Transforming Solar Thermal Collectors into High Performance Electricity and Heat Cogeneration Units

Abstract

In this paper, the conception, design and initial experimental development of an innovative solar-thermal application with the capacity to harness the heat of domestic Solar Water Heaters (SWHs) and transform it into low-cost and clean electric power, is presented. In the heart of the application, lies a novel -high efficiency- compressing device able to transform thermal energy into potential energy from a working fluid and enabling solar thermal collectors to generate twice as must electricity as solar photovoltaic panels at nearly half the cost. The proposed compressor tackles the inherent disadvantages of conventional compressors, by reducing the number of moving parts and being capable of handling fluids in multiple phases. Moreover, the compressor is compatible with typical installations that would otherwise include a standard compressor, as well with installations where an abundance of thermal energy and a need for compressing a working fluid coexist. This paper presents the core concept of the research venture, provides the technical details and operation of the proposed innovative compressor and finally discusses the potential market innovation and impact of the invention. The ultimate objective of the research presented in this paper is to introduce to the market the first solar application with the capacity to harness the heat absorbed by domestic SWHs.