Thermoelectric Generator Unit Research Articles

Rancang Bangun Thermoelectric Generator (TEG) Sebagai Suplai Daya Alternatif Germinasi Kacang Hijau

The central government has established the National Energy Policy (KEN) to increase the utilization of renewable energy sources (EBT) by around 23% by 2025 and 31% by 2050. In an effort to support the government's program, researchers have developed a Thermoelectric Generator (TEG) as an alternative power supply to replace the energy source from PT PLN for electrical equipment used in the green bean germination process such as lights, fans, and water pumps. This prototype consists of two chambers: a combustion chamber that generates electrical energy and a control room for the germination process. These two areas are separated to ensure that the control device and germination process are not affected by the heat from combustion. The main components of this prototype include ten TEG units with a maximum power of 5.2 W, a 33 Ah battery, an 8A Buck-boost converter, a 3A Buck converter, a 6W Full Spectrum LED, four DC fans, and a DC pump. The TEG functions effectively as the germination process proceeds smoothly.

Thermodynamic Analysis and Economic Assessment of Organic Rankine Cycle Integrated with Thermoelectric Generator Onboard Container Ship

In July 2023, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) presented an updated strategy for decarbonizing maritime transport and achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. It is therefore imperative to explore innovative solutions to achieve a blue economy and maximize energy efficiency on-board ships. For this reason, the current study aims to integrate the organic Rankine cycle (ORC) and thermoelectric generator (TEG) on board a container ship to generate electrical energy and reduce fuel consumption. The combined system will benefit from the waste heat of a marine diesel engine installed on board. The current study uses R245fa as the organic liquid and analyzes the effects of varying the evaporation pressure on the energetic and economic performance indicators by modeling the combined system in Engineering Equation Solver (EES) software. The results show that the energy efficiency of the ORC system increases from 12.3% at 3.5 bar to 17.3% at 8 bar. In comparison, the energy efficiency of the TEG unit is 6.9% at different evaporation pressures. In addition, the energy efficiency of the TEG-ORC system is 18.3% with an output of 1386 kW at 8 bar, which is an increase of 30.5% compared to the value at 3.5 bar. This generated power reduces fuel consumption by around 1580 ton/year. From an economic point of view, the energy production cost of the combined system is USD 618/kWh and USD 614/kWh at the lowest and maximum evaporation pressure, respectively. Fuel costs and CO2 tax expenditures could be reduced by up to USD 1.169 million/year and USD 0.47 million/year, respectively, through the combined TEG-ORC system.

Optimal design of a solar-driven Kalina system for combined power and desalination purposes

This research study presents a thermodynamic simulation and exergy analysis of a solar-powered Kalina cycle that is integrated with a reverse osmosis desalination (RO) module and a thermoelectric generator (TEG) system. A parabolic through solar collector (PTSC) provides the required heat to drive designed plant. The thermodynamic simulation and exergy examination of the proposed system are carried out using the Engineering Equation Solver (EES). A parametric study of the presented plant to show the primary parameters impacts on the system operation is conducted. The system in this study generates 212.7 kW of electrical power and 44.46 m3/h. The total energy efficiency of the plant is 24.3 %. The inlet thermal energy from PTSC is 876.5 kW. In addition, the thermoelectric module generates 7.26 kW electrical power. Carried out analyses show that the recuperator has the most significant exergy destruction rate among all system components, with 303.2 kW. The unit responsible for the second major exergy destruction value associated with the RO unit, which accounts for 74.22 kW. To examine the influence of influences of parameters like direct normal irradiance (DNI), turbine inlet pressure, and mass flow rate of the Kalina cycle the system case study is presented. It can be observed that increasing DNI parameter from 750 W/m2 to 1000 W/m2 leads in a net output power increment from 279.1 kW to 372.1 kW and increasing fresh-water production from 41.64 m3/h to 48.09 m3/h. Moreover, the calculation shows that increasing DNI has a positive impact on the TEG unit output power too. Enhancing the inlet turbine pressure increases both net output power and fresh-water production by reverse osmosis unit while this increment diminishes the thermoelectric unit electrical output. It can be observed that increasing turbine inlet pressure from 110 kPa to 200 kPa, increases net output power and fresh-water production by about 6.08 % and 3.5 %, respectively.

Performance enhancement of the motorcycle exhaust thermoelectric generator - Optimization of the hot-side heat exchanger configuration

The article investigates the influences of three structural parameters of the hot-side heat exchanger (HHE), including the fin quantity, height, and thickness on the mean temperature of its base. The HHE is integrated into the thermoelectric generator unit (TGU), which uses motorcycle exhaust gas as the heat source. These structural parameters have been optimized by using computational fluid dynamics simulation to enhance the heat absorption through the HHE base to maximize the electric power of the TGU. The findings show that these three HHE structural parameters affect both the convection coefficient and the heat transfer area of the HHE. Increasing the fin quantity and height or reducing the fin thickness leads to an increase in the heat transfer surface area of the HHE. On the other hand, the convection coefficient increases by increasing the fin thickness and quantity or decreasing the fin height. The HHE, which has a fin quantity of 21, fin thickness of 1 mm and fin height of 42 mm, produced the maximum TGU electricity power by 8.2 % higher than the original configuration. This study has significant implications for improving the TGU performance and decreasing the size of the HHE configuration, which makes it more compact and lower manufacturing costs.

Optimizing Solar Energy Harvesting through Integrated Organic Rankine Cycle–Reverse Osmosis Systems: A Techno–Economic Analysis

When it comes to seawater desalination in the small- to medium-electricity ranges, the organic Rankine cycle (ORC) powered by solar energy stands out as the most energy-efficient technology currently available. Various solar techniques have been developed to capture and absorb solar energy. Among them, the parabolic trough collector (PTC) has gained recognition as a low-cost solar thermal collector with a long operating life. This study investigates the thermodynamic performance and economic parameters of a PTC-powered ORC using Dowtherm A and toluene as working fluids for the solar cycle and ORC cycle, respectively. Thermo-economic multi-objective optimization and decision-making techniques are applied to assess the system’s performance. Four key parameters are analyzed for their impact on exergy efficiency and total hourly cost. Using TOPSIS decision-making, the best solution from the Pareto frontier is identified, featuring an ORC exergy efficiency of 30.39% and a total hourly cost of 39.38 US$/h. The system parameters include a mass flow rate of fresh water at 137.7 m3/h, a total output net power of 577.9 kJ/kg, and a district heating supply of 1074 kJ/kg. The cost analysis reveals that the solar collector represents approximately 68% of the total hourly cost at 26.77 US$/h, followed by the turbine, thermoelectric generator, and reverse osmosis (RO) unit.

Thermal uniformity enhancement of the motorcycle exhaust thermoelectric generator—Theory model for predicting heat exchanger fin profile

This paper develops the theoretical model to predict the fin profile of the Hot-side heat exchanger (HHE) to enhance the uniformity of its longitudinal temperature distribution. The developed model can be applied to general cases where heat exchangers have different numbers, heights, pitches, and materials of fins, as well as the thermodynamic and heat transfer parameters of the working fluid. Numerical investigations of two fin profiles' thermal performance are conducted to validate the theoretical model. According to the results, the optimal profile improves the temperature uniformity by 91.3% compared to the original profile. The improvement in the temperature uniformity between thermoelectric modules (TEMs) can be achieved at the cost of reducing the thermoelectric generator unit power. The reductions in heat absorption of the HHE in the current study are not significant, varying from 1.3% to 2.9% at different engine speeds. However, the temperature uniformity can restrict the output power loss due to the significant differences in voltages and amperages produced by TEMs and also can eliminate the deterioration of TEMs’ lifespan.

Conventional and advanced exergy investigation of a double flash cycle integrated by absorption cooling, ORC, and TEG power system driven by geothermal energy

This study looked at both conventional and advanced exergy analyses of a new combined cooling, heating and power generation system driven by geothermal energy. This cycle consists of a double flash cycle with two thermoelectric generator units and an organic Rankine cycle, besides Li–Br/water absorption cooling cycle. A parametric investigation is performed to indicate the influence of flash cycle pressures and also turbine inlet temperature on the system performance. To evaluate the accurate potential for improving this cycle performance, the first and second-division levels of exergy destruction are determined. In this study, the thermodynamic cycle approach of advanced exergy analysis is used to identify different parts of exergy destruction for each system component. Under real and unavoidable conditions, the system's overall exergy efficiency is 53.38% and 55.83%, respectively. Based on the entire avoidable exergy destruction rate, the system's greatest improvement potential is 9732.4 kW (about 35.35% of total exergy destruction), that 60.01% of this avoidable value being endogenous and 39.99% of avoidable part being exogenous. It is also disclosed that the prioritized order of components acquired by conventional exergy analysis differs from that obtained by advanced exergy analysis for increasing overall system performance. The TEG1, the generator, the TEG2, the LPT, and the condenser1, …are recommended by the conventional, whereas the generator, the LPT, and the absorber, …are recommended by the advanced exergy analysis. Despite having the largest exergy destruction, the data show that the TEG1 seems to have moderate improvement potential.

Thermo-economic assessment and optimization of a multigeneration system powered by geothermal and solar energy

A novel multigeneration system using dual renewable energy sources (i.e., geothermal and solar) is introduced, analyzed, and optimized. The integration of a geothermal line, a solar tower, a steam Rankine cycle, two organic Rankine cycles, an ejector refrigeration cycle, a thermoelectric generator unit, and a reverse osmosis subsystem forms the entire system. The outputs of this energy-conversion system are heating load, cooling load, electricity, and freshwater. Regarding methodology, the energy, exergy, and exergoeconomic approaches are implemented to assess the system from thermodynamic and economic viewpoints. Moreover, an optimization process based on exergy efficiency and the total unit cost of products is executed to determine the system’s optimal decision variables. The results obtained from the optimization process show that the proposed system is able to achieve 25.4% exergy efficiency and 34.1 $/GJ total unit cost of products, exhibiting 48% and 43% improvement compared to a base case study. Furthermore, the methodology is demonstrated on a case study where the system operates at its optimum condition in a specific location. Having monthly average values of direct normal irradiation for this spot, the average hourly performance of the system is evaluated for each month. Based on the obtained results, the minimum and maximum freshwater production rates are 3.06 kg/s and 3.84 kg/s, respectively. It can be estimated that a range of 1224 to 1536 individuals, varying from month to month, can receive the produced freshwater.

Optimization and multi-aspect evaluation of a solar/biomass-powered multi-generation plant with an integrated thermoelectric generator unit

A newly hybrid solar/biomass-powered integrated multi-generation plant with a thermoelectric generator unit for supplying multiplex commodities has been studied in the current research. The heat that is obtained from solar energy plus biomass combustion, gives rise to valuable outputs, i.e., power, hydrogen, cooling load, and potable water by an integrated energy plant including a parabolic trough solar collector, a steam Rankine cycle, a combined ejector-absorption chiller unit, a thermoelectric generator unit, a PEM electrolyzer as well as a multi-effect water desalination unit. A comprehensive investigation based on energetic, exergetic, exergo-environmental, and exergo-economic methods has been employed to appraise the plant from the first and second laws of thermodynamics aspects. To acquire the most satisfactory working position in the plant, multi-criteria optimization is accomplished concurrently with the exergetic efficiency maximization plus the cost rate of total product minimization. The outcomes expose that, at the optimum operating position, the plant can touch 15.59% and 1.42 $/s for second law efficiency and the total cost rate of the product, sequentially. The outcome reached from the case study implies performing the plant is more viable economically in the cold months compared to the warmer months.

A Design of a Thermoelectric Energy Harvester for Minimizing Sensor Module Cost

This paper discusses a relationship between thermoelectric generator (TEG) electrical parameters, power efficiency of converters, and power consumption of loads in autonomous sensor modules. Based on the method discussed, one can determine the total number of TEG units together with the number of TEG arrays and the number of TEG units connected in series per array when the characteristics of TEG unit, the minimum temperature difference in operation, the power conversion efficiency of the converter and the load condition are given. A practical design flow to minimize TEG cost is proposed and demonstrated, taking the maximum open circuit voltage of TEG and the dependence of the power conversion efficiency of the converter on the input voltage of the converter into consideration. The entire system including TEG and a Dickson charge pump converter, which were designed through the proposed flow, was validated with SPICE.

Comparative study of various solar power generation systems integrated with nanofluid-flat heat pipe

In recent years, photovoltaic modules and solar thermoelectric generator units have been widely used as energy conversion setups in solar power generation systems. However, the output performance may vary depending on the combination forms. Furthermore, thermal management of such systems is critical to ensuring conversion efficiency and long-term stability. The flat heat pipe is a highly efficient passive cooling device with an excellent heat transfer coefficient across extended ranges and no parasitic energy consumption. A comparative analysis is performed in this work to investigate the various configurations (photovoltaic system, solar thermoelectric generator system, bifacial-photovoltaic-solar thermoelectric generator system, tandem-photovoltaic-solar thermoelectric generator system) that use flat heat pipe as a heat sink. The effects of various solar irradiance, ambient temperature, and condenser side temperature on total energy and exergy efficiency are investigated. The results demonstrate that the bifacial-photovoltaic-solar thermoelectric generator system outperforms the other systems in terms of electrical power output yet, the solar thermoelectric generator system has the largest improvement potential due to its low conversion efficiency. When the solar irradiance is 10000 W/m2, the ambient temperature is 298.15 K, and the condenser side temperature is 298.15 K, the power output for the bifacial-photovoltaic-solar thermoelectric generator system can reach up to 1.82 W, whereas the values for the photovoltaic system, solar thermoelectric generator system, and tandem-photovoltaic-solar thermoelectric generator system are 1.54 W, 0.31 W, and 1.45 W, respectively. Furthermore, the influence of utilizing a 5% volume concentration of Ag-nanofluid and pure water as the flat heat pipe working fluid is addressed. The obtained findings show the effectiveness of using nanofluid to improve energy and exergy performance.

Thermal uniformity enhancement of the motorcycle exhaust thermoelectric generator—Part 2: Muffler outlet optimization

AbstractFollowing the development of the muffler with the optimal guide fins (MOGF) in the companion paper (Part 1), this study optimizes the muffler outlet in terms of structure and geometry to further improve the thermal uniformity of the hot‐side heat exchanger (HHE). Two outlet structures and two outlet geometry parameters (i.e., outlet angle φ and outlet position y) are proposed. The exhaust flow uniformity of HHE serves as an assessment criterion in numerous computational fluid dynamics simulations to determine the optimal outlet structure and optimal values of φ and y. The outlet of the MOGF is then modified based on the simulation results to create the muffler with the optimal guide fins and outlet (MOGFO). Various experiments on the MOGFO are conducted to verify the simulation results and evaluate the improvement of the HHE's thermal uniformity. The simulation results prove that the optimal outlet improves the exhaust flow uniformity by 1.78% on average compared with the original outlet. In experiments, the combination of optimal muffler's outlet and optimal muffler's guide fins on the MOGFO raises the thermal uniformity of HHE by an average of 22.71% and 50% compared with the MOGF and the muffler model with nonoptimal guide fins and outlet in Part 1, respectively. The remarkable outcomes of this paper, together with Part 1, are expected to enhance the efficiency and lifespan of the thermoelectric generator unit.

Thermal uniformity enhancement of the motorcycle exhaust thermoelectric generator—Part 1: Guide fins optimization

AbstractIn this study, the hot‐side heat exchanger (HHE) thermal uniformity in the thermoelectric generator unit (TGU) is enhanced by optimizing the muffler's guide fins. Three parameters of the guide fins (i.e., fin gap δ, fin angle θ, and fin position x) are proposed. Various muffler models with different guide fins’ geometry are numerically investigated to achieve the optimal set of δ, θ, and x parameters by assessing the exhaust flow uniformity of the HHE. The optimal muffler model is then simulated to compare with the nonoptimal muffler model. The HHE's thermal uniformity of these two models is experimentally investigated under various testing conditions. The results show that the parameters of δ and θ significantly affect the exhaust flow uniformity of the HHE, whereas the variable of x only has a minor influence. Thanks to the optimal values of δ, θ, and x, the exhaust flow uniformity increases 11.23% on average compared to the nonoptimal model. Consequently, the thermal uniformity is improved, and the maximum temperature difference on the HHE of the optimal model is 35% lower on average than that of the nonoptimal model. The improvement in thermal uniformity resulting from this study is expected to increase the performance and lifespan of the TGU.

Comparative analyses of a novel solar tower assisted multi-generation system with re-compression CO2 power cycle, thermoelectric generator, and hydrogen production unit

In the present paper, a new energy generation system is suggested for multiple outputs, including a hydrogen generation unit. The plant is powered by a solar tower and involves six different subsystems; supercritical carbon dioxide (sCO2) re-compression Brayton cycle, ammonia-water absorption refrigeration cycle, hydrogen generation, steam generation, drying process, and thermoelectric generator. The thermodynamic assessment of the multi-generation system is carried out for three different cities from Turkey, Iran, and Qatar. The energy and exergy efficiencies are calculated for base conditions to compare the different locations. The operating output parameters for the suggested system and simple re-compression Brayton system are compared. A parametric analysis is also done for investigating the influences of different system variables on plant performance. According to the results, Doha city is found to be more effective due to its geographical conditions. Moreover, based on the comparative study, the proposed cycles produce more power than the basic re-compression cycle with 64.59 kW, 47.33 kW, and 52.25 kW for Doha, Isparta, and Tehran, respectively. Additionally, the analyses revealed that in the term of energy efficiency, the suggested system has 32.29%, 32.28%, and 32.29% better performance than the simple cycle, and in terms of exergy efficiency, it has 4%, 4.8%, and 5% better performance than the simple cycle in Doha, Isparta, and Tehran, respectively.

Thermal stabilization, energy, cost and life analyses of hybrid photovoltaic-phase change composite system - Part 1

Temperature rise across the photovoltaic (PV) panel is a serious challenge, drastically affecting the power and efficiency, degrading the life and enhancing the system cost. Addressing such challenges is highly important in order to curtail the rising energy crisis across the globe, especially in developing countries with hot climatic surroundings. Herein, a full hybrid energy generation power plant has been proposed, consisting of PV panel as a diurnal electricity producer, form-stabilized phase change composite (PCC) as a thermal stabilizer, thermoelectric generator (TE) panels as thermal energy convertor and biomass-gasification unit as a nocturnal heat provider. In the first phase, mathematical and numerical modeling has been carried out, providing the preliminary guidance on the temperature trends of PV-standalone panel, as well as of PV-PCC system via ANSYS FLUENT. In addition, PCC has been prepared and experimentally analyzed, obtaining the thermophysical data, as well as inferring the form-stability and thermal stability necessary to resolve the design challenges of PV-PCC system. By varying the thermal conductivity and thickness of PCC film at the backside of PV panel, the thermal stabilization of PV has been successfully tuned under the influence of surrounding temperatures. Also, the design parameters of the PCC enclosure have been concluded at the optimum thermal conductivity and thickness of PCC film. With PV-PCC hybrid system, the efficiency, electrical energy and lifespan have been enhanced by 16.9%, 17.1% and 3 years compared with PV-standalone panel, respectively. The total cost of the PV-PCC system is calculated to be $290. In the next phases, TE and gasification units are intended to be numerically analyzed, based on which the experimental setup for the whole hybrid power plant will be fabricated and validated through numerical results. This hybrid power plant is expected to be practically workable in the countryside regions of Pakistan where the climate is the hottest but electricity crisis remains on the peak.

Thermo-economic investigation on the hydrogen production through the stored solar energy in a salinity gradient solar pond: A comparative study by employing APC and ORC with zeotropic mixture

In this paper, a salinity gradient solar pond (SGSP) is used to harness the solar energy for hydrogen production through two cycles. The first cycle includes an absorption power cycle (APC), a proton exchange membrane (PEM) electrolyzer, and a thermoelectric generator (TEG) unit; in the second one, an organic Rankine cycle (ORC) with the zeotropic mixture is used instead of APC. The cycles are analyzed through the thermoeconomic vantage point to discover the effect of key decision variables on the cycles’ performance. Finally, NSGA-II is used to optimize both cycles. The results indicate that employing ORC with zeotropic mixture leads to a better performance in comparison to utilizing APC. For the base mode, unit cost product (UCP), exergy, and energy efficiency when APC is employed are 59.9 $/GJ, 23.73%, and 3.84%, respectively. These amounts are 47.27 $/GJ, 29.48%, and 5.86% if ORC with the zeotropic mixture is utilized. The APC and ORC generators have the highest exergy destruction rate which is equal to 6.18 and 10.91 kW. In both cycles, the highest investment cost is related to the turbine and is 0.8275 $/h and 0.976 $/h for the first and second cycles, respectively. In the optimum state the energy efficiency, exergy efficiency, UCP, and H2 production rate of the system enhances 42.44%, 27.54%,15.95%, and 38.24% when ORC with the zeotropic mixture is used. The maximum H2 production is 0.47 kg/h, and is obtained when the mass fraction of R142b, LCZ temperature, pumps pressure ratio, generator bubble point temperature are 0.603, 364.35 K, 2.12, 337.67 K, respectively.

A geothermal and solar-based multigeneration system integrated with a TEG unit: Development, 3E analyses, and multi-objective optimization

A novel hybrid renewable-energy-based system for generating multiple commodities is investigated in this study. The heat gained from geothermal and solar energy sources is converted into useful products such as electricity, domestic hot water, cooling load, and hydrogen via an integrated energy system including parabolic trough collectors, a Kalina cycle, an ejector refrigeration system, a thermoelectric generator (TEG) unit, an organic Rankine cycle, and a PEM electrolyzer. A comprehensive analysis based on energy, exergy, and exergoeconomic methods is carried out to examine the system from different standpoints. To achieve the finest solution, multi-objective optimization is performed to simultaneously maximize exergy efficiency and minimize the total unit cost of products. The results indicate that, under the optimal condition, the system can attain 35.2% and 37.8 $/GJ, and 1.9 kg/h for exergy efficiency, the total unit cost of products, and hydrogen production rate, respectively. Moreover, by comparing system performance for the base case through a parametric study with and without TEG, it is determined that utilizing this unit could be more beneficial for the total system. However, the result achieved from a case study suggests that it would be economically wise to remove the TEG unit during some cold months.

Optimal design of a hybrid thermal- and membrane-based desalination unit based on renewable geothermal energy

• A renewable-based hybrid desalination system consisting of HDH and RO is evaluated. • Two different operating modes of the introduced system are investigated. • Exergoeconomics is used to identify the optimal working condition of the system. • Maximum exergy efficiency of the plant is 28.86% for the second operating mode. • The first operating mode can provide freshwater at a maximum rate of 22070 m 3 /day. In this article, exergoeconomic analysis of a hybrid desalination system driven by renewable geothermal energy source is investigated. Freshwater and electrical power are the products of this system. Humidification – dehumidification (HDH) unit works in parallel with reverse osmosis (RO) unit to produce freshwater and Kalina cycle is the power generator unit. Thermoelectric generator (TEG) is responsible for providing the energy required by RO unit. As both HDH and TEG can operate with low-grade energy, two different modes are suggested for the proposed system. In the first mode, the geothermal low grade energy stream is passed to TEG unit, while in the second, it goes through the HDH unit. The effect of different parameters on four main objective functions is examined in parametric study. Moreover, with the aid of selection maps, the objectives of modes can be compared in different operating conditions. The maximum attainable exergy efficiency is calculated to be 28.86% for mode 2. Single objective optimization studies revealed that the first mode produces the largest amount of freshwater at a rate of 22,072 (m 3 /day), while the minimum achievable freshwater cost and total product cost rate can be obtained in the second mode, which is calculated to be 21.94 (¢/m3) and 37.19 ($/GJ). Besides, Sankey diagrams for exergy flow and mass flow of saline water are presented to unravel the impact of each sub-system on exergy and salinity.

Comparative exergy, multi-objective optimization, and extended environmental assessment of geothermal combined power and refrigeration systems

In the present work a comparative exergy analysis, multi-objective optimization, as well as extended environmental analysis of a geothermal-based power and refrigeration system, is carried out. Different arrangements with the ammonia-water refrigeration cycle, organic Rankine cycle (ORC), and thermoelectric generator (TEG) are investigated. The current work novelties are the presentation of a novel power-refrigeration system driven by a geothermal source and the employment of TEG units to recover geothermal energy, besides extended environmental assessment. The results of sensitivity analysis indicate that the highest net output work capacity is for the suggested system (configuration 3). Exergy analysis exhibits that in all cases, the absorber has the highest exergy destruction rate and one of the lowest exergy efficiency because it is the first component, which gains the heat from the geothermal source. The suggested system produces 495.2 kW net output power and the highest energy efficiency of 19.42%, which are 131.7 kW, and 3.84% higher than configuration 1(base system). Optimization results represent that in the optimum point, Ẇnet shows about 33.3% improvement compared with the un-optimized condition. It is found that configuration 3 which consists of cogeneration with two loops of ammonia-water power cycle with refrigeration system along with an additional thermoelectric generator for enhanced waste heat recovery has the highest environmental footprints because of multiple components installed that would occupy more space, electricity, materials, and other resources for its construction, operation, maintenance, and end-of-life.

A new design of solar tower system amplified with a thermoelectric unit to produce distilled water and power

• Suggest new solar tower system integrated with TEG unit and RO desalination system. • The suggested system energy efficiency is 3.7% higher than the conventional one. • The suggested system exergy efficiency is 5.28% higher than the conventional one. • The TEG employment leads to the increment of the output power about 941 kW. In this paper, a new design of a solar tower system boosted with a thermoelectric generator (TEG) for power generation and distilled water production, is proposed and investigated. The suggested system includes a solar tower unit with atmospheric air as heat transfer fluid, a helium Brayton cycle, two organic Rankin cycles (ORCs) with R-123 as working fluid, thermoelectric generator, and reverse osmosis (RO) desalination unit. The systems under investigation are the gas turbine-helium Brayton system (GT-HBS) as the primary system and the gas turbine-helium Brayton system integrated with TEG and RO (GT-HBS/TEG-RO) as the proposed system. A new aspect of the present work is the waste heat recovery using TEG modules to enhance the performance. Analysis indicates that the energy efficiency of GT-HBS and GT-HBS/TEG-RO systems is 43.88% and 62.44% and the exergy efficiency of GT-HBS/TEG-RO is 20.23 % higher than the GT-HBS. Additionally, the results show that employing TEGs in the primary system leads to the net output power, energy, and exergy efficiencies increment about 941 kW, 3.7%, and 5.28%, respectively. Based on the parametric analysis with an increasing inlet temperature of the gas turbine, the net output power, energy, and exergy efficiencies, and volume flow rate of the freshwater increase. Furthermore, the increment of the direct normal irradiation leads to the energy and exergy efficiencies enhancement. Besides, raising compressor pressure ratio, the net output power, energy, and exergy efficiencies first increase intensively then decrease gradually. The analysis of the new proposed system can be helpful to the system designers to create new system arrangements with higher performance.