Solar Parabolic Dish Thermoelectric Generator: A Technical Study

Abstract

This article presents a technical study on a solar parabolic dish thermoelectric generator using annual average solar radiation data at site and its standard efficiencies. The energy balance equations are developed for the parabolic dish concentrator and thermoelectric generator. The numerical analysis is made to study its technical possibilities to meet a rural house annual energy demand of 16.80 kWh by a thermoelectric generator capacity of 120 W and parabolic dish concentrator surface area of 6.3 m2. It found that the proposed system is generating 24 and 7% of excess electricity at maximum and minimum radiation data respectively.