A novel thermosyphon cooling applied to concentrated photovoltaic-thermoelectric system for passive and efficient heat dissipation

Abstract

Concentrated photovoltaic-thermoelectric systems have received extensive research attention as a means of enhancing the utilization rate of solar energy. However, the expedited progress of these systems has been hindered by a myriad of challenges, such as the additional power consumption required for active cooling and the inadequate cooling rates of conventional passive cooling techniques. To overcome these limitations, a novel concentrated photovoltaic-thermoelectric system integrating thermosyphon cooling has been developed and subjected to a comprehensive analysis, encompassing its start-up performance, pipe resistance characteristics, and power generation performance have been analyzed. The results reveal that the buoyancy generated by the thermosyphon is 8.22 N, which effectively drives the speed of cooling water circulation to 0.011 m/s. The start-up time of the thermosyphon effect lengthens gradually with a decrease in inclination angle of heat sink, while the cooling temperature at the final stable state remains relatively consistent. Remarkably, at 240 kW/m2, the concentrated photovoltaic cell exhibits a remarkable heat dissipation power density of 15.26 W/cm2. Meanwhile, the optimal output voltage of concentrated photovoltaic is 1.907 V, at which the concentrated photovoltaic output power is 1.774 W. The optimal output voltage of thermoelectric is 0.528 V, at which the thermoelectric output power is 0.054 W. The results provide guidance for designing high-performance cooling systems for concentrated photovoltaic-thermoelectric systems.