Multi-scale Investigation on the Optical Performance of a Concentrated Photovoltaic Thermoelectric Hybrid System by a MC-FDTD Coupled Method

Abstract

Abstract Taking photovoltaic-thermoelectric (PV-TE) hybrid system with the full-spectrum solar energy utilization as application background, a 3D model for a PV-TE hybrid system that employs nanostructure surface and a linear Fresnel reflective solar concentrator was developed in this paper. In this model, a Monte Carlo-Finite Difference Time Domain (MC-FDTD) coupled method is presented to solve the multiscale optical problems. On the premise of taking the effects of the sun shape, the slope error and the polarization of incident electromagnetic wave into consideration, the combined effects of the concentrator and nanostructure surface on the absorbed irradiance distribution of the hybrid system surface were studied. Three parameters of the dimensions for the moth-eye nanostructure, including duty ratio, height and diameter, are optimized, and the optimized duty ratio is 100%, the height is 0.9 μm and the diameter is 0.3 μm. The absorbed irradiance of the moth-eye surface with concentrator is increased at least fourteen-fold compared to plane surface without concentrator. The results from present work can offer a reference for the study supplies theory, means and data bases for the optimization of the nanostructure surface, homogenization of the absorbed irradiance distribution and efficient utilization of the solar energy.