Uninterrupted Self‐Generation Thermoelectric Power Device Based on the Radiative Cooling Emitter and Solar Selective Absorber

Abstract

Self‐generation power devices based on the radiative cooling effect have intense potential applications in the energy conversion field. A selective solar absorber is introduced into thermoelectric generator (TEG) devices based on radiative cooling emitters (RCEs). The self‐generation device can work continuously for 24 h, and the output power is greatly enhanced. The RCE is prepared as a polydimethylsiloxane–Al structure by a simple squeegee method. The solar selective absorber (SSA) of the W–Si–O laminated film is prepared by the magnetron sputtering method. Its working temperature can reach as high as 85 °C under AM1.5 sunlight. The calculation results prove that the selective solar absorber can achieve 1.55 times the net heating power of an ideal blackbody at the same working temperature of 85 °C. The assembled self‐generation power device achieves output powers of 695.1 and 5.23 mW m−2 on clear days and nights, respectively, as well as an output power of 7.64 mW m−2 even in the cloudy daytime. The result of theoretical calculation proves that the addition of SSA can greatly increase the temperature difference and the average working temperature, which improves the efficiency of the TEG and the output power of the device.