Performance Evaluation of Configuration Thermoelectric Generators Systems at Different Operating Conditions

Abstract

Renewable energy sources are those that broadly familiar use free power. Solar energy is highly available in hot environments. This paper is a comparative study examining the configuration of a thermoelectric generator using direct and indirect solar radiation in three different operating conditions. Panels are constructed using thermoelectric generator modules arranged with series and parallel connections. Their operating conditions are either by heating the hot area of a panel using solar radiation concentrated using a Fresnel lens, direct solar radiation, or with a flow of water supplied by a solar water heater (15 × 10 thermoelectric generator panels). All operating conditions are performed experimentally. It was found that the generated output electrical power of a two-pass water flow system is 66.35% higher than the direct solar radiation thermoelectric generator panel and Fresnel lens thermoelectric generator panel. The experimental work was done in the summer season in Iraq.