A hybrid TEG/wind system using concentrated solar energy and chimney effect

Abstract

This paper investigates a novel hybrid system combining thermal electrical generators (TEGs) and a wind turbine. The mathematical model of the system is derived and solved to investigate the performance of the proposed system. In the proposed system, solar energy is converted to heat by an absorber plate. Some portion of this heat is converted to electricity using TEG, while another portion of the heat is used to heat up air flowing in an inclined duct placed underneath the absorber plate. Heating the air inside the system enhances the current speed because of the effect of buoyancy. A wind turbine is placed inside the duct parallel to air flow before it exits to the atmosphere. The wind current is accelerated before passing through the turbine by using venture effect. The TEGs are exposed to the concentrated solar radiation. This can be obtained using a compound parabolic concentrator. The proposed configuration has multiadvantages: (1) the wind is used to drive a wind turbine; (2) air cools the rear surfaces of TEGs to increase the temperature difference between the opposite surfaces, thus generates more electrical power; and (3) it uses buoyancy effect to increase the wind stream speed, thus enhancing the power generated from turbine. It is found that the solar concentration ratio is the most important factor contributing to enhancing the TEG efficiency. The buoyancy effect leads to turbine power boost at high wind speeds more than at low wind speeds.