Performance Evaluation of PV Panel Powered Dual Thermoelectric Air Conditioning System

Abstract

Thermoelectric air condition system (TEACs) powered by solar photovoltaics is useful for thermal comfort applications, especially when there is a direct energy source like sunlight. This paper presents experimental investigations of solar-powered thermoelectric air conditioning for both cooling and heating modes. The experiments were carried out in a test room whose volume is 1 m3 under the climatic conditions of the city of Baghdad. In the summer, the thermoelectric device functions as a Peltier cooler. The cold side absorbs the heat from the inside to lower the room's temperature. As for winter, the heat is released from the thermoelectric Peltier module by reversing the current applied to the thermoelectric Peltier to raise the room's temperature. In this work, the thermoelectric air condition system was supplied with different electrical power supply values with time intervals between the ON/OFF operations. The results showed that the system could heat and cool the air well in different operation conditions. The lowest temperature (22°C) is achieved in the cooling mode, with a Coefficient of Performance (COP) of 0.64 and an exergy efficiency of 0.47. In contrast, in the heating mode, the highest temperature is (31°C) with a COP of 0.87 and exergy efficiency of 0.75. This simple and eco-friendly method can minimize the cooling and heating load in the room.