Concentratin Collector

Journal of Electronic Packaging.
Received September 11, 2013;

Accepted manuscript posted July 23, 2014. doi:10.1115/1.4028060
Copyright (c) 2014 by
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Performance Analysis of a Combination

System of Concentrating PV/T Collector
and TEGs
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Xinqiang Xu
Department of Mechanical Engineering
Binghamton University - SUNY
Binghamton, NY, 13902
xxu2@binghamton.edu
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Siyi Zhou
szhou3@binghamton.edu
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Mark M Meyers
Applied Optics Lab
GE Global Research
Niskayuna, NY, 12309
meyersm@research.ge.com
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Bahgat G Sammakia
bahgat@binghamton.edu
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Bruce T Murray
bmurrary@binghamton.edu
Xinqiang Xu
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Journal of Electronic Packaging. Received September 11, 2013;

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ABSTRACT
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Thermoelectric modules utilize available temperature differences to generate electricity by the

Seebeck effect. The current study investigates the merits of employing thermoelectrics to harvest
additional electric energy instead of just cooling concentrating photovoltaic (CPV) modules by heat sinks
(heat extractors). One of the attractive options to convert solar energy into electricity efficiently is to
laminate TE modules between CPV modules and heat extractors to form a CPV-TE/thermal hybrid system.
In order to perform an accurate estimation of the additional electrical energy harvested, a coupled field
model is developed to calculate the electrical performance of TE devices, which incorporates a rigorous
interfacial energy balance including the Seebeck effect, the Peltier effect, and Joule heating, and results in
better predictions of the conversion capability. Moreover, a 3D multiphysics computational model for the
hybrid concentrating PV-TE/thermal (CPV-TE/T) water collector system consisting of a solar concentrator,
10 serially-connected GaAs/Ge PV cells, 300 couples of bismuth telluride TE modules, and a cooling
channel with heat-recovery capability, is implemented by using the commercial FEtool COMSOLTM. A
conjugate heat transfer model is used, assuming laminar flow through the cooling channel. The
performance and efficiencies of the hybrid system are analyzed. As compared with the traditional PV/T
system, a comparable thermal efficiency and a higher 8% increase of the electrical efficiency can be
observed through the PV-TE hybrid system. Additionally, with the identical convective surface area and
cooling flow rate in both configurations, the PV-TE/T hybrid system yields higher PV cell temperatures but
more uniform temperature distributions across the cell array, which thus eliminates the current matching
problem; however, the higher cell temperatures lower the PV modules fatigue life, which has become one
of the biggest challenges in the PV-TE hybrid system.
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INTRODUCTION
Currently, renewable sources of energy are being widely advocated as a
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substitute for traditional fossil fuels, which are the main sources of greenhouse gas
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emissions into the atmosphere. Photovoltaic (PV) systems represent one of the most
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promising options, since solar energy is pollution-free and inexhaustible. Concentrating
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sunlight onto PV cells, and the replacement of expensive photovoltaic area with less
expensive concentrating optics, such as mirrors or lenses, is a novel solution to reduce
the cost of solar electricity. Light concentration leads to a significant semiconductor
material saving by a much higher power density at the cell surface. However, a common
PV system converts only 10%-25% of the incoming solar radiation into electricity, which
means that much of the incident solar energy simply heats the PV cells. The high cell
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temperatures have two undesirable consequences: 1) a sharp drop in cell electrical

efficiency (generally 0.5% per degree C rise for Si cells [1]); 2) permanent structural
damage and shorter fatigue life of the modules [2]. Therefore, in order to achieve higher
electrical performance and longer lifetime, a concentrating photovoltaic (CPV) module
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must be forcedly cooled, and simultaneously, the available thermal energy captured and
stored by coolant can be used for other useful applications. It is generally accepted that
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hybrid concentrating photovoltaic/thermal (HCPV/T) systems [3-8] have higher and
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more stable performance when compared to individual solar devices.
Furthermore, there is another technology for converting thermal energies into
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electricity, namely: thermoelectric (TE) technology, which can operate from a low grade
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heat source such as waste heat energy and has drawn increasing interest.
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Thermoelectric conversion is based on the Seebeck effect, where electromotive force is

generated due to the temperature difference between the two ends of thermoelectric
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couples, consisting of n-type and p-type thermoelectric elements. Enormous
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simulations, as well as experimental studies have been reported on solar-driven TE
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generators. Chen [9] developed a thermodynamic model to analyze the performance of
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a solar-driven TE power generator. The model based on a well-insulated flat plate

collection, in practice, might be difficult to achieve. Gunter et al. [10] constructed a
prototype of a solar thermoelectric generator. The hot side of the TE module was
heated by solar hot water, and the heat was released at the cold side by a heat sink.
Test results showed that the electrical efficiency reached a maximum value of 1.1% of
the incoming solar radiation. Omer et al. [11] derived a design procedure and performed
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a thermal performance analysis of a solar combined heat and thermoelectric power

cogeneration system based on a two-stage solar energy concentrator. Maneewan et al.
[12] conducted a numerical and laboratory-scale investigation on attic heat gain
reduction by means of a thermoelectric roof solar collector (TE-RSC). The electrical
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conversion efficiency of the proposed TE-RSC system was 1~4%. Lertsatitthanakorn et al.
[13] developed and tested a double-pass thermoelectric solar air collector to study the
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performance under the tropical climate of Mahasarakham, Thailand. Recently, Peng et
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al. [14] addressed a detailed experimental and theoretical analysis of a solar

concentration system using a TE generator, in which the necessary concentration
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degree and the different materials for the TE generator in a wide temperature range (up
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to 800K) were considered.
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The electrical energy generation in solar energy systems is considered to be the

most important. Combining HCPV/T systems with TE modules and making the heat flux
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originating between PV cells and a heat extractor through TE modules is another
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possibility to increase the electricity production in solar energy systems. In this system,
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temperature differences across the TE modules generate additional power driven by the
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Seebeck effect. With greater electrical and overall efficiencies, a so-called hybrid
concentrating photovoltaic-thermoelectric/thermal
system
(HCPV-TE/T) can
be
achieved.
In this paper, a multiphysics simulation of an innovative hybrid solar collector
system, which contains a solar concentrator, a string of series-connected GaAs/Ge PV
cells, commercial TE modules applying bismuth telluride as a basic semiconductor
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material, and a water-fed cooling system, is modeled computationally using the

commercial FE-tool COMSOL [15]. The enhanced performance of a PV-TE hybrid system
is demonstrated under concentrated solar radiation and at relatively low temperatures
(<2000C). Also, the effects of the TE generator's geometric parameter (thickness) and
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the physical property (figure of merit) on the hybrid system efficiency are thoroughly
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investigated.
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COMPUTATIONAL MODELS
Fig. 1(a) sketches the proposed HCPV-TE/T system. A Fresnel lens concentrates
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the incidence radiation by a factor of 20 over the active solar array area. The PV cell
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array panel composed of a single string of 10 serially-connected Gallium
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arsenide/Germanium (GaAs/Ge) solar cells [16] is attached to the TE modules, which is

cooled by a heat sink containing water channels. Good contact between the bottom of
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the PV cells and the top of the TE layer is assured by utilizing a thin-film thermal
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cladding [17]. The schematic of the TE generator panel is depicted in Fig. 1(b). The TE
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couples are arranged into 6 rows containing 50 cells each as shown in Fig. 2. The
Table 1.
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dimensions and physical parameters of the HCPV-TE/T water collector are tabulated in
The thermoelectric material is a fundamental component of a TEG.

Semiconductor material Bi2Te3-based compounds are used in the current study. The
thermoelectric leg in the simulations shown in Fig. 2 is 1mm by 1mm by 1.2mm, capped
by thin copper electrodes with the height of 0.3mm. The material properties are
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specified in Table 2. Usually these are temperature-dependent and may be anisotropic,

but in this study we take them to be isotropic and constant.
METHODOLOGY
The three-dimensional Navier-Stokes and energy equations combined with the
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continuity equation are solved numerically using the finite-element method to
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determine the temperature and velocity fields. The flow is assumed to be steady,
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incompressible and laminar (inlet Re number <350). The fluid properties are assumed to
be constant. The governing equations are expressed as follows:
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Continuity equation:
(1)
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( u) 0
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Momentum Conservation equation:
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Energy equation:
(2)
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u u P 2 u F
2T
C P
C P
(3)
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u T
is the fluid density, u is the flow velocity, F represents body forces acting on
the fluid, is dynamic viscosity , P is the pressure, T is the temperature, is thermal
conductivity, Cp is heat capacity, and
is the rate of internal heat generation (e.g.,
chemical, electrical and nuclear energy) within the solid domain.
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The energy equation is solved in the fluid and solid domains where the heat
transfer is strictly dominated by convection and conduction, respectively. For the fluid
Q
region, the conductive term and
are zero; for the solid region, the convective term is
zero. Therefore, Eqn. (3) can be expressed in Cartesian tensor forms.
T
T
T
k
uy
uz
x
y
z C P
2T 2T 2T
2 2 2
y
x
x
(4)
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Fluid Domain:
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Solid Domain:
(5)
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k 2T 2T 2T Q
C P x 2 y 2 x 2 C P
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The no-slip and no flow-through boundary conditions are specified at all solid
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surfaces. The identical inlet velocity boundary is given and the water temperature is
taken to be 20oC. A pressure outlet boundary condition is used at the exit of the
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channel. Both convection and radiation are applied on the top surface of the
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computational domain. The average convection heat transfer coefficient given by
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McAdams et al. is used on the outside surface of the glass cover. In the absence of
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forced convection, a heat transfer coefficient of 5 W/(m2K) is designated [19]. The glass
cover of the system is assumed to have an emissivity of 0.88 [20]. In practice, a layer of
thermal insulation is added below the collector. If the heat loss by radiation at the back
of the collector is negligible, then
Rinsulation
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in
k in
1
0.04
1
1.31( K m 2 / W )
h 0.036 5
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Where, Rinsulation is the thermal resistance of the insulation layer, in is the thickness of
the insulation layer and k in is the thermal conductivity of the insulation layer.
PV Model
The GaAs/Ge PV cell efficiency is a function of irradiance and cell temperature.
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For an identical irradiance, the electrical efficiency is taken to be a linear function of the
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cell temperature. The linear relationship for 20 times the concentrated irradiance is
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given by Xu et al. [21] as,
ce 0.172 [1 0.0016 (T 301[ K ])]
(7)
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Where, 0.172 and -0.0016 represent the nominal electrical efficiency and the
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temperature coefficient of the solar cell, respectively.
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The electrical energy Ece generated by the PV cell is computed as follows:
Ece ce p g G
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(8)
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Where, p is the module packing factor, and p=1 [22]; G is the incident solar radiation.
The PV module electrical efficiency PV ,
is equal to the sum of each cell's
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power over the total incident solar energy,

10
PV ,
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TE Model
The conversion efficiency of a TE module based on Carnot cycle can be roughly
estimated by the thermal-based model as [23],
Th Tc
][
Th
1 ZT 1
]
Tc
1 ZT
Th
(10)
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max [
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being cooled, and Z is the figure of merit for the TE module.
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Where, Th is the temperature at the hot junction, Tc is the temperature at the surface
However, the diversity and complexity of thermoelectric applications
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necessitates a fully coupled-field model, which, in addition to Joule heating, accounts for
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Seebeck, Peltier, and Thomson effects as coupling mechanisms between thermal and
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electric fields. In this model, the equations of heat flow Eqn. (11) and of continuity of
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electric charge [24] Eqn. (12) are coupled by the set of thermoelectric constitutive
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equations, Eqns. (13) and (14), involving Seebeck, Peltier and Thomson effects and the
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constitutive equation for a dielectric medium Eqn. (15).
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q C P
T
q
t
D
)0
t
(12)
q [] J [ ] T
(13)
J [ ] (E [ ] T )
(14)
(J
D [ ] E
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where, q is the heat flux vector, J is the electric current density vector, D is the electric
flux density vector, E is the electric field intensity, [] is the thermal conductivity matrix,
[] is the electrical conductivity matrix, [] is the Seebeck coefficient matrix, []=T[ ] is
the Peltier coefficient matrix, and [] is the dielectric permittivity matrix. In the absence
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of time-varying magnetic fields, E is irrotational, and can be derived from an electric

scalar potential .
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(16)
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The flow field needs to be incorporated into the thermoelectric schemes, which
requires the addition of Navier-Stokes model.
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For the electrical part, the boundary conditions of TEGs outer surfaces are set as
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electrical insulation. This means the current must be parallel to the TEG surface. The
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voltage at the end of the circuit is set to zero to close the electrical circuit as shown in
Figure 3.
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Therefore, the electric power W ' generated by TE modules can be calculated as
V 2 OC
2( RTE Rload )
(17)
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W '
ce
Where, Voc is the open circuit voltage, RTE is the internal thermoelectric resistance, and
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Rload is the electric resistance of the external load. For the maximum output electrical
power, Rload=RTE.
Thermal Efficiency of Hybrid System

The thermal efficiency t of the hybrid system is defined by
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m C p (T f ,out T f ,in )
(18)
AG
Where, m is the mass flow rate; C p is the water heat capacity; T f ,out is the water outlet
temperature; T f ,in is the water inlet temperature, A is the total top surface area of the
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system, and G is incident solar energy.
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TE Model Evaluation
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In this section, the hybrid collector described in Fig. 1 is simulated. Three

different meshes (with a total number of finite elements equal to 268191, 330885 and
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477171) are employed to assess the grid independence of the results. Fig. 4 shows cells'
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average temperature in the module at the inlet fluid velocity being 0.01m/s computed
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using three different finite element meshes. The figure shows the very high convergence
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behavior and accuracy of the computations.
While the simulation is a common engineering practice, the validity of the
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proposed methodology becomes very important. The experiments conducted by Niu et
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al. [25] are referred to demonstrate the applicability of the coupled-field model to
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predict the conversion capability. The variations of power generation with Tin_hot from
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both simulations and experiments are shown in Fig. 5.

The power output obtained by the thermal-based model is generally higher as
compared to that of the experiment, which may due to the electric field is neglected. As
clearly indicated by the comparisons, the coupled-field model shows better
performance and is then used in the succeeding simulations.
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RESULT AND DISCUSSION
The multiphysics model shown above is solved to determine the electrical and
thermal performance of the HCPV-TE/T system. Four levels of mesh resolution (coarse,
normal, fine, and extra fine) are tested to check the dependence of the solutions on grid
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design. The variation of the pressure distribution along the centerline of the straight
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channel at the identical velocity inlet condition (Vin=0.04m/s) for the different meshes is
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compared to confirm the high convergence behavior and accuracy of the computations.
Thus, considering the balance between the computational efficiency and the accuracy of
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the results, the third level of resolution (fine mesh) is used.
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HCPV-TE/T System Performance
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The open voltage and maximal powers generated for a single couple of TE
modules are presented in Fig. 6 corresponding to the different values of T (the
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temperature difference across the TE module). Whereas voltage with respect to T is in
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a linear manner, the power is approximately a quadratic function. It clearly can be
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drawn that the TEGs work at higher temperature differences more efficiently.
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In the PV-TE hybrid system, the efficiency of the germanium PV module at
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20000W/m2 is 17.2% at the reference temperature TPV = 28oC, and the temperature
coefficient is -0.16%/K. For the TE layer, the thickness of TE = 1.2mm and a specific
figure of merit of Z = 0.00275K-1 are used as a baseline case. For a fixed inlet water
temperature of 20oC, Figs. 7 and 8 present the numerically predicted electrical
efficiencies, and thermal efficiencies with respect to different water inlet velocities for
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the PV-TE/T system and the PVT system, respectively. In Fig. 7, the electrical efficiencies
of the PV-TE/T system and the PVT system increase with the flow rate until the flow rate
reaches 0.02m/s, and then approach to relatively constant values. The electrical
efficiency curve of the TE modules from the PV-TE/T system keeps flat. That is because
the electric efficiency is mainly determined by the temperature difference between the
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hot junction and the cooled surface of TE modules, which maintains 41oC as the flow
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rate changes. For the curve of the PV module from the PV-TE/T system, as the flow rate
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increases, the decreased module temperature improves the electrical efficiency.

Compared with the PVT system, the PV-TE/T system leads to an increase of about 8%
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efficiency.
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The thermal efficiencies are plotted as a function of flow rate in Fig. 8. It is
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apparent, as expected, that as the water flow rate increases, the thermal efficiencies
increase. For high water flow rates, the system operating temperature is lowered,
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resulting in lower heat losses and subsequently higher thermal efficiencies. Also, the
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thermal efficiencies of the heat extractors taper off to reach a constant level when the
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velocity exceeds 0.05m/s, which demonstrates that the quantity of heat extracted by
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the cooling fluid has a limit and cannot be increased further.

In Fig.9, with the identical convective surface area and cooling flow rate in both
configurations, the PV-TE/T hybrid system yields higher PV cell temperatures but more
uniform temperature distributions across the cell array, and eliminates the current
matching problem. However, the higher cell temperature lowers the PV modules
fatigue life, which is one of the biggest challenges in the PV-TE hybrid system.
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Effect of the TE Material's Figure of Merit

One of the physical properties, the figure of merit, of the TE materials is an
important factor that affects the thermoelectric performance of the PV-TE/T system.
The maximum value of the figure of merit of ZT = 2.4 at room temperature reported by
Venkatasubramanian et al. [24], showed the value of Z can reach 0.008K-1. In this study,
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two figure of merit values Z1 = 0.00275K-1 and Z2 = 0.00534K-1 [25] are chosen for this
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analysis.
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The effect of the figure of merit on electrical efficiencies is plotted in Fig. 10. The
larger Z generates the higher electrical efficiency. With respect to the PVT system
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electrical efficiency of 16.9% (at the water inlet velocity of 0.02m/s), the PV-TE/T system
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with Z = 0.00534K-1 gives an efficiency of 25%, and 48% larger than that for a PVT
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system. For Z = 0.00275K-1, the PV-TE electrical efficiency of 18.2% is reached, which is
28% less than that of Z = 0.00534K-1. Therefore, more attention needs to be drawn on
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exploring and explaining the increase in figure of merit values, especially for new
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nanomaterials such as superlattices and nanowires, in order to improve the overall
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performance of the PV-TE hybrid system and decrease the cost per watt.
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Effect of the Thickness of the TE Layer

In the PT-TE/T system, the thickness of the TE layer TE influences not only the
electrical power but the temperature distribution of the system, thus affects the
electrical efficiency of the PV module.
As shown in Fig. 11, with the thickness of the TE layer increasing from 0.8mm to
2mm in the hybrid system, the electrical efficiency of the PV module decreases,
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nevertheless, the electrical efficiencies of the TE material and the whole PV-TE hybrid
system increase. As the thickness of the TE layer keeps increasing, the thermal
resistance between the PV module and the heat extractor becomes larger, and the
system temperature rises, which decreases the PV module's efficiency. However, the
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temperature difference between the TE layer's hot and cool surfaces is improved in
Fig.12, and the TE layer's efficiency is increased. Since the increase of the TE's efficiency
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is larger than the amount of the PV's decreased, the overall efficiency of the PV-TE/T
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system is improved.
In addition, although the overall electrical efficiency of the hybrid system
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improves as the thickness of the TE layer increases, it is important to highlight that the
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higher system temperature causes significant higher thermal stress, decreasing the
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operational life and reliability of the system. Therefore, a balance between the system
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temperature and the electrical efficiency is necessary.
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CONCLUSION
pt
The hybrid concentrating PV-TE/T systems can be considered useful, economic
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and clean, especially as global warming and air pollution have become serious issues in
recent years. A multiphysics model is developed to determine the efficiency of the
hybrid system. Water is used to extract the heat from the PV-TE hybrid module and
improve the thermal efficiency of the solar hybrid system. The results indicate that the
thermal and electrical efficiencies increase with the increased water-flow rate. The
comparison of the PV-TE/T system with the PVT system shows that the PV-TE/T system
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has a comparable thermal efficiency and a much higher overall electrical efficiency.
Adding a TE converter between the PV module and the heat extractor can lead to an
increase of 8% on the electrical efficiency.
The results derived from the simulated PV-TE/T system are reported for the
different figure of merit values and TE layer's thicknesses. Current studies in TE
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materials make Z enhanced to 0.00534K-1, or even greater. Compared to the lower
ed
value, the high-Z material allows an electrical efficiency increase of at least 40%.
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Additionally, in the hybrid system, the electrical efficiency of the PV module decreases,
but that of the TE material and the overall efficiency of the system increases, as the
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thickness of the TE layer increases.
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Finally, although the overall electrical efficiency of the PV-TE/T system is higher
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than that of the PVT system, the PV cell operating temperatures in the PV-TE/T system is
also much higher than those in the PVT system at the same cooling conditions. The
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higher system temperature causes significant higher thermal stress, thus decrease the
ed
operational life and reliability of the system. Therefore, a balance between the system
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pt
temperature and the electrical efficiencies is necessary.
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ACKNOWLEDGMENT
This work was supported by the Integrated Electronics Engineering Center at the
State University of New York at Binghamton.
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NOMENCLATURE
total top surface area of the system, m2
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top surface area of PV cell, m2
energy, W/m2
incident solar energy, W/m2
height, m
length, m
temperature, K
width, m
Greek symbols
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electrical conductivity, S/m
seebeck coefficient, V/K
thickness of TEG, m
efficiency, %
thermal conductivity, W/(mK)
mass density, kg/m3
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cell
ce
cell electrical
ct
cell thermal
ch
channel
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Subscripts
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dielectric layer
glass cover
module
PV
photovoltaic
thermal clad
TE
thermoelectric
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nu
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REFERENCES
[1] Radziemska, E, 2003, The effect of temperature on the power drop in crystalline
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[2] Xu, X, et al., 2013, Thermal Modeling and Life Prediction of Water-Cooled Hybrid
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ite
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[3] Oleary, M. J., Clements, L. D., 1980, "Thermalelectric performance analysis for
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[5] Garg, H. P., Adhikari, R. S., 1999, "Performance analysis of a hybrid

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rip
tN
[6] Akbarzadeh, A., Wadowski, T., 1996, "Heat pipe-based cooling systems for
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[7] Brogren, M., Karlsson, B., 2001, "Low-concentrating water-cooled PVthermal hybrid
systems for high latitudes," Proc. 17th EUPVSEC.
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[8] Coventry, J. S., 2005, "Performance of a concentrating photovoltaic/thermal solar

collector," Solar Energy, 78 (2), pp. 211-222.
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[9] Chen, J. C., 1996, Thermodynamic analysis of a solar-driven thermoelectric

generator, J. Appl. Phys, 79, pp. 2717.
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[10] Gunter, R., et al., 1999, PV-hybrid and thermoelectric collectors, Sol. Energy, 67,
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[11] Omer, S.A., Infield, D.G., 1998. Design optimization of thermoelectric devices for
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[12] Maneewan, S., Hirrunlabh, J., Khedari, J., Zeghmati, B., Teekasap, S., 2005, Heat
gain reduction by means of thermoelectric roof solar collector, Sol. Energy, 78, pp. 495.
[13] Lertsatitthanakorn, C., Khasee, N., Atthajariyakul, S., Soponronnarit, S.,
Therdyothin, A., Suzuki, R. O., 2008, Performance analysis of a double-pass
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Electronic
thermoelectric solar air collector, Solar Energy Materials & Solar Cells, 92, pp. 11051109.
[14] Peng, L., Lanlan, C., Pengcheng, Z., Xinfeng, T., Qingjie, Z., Niino, M., 2010, Design
of a concentration solar thermoelectric generator, J.Electron. Mater, 39, pp. 1522
1530.
[15] COMSOL, version 4.1, COMSOL Inc., 2008
ite
d
[16] Spectrolab Solar, GaAs/Ge Single Junction Solar Cells, www.spectrolab.com
ed
[17] The Bergquist Company, Thermal Clad Substrate,

http://www.bergquistcompany.com/thermal_substrates/t-clad-product-overview.htm
Co
py
[18] Jaegle, M., 2008, Multiphysics Simulation of Thermoelectric Systems - Modeling of

Peltier-Cooling and Thermoelectric Generation, Proceeding of the COMSOL
Conference, 2008, Hannover, German.
tN
ot
[19] Smolec, W., Thomas, A., 1993, Theoretical and experimental investigations of heat
transfer in a Trombe wall, Energy Conversion and Management 34(5), pp. 385400.
nu
sc
rip
[20] Sarhaddi, F., at al., 2010, An improved thermal and electrical model for a solar
photovoltaic thermal (PV/T) air collector, Applied Energy 87, pp. 23282339.
Ma
[21] Xu, X., Sammakia, B.G., Murray, B.T. and Meyers, M.M., 2012, "Thermal Modeling
of Hybrid Concentrating PV/T Collectors with Tree-shaped Channel Nets Cooling
System", accepted, Proceeding of IEEE, ITherm Conference, San Diego, CA.
pt
ed
[22] Chow, T.T., He, W., Ji, J., 2006. Hybrid photovoltaic-thermosyphon water heating
system for residential application, Solar Energy, 80, pp. 298-306.
Ac
ce
[23] Rowe, D. M, editor. CRC handbook of thermoelectrics. London, NY, USA: CRC Press;
1995.
[24] Topal, E. T., 2011, A Flow Induced Vertical Thermoelectric Generator and its
Simulation Using COMSOL Multiphysics, Proc. 2011 COMSOL Conference, Boston, MA.
[25] Niu, X., and Yu, J.L., 2009, Experimental Study on Low-Temperature Waste Heat
Thermoelectric Generator, J. Power Sources, 188, pp. 621-626.
[26] Venkatasubramanian, R., Siivola, E., Colpitts, T., OQuinn, B., 2001, Thin-film
thermoelectric devices with high room-temperature figures of merit, Nature, 413, pp.
597602.
Xinqiang Xu
EP-13-1103
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ASME Packaging
Electronic
Ac
ce
pt
ed
Ma
nu
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tN
ot
Co
py
ed
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[27] Yang, R. G., Chen, G., 2005, Nanostructured Thermoelectric Materials: From
Superlattices to Nanocomposites, Materials Integration. 18 (33).
Xinqiang Xu
EP-13-1103
21

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Electronic
Figure Captions List

(a). Section of the Hybrid System; (b). Schematic of the TEG Panel
Fig. 2
Layout of the Proposed TEG
Fig. 3
Surfaces with Boundary Condition for Electric Part
Fig. 4
PV Cells Temperature Distribution along Flow Direction for Different
Model Validations with Maximum Power Output at the Reference
Co
py
Fig. 5
ed
Mesh Refinement at a Fixed Inlet Velocity
ite
d
Fig. 1
Condition (Tin_cold = 293K, Gin_Hot = 0.4m3/hr, Gin_Cold = 0.3m3/hr)
rip
the Temperature Difference
ot
Single TE Modules Open Voltage and Maximal Power Generated Upon
tN
Fig. 6
Effect of Flow Rate on Electrical Efficiencies
Fig. 8
Effect of Flow Rate on Thermal Efficiencies
Fig. 9
PV Cell Temperature at Solar Heat Flux G = 20kW/m2 and Inlet Velocity
pt
Effect of Figure of Merit on the Electrical Efficiency of PV-TE/T System
ce
Fig. 10
ed
u=0.01m/s
Ma
nu
sc
Fig. 7
Fig. 11
Ac
(Thickness of TE Layer: 1.2mm)

Electrical Efficiency of Hybrid System as a Function of the TE Layer's
Thickness (Fixed Water Inlet Velocity of 0.02m/s)
Fig. 12
Effect of TE Layer's Thickness on Temperature Difference Between the TE

Layer's Hot and Cool Surfaces (Fixed Water Inlet Velocity of 0.02m/s)
Xinqiang Xu
EP-13-1103
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ASME Packaging
Electronic
Table Caption List

Dimension of the System and the Physical Properties
Table 2
Material Properties of TE Modules [18]
Ac
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Ma
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tN
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Table 1
Xinqiang Xu
EP-13-1103
23

ASME Packaging
Electronic
Table 1
ed
TE
Concentrator
Specification
1.1x105 S/m
20
Ac
ce
pt
ed
Ma
nu
sc
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tN
ot
Ratio
p: 2x10-4 V/K
n: -2x10-4 V/K
1.5 W/(mK)
6 mm
Co
py
H0
ite
d
HCPV-TE/T WATER COLLECTOR TECHNOLOGY

GaAs/Ge PV Cell
Water Properties (at 298K)
Specification
Wc
10 mm
w
1000 kg/m3
Lc
20 mm
w
0.6 W/(mK)
g
1 mm
CP
4200 J/(kgK)
pv
0.5 mm
Single Row of The Hybrid Module
Specification
d
0.4 mm
Lm
200 mm
t
1.5 mm
Wm
10 mm
Single Cooling Channel
TE Generator Properties (Bismuth
Dimension
Telluride)
W0
6 mm
TE
1.2 mm
Xinqiang Xu
EP-13-1103
24

ASME Packaging
Electronic
Table 2
SYMBOL
Bi2Te3
, [V/K]
P: 200X10-6
N: -200X10-6
, [S/m]
, [W/(m*K)]
1.1X105
1.6
ELECTRODE
(COPPER)
6.5X10-6
Ac
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pt
ed
Ma
nu
sc
rip
tN
ot
Co
py
ed
ite
d
5.9X108
350
Xinqiang Xu
EP-13-1103
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Fig. 1(b)
Ac
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pt
ed
Ma
nu
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tN
ot
Co
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ed
Fig. 1(a)
Xinqiang Xu
EP-13-1103
26

ASME Packaging
Electronic
Ac
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Ma
nu
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tN
ot
Co
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ed
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Fig. 2
Xinqiang Xu
EP-13-1103
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ASME Packaging
Electronic
Ac
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pt
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Ma
nu
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tN
ot
Co
py
ed
ite
d
Fig. 3
Xinqiang Xu
EP-13-1103
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ed
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ASME Packaging
Electronic
Ac
ce
pt
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Ma
nu
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tN
ot
Co
py
Fig. 4
Xinqiang Xu
EP-13-1103
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ed
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ASME Packaging
Electronic
Ac
ce
pt
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Ma
nu
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tN
ot
Co
py
Fig. 5
Xinqiang Xu
EP-13-1103
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Electronic
Ac
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pt
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Ma
nu
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tN
ot
Co
py
ed
Fig. 6
Xinqiang Xu
EP-13-1103
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ASME Packaging
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Ac
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Ma
nu
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tN
ot
Co
py
Fig. 7
Xinqiang Xu
EP-13-1103
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Electronic
Ac
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pt
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Ma
nu
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tN
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Co
py
Fig. 8
Xinqiang Xu
EP-13-1103
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ASME Packaging
Electronic
Ac
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Ma
nu
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tN
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Co
py
Fig. 9
Xinqiang Xu
EP-13-1103
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Electronic
Ac
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Ma
nu
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tN
ot
Co
py
Fig. 10
Xinqiang Xu
EP-13-1103
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Electronic
Ac
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Ma
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tN
ot
Co
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ed
Fig. 11
Xinqiang Xu
EP-13-1103
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Electronic
Ac
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Ma
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tN
ot
Co
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ed
Fig. 12
Xinqiang Xu
EP-13-1103
37

Concentratin Collector

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Journal of Electronic Packaging.

Received September 11, 2013;

Performance Analysis of a Combination

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Journal of Electronic Packaging. Received September 11, 2013;

Thermoelectric modules utilize available temperature differences to generate electricity by the

Currently, renewable sources of energy are being widely advocated as a

promising options, since solar energy is pollution-free and inexhaustible. Concentrating

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Journal of Electronic Packaging. Received September 11, 2013;

temperatures have two undesirable consequences: 1) a sharp drop in cell electrical

hybrid concentrating photovoltaic/thermal (HCPV/T) systems [3-8] have higher and

more stable performance when compared to individual solar devices.

Furthermore, there is another technology for converting thermal energies into

Thermoelectric conversion is based on the Seebeck effect, where electromotive force is

couples, consisting of n-type and p-type thermoelectric elements. Enormous

simulations, as well as experimental studies have been reported on solar-driven TE

generators. Chen [9] developed a thermodynamic model to analyze the performance of

a solar-driven TE power generator. The model based on a well-insulated flat plate

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Journal of Electronic Packaging. Received September 11, 2013;

a thermal performance analysis of a solar combined heat and thermoelectric power

performance under the tropical climate of Mahasarakham, Thailand. Recently, Peng et

al. [14] addressed a detailed experimental and theoretical analysis of a solar

to 800K) were considered.

The electrical energy generation in solar energy systems is considered to be the

originating between PV cells and a heat extractor through TE modules is another

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Journal of Electronic Packaging. Received September 11, 2013;

material, and a water-fed cooling system, is modeled computationally using the

array panel composed of a single string of 10 serially-connected Gallium

arsenide/Germanium (GaAs/Ge) solar cells [16] is attached to the TE modules, which is

The thermoelectric material is a fundamental component of a TEG.

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Journal of Electronic Packaging. Received September 11, 2013;

specified in Table 2. Usually these are temperature-dependent and may be anisotropic,

continuity equation are solved numerically using the finite-element method to

Momentum Conservation equation:

is the rate of internal heat generation (e.g.,

chemical, electrical and nuclear energy) within the solid domain.

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Journal of Electronic Packaging. Received September 11, 2013;

region, the conductive term and

are zero; for the solid region, the convective term is

zero. Therefore, Eqn. (3) can be expressed in Cartesian tensor forms.

computational domain. The average convection heat transfer coefficient given by

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Journal of Electronic Packaging. Received September 11, 2013;

given by Xu et al. [21] as,

ce 0.172 [1 0.0016 (T 301[ K ])]

temperature coefficient of the solar cell, respectively.

The electrical energy Ece generated by the PV cell is computed as follows:

is equal to the sum of each cell's

power over the total incident solar energy,

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Journal of Electronic Packaging. Received September 11, 2013;

being cooled, and Z is the figure of merit for the TE module.

However, the diversity and complexity of thermoelectric applications

constitutive equation for a dielectric medium Eqn. (15).

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Journal of Electronic Packaging. Received September 11, 2013;

of time-varying magnetic fields, E is irrotational, and can be derived from an electric

Therefore, the electric power W ' generated by TE modules can be calculated as