Parabolic Mirror‐Assisted Thermoelectric and Radiative Cooling System for Maximizing Power Generation Utilizing Solar and Outer Space Thermodynamic Resources

Abstract

AbstractRadiative cooling technology is extensively researched as a green technology, leveraging outer space as a thermodynamic resource. Recently, integrating thermoelectric generators (TEGs) and radiative coolers (RCs) are proposed to generate power using the temperature difference between the ambient and the radiative cooler. However, current TEG‐RC systems only utilize one thermodynamic resource, resulting in suboptimal efficiency. It proposes a parabolic mirror‐assisted TEG‐RC system that fully utilizes both the Sun and outer space as thermodynamic resources. The system places the hot side of the TEG, covered by a solar absorber (SA), at the focal point of the parabolic mirror, while the RC is located on the cold side of the TEG. Theoretical and experimental results reveal the optimal ratio between the RC and SA sizes to balance the power mismatch between cooling and heating powers. It also finds that the number of TEG stacks significantly affects power generation efficiency and determines the optimal number. Outdoor measurements demonstrate exceptional power generation during the daytime, which is an unprecedented achievement. This study also demonstrates the further enhancement in power generation efficiency when the proposed system is integrated with concentrated solar cells instead of the SA.