Optimization and performance analysis of a solar concentrated photovoltaic-thermoelectric (CPV-TE) hybrid system

Abstract

This work presents, for the first time, a statistical model to forecast the electrical efficiency of concentrated photovoltaic-thermoelectric system (CPV-TE). The main objective of this work is to analyze the impact of the input factors (product of solar radiation and optical concentration, external load resistance, leg height of TE and ambient temperature) most affecting the electrical efficiency of CPV-TE system. An innovative and integrated approach based on a multi-physics numerical model coupling radiative, conductive and convective heat transfers Seebeck and photoelectrical conversion physical phenomena inside the CPV-TE collector and a response surface methodology (RSM) model was developed. COMSOL 5.4 Multiphysics software is used to perform the three-dimensional numerical study based on finite element method. Furthermore, results from the numerical model is then analysed using the statistical tool, response surface methodology. The analysis of variance (ANOVA) is conducted to develop the quadratic regression model and examine the statistical significance of each input factor. The results reveal that the obtained determination coefficient (R2) for electrical efficiency is 0.9945. An excellent fitting is achieved between forecast values obtained from the statistical model and the numerical data provided by the three-dimensional numerical model. The influence of the parameters in order of importance on the electrical efficiency are respectively: product of solar radiation and optical concentration, the height legs of TE, external electrical resistance load, and ambient temperature. A simple polynomial statistical model is created in this work to predict and maximize the electrical efficiency from the solar CPV-TE system based on the four investigated input parameters. The maximum electrical efficiency of the proposed CPVTE (17.448%) is obtained for optimum operating parameters at 229.698 W/m2 value of product of solar radiation and optical concentration, 303.353 K value of ambient temperature, 2.681Ω value of resistance electrical load and at 3.083 mm value of height of TE module.