Micro-scale heat and electricity generation by a hybrid solar collector-chimney, thermoelectric, and wind turbine

Abstract

In the present study, a hybrid system that is fueled with solar energy is proposed. The system includes a solar air collector, solar chimney, thermoelectric generators, and Savonius wind turbine. The absorber plate and the passing air in the duct of the collector act as the heat source and heat sink of the thermoelectric generators respectively. As the air receives heat, it becomes less dense and goes up in the chimney due to buoyancy and the chimney effect. The chimney provides the required air velocity for the wind turbine. In addition, the hot air can be used for other purposes later, such as heating, or drying processes. The results reveal that the efficiency of solar air collector, thermoelectric generator efficiency, and power coefficient of Savonius wind turbine in a certain hour are 61%, 4.54%, and 19.56%, respectively. The average velocity of outlet air from the chimney is 2.32 m/s which can produce 2.17 W by the wind turbine. Additionally, the economic analysis demonstrated that net present value, and payback are approximately 19,707 $ and 1.34 years. Finally, the environmental analysis showed that this system has the potential to reduce emitted carbon dioxide by 5111 kg/year.