The Experimental Investigation of a New Panel Design for Thermoelectric Power Generation to Maximize Output Power Using Solar Radiation

Abstract

It is well established that renewable energy resources for electricity generation are free. In hot areas, solar energy has become one of the major interests of researchers and specialists. This paper aims to experimentally investigate the maximum voltage generation of a thermoelectric generator (TEG) panel. This panel was built from many TEG modules that are connected in series and in parallel. The panel was exposed to high heat due to solar radiation during summer, either directly or through a Fresnel lens. The other side of the TEG panel was cooled using tap water that was passed through aluminum heat exchangers in an active cooling method. It was found that the maximum open-circuit voltage of this TEG panel using a Fresnel lens was 9.35 V. With no lens, it was 11.75 V at 14:00 h local time. The experiments were done during a sunny July period in Iraq.

Keywords

• Fresnel lens
• heat exchanger
• Seebeck
• solar radiation
• thermoelectric generator