Enhance the efficiency of solar modules and produce electricity from waste heat using thermoelectric generators (TEGs): A comprehensive practical work
As the population continues to rise and technological improvements into people's daily lives have increased energy demand, which is expected to continue rising. Thermoelectric generators, which convert heat into energy, have recently attracted attention as potential solutions that will mitigate...
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| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Elsevier
2025-03-01
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| Series: | Heliyon |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405844025012502 |
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| Summary: | As the population continues to rise and technological improvements into people's daily lives have increased energy demand, which is expected to continue rising. Thermoelectric generators, which convert heat into energy, have recently attracted attention as potential solutions that will mitigate the energy demand problems. In this research, a newly efficient and sustainable system is developed for absorbing thermal energy in order to convert it into electricity using thermoelectric generators (TEGs) from the solar PV panel, cooking pot, and exhaust pipe of the bike. During this work, thermoelectric generators were attached to those appliances, and a hybrid system consisting of TEG and appliances was formed. Heat energy from these appliances was plunderaged and shifted to TEGs. Several thermoelectric generators were attached to the backside of the solar PV panel, cooking pot, and exhaust pipe of the motorcycle to convert the waste heat from these appliances into electricity. Thermoelectric generators were mounted beneath solar panel and acted as a hybrid heat sink by dissipating heat and producing electricity. This arrangement effectively lowers the solar panel's temperature, boosting its overall efficiency. Both normal water and ice-cooled water, by gravitational force and by pumping, were used for the cooling process of the solar PV panel. Using this environmentally friendly and economically viable energy system, the maximum voltage and current output for the normal water cooling method were 1.91V and 0.06A for a temperature gradient of 16.8 °C. The maximum outputs for the ice-cooled water cooling method were 2.62V and 0.13A for a temperature gradient of 34.1 °C. Besides, for the cooking pot, thermoelectric generators and the same number of heat sinks were attached to the outer part of the pot. Normal water and ice-cooled water by pumping were used for the cooling process. The maximum outputs for normal water cooling were 3.12V and 0.37A for a 53 °C temperature gradient, and for ice-cooled water cooling, they were 4.03V and 0.61A for an 81 °C temperature gradient. Identically, a similar setup, like the previous one, was implemented on the exhaust pipe. Normal water was the only coolant, which was driven by a pump through heat sinks for cooling purposes. Maximum outputs were 1.38V and 0.05A for a temperature gradient of 12 °C. |
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| ISSN: | 2405-8440 |