those of the DSSC alone. Comprehensive sensitivity analyses are performed for figuring out how the proposed system performance changes with the variation of main operating conductions as well as design parameters of DSSC and TEG‐TEC. Finally, owing to the Thomson effect in TEG‐TEC, the conclusions got here indicate that energy efficiency and power density about this combined model are reduced by 33.28% and 33.22%. Derived conclusions reveal that the established system is appropriate, which may supply new insights into the majorization of such a functional coupled system.

Dyes from the Southern Lands: An Alternative or a Dream?

“…They are tested as textile DSSCs for wearable electronic devices, canopies, sunshades, or covers [19]. They can also be integrated with other power generator systems such as sun-driven water-splitting devices for H2 production [20], batteries for portable electronics [21], or thermoelectric generators and coolers [22].…”