Modelling and structure optimization of flat-panel thermal concentrated solar thermoelectric device

Abstract

Solar thermoelectric conversion is another way to convert solar radiation directly into electricity besides photovoltaic technology, and has become a new hot spot of solar energy utilization in recent years. In this paper a model of flat-panel thermal concentrated solar thermoelectric device is built based on the material of Bi2Te3. And finite element analysis is used to analyze the temperature distribution of the device under AM1.5 illumination. Furthermore, the influences of thermal concentration, cross section area and length of thermal legs on open voltage, maximum output power and conversion efficiency of the device are calculated based on temperature-dependent physical parameters. The results indicate that thermal concentration and length of thermal legs haved a significant influence on device performance, while the cross section area changes the conversion efficiency of device relatively weakly, and the conversion efficiency of the device reaches 1.56% in this model.