Numerical analysis of a Photovoltaic Thermal System Integrated with an Ideal Thermoelectric Generator

Available in the overwhelming majority of regions, solar energy can be compensated for fossil fuels as a shortage of them is inevitable shortly. Also, conventional energy sources can adversely affect the environment. Hence, many studies have been performed to increase the electrical efficiency of the Photovoltaic thermal (PVT) systems as they have quite a low efficiency compared to the contemporary electrical power generators like power plants. In this paper, a three-dimensional Photovoltaic thermal system integrated with an ideal thermoelectric module is numerically investigated. Furthermore, the effect of solar radiation on the performance of the PVT system and PVT/TEG system is compared. The obtained results illustrate that increasing solar radiation will enhance the electrical efficiency of the PVT/TEG system while it deteriorates the PVT system’s electrical efficiency. The results show that by increasing solar radiation from 600 W/m2 to 1000 W/m2, the electrical efficiency of the PVT/TE system raise from 15.5% to 16.55%, but the electrical efficiency of the PVT system fall from 13.89% to 13.26%. However, the thermal efficiency of the PVT system is higher than the PVT/TEG system. Conspicuously, the TE module can convert thermal flux, which passes through it into electrical power.

Keywords:

Photovoltaic thermal system , Thermoelectric module , Thermal efficiency , Electrical efficiency , Solar radiation