UC Santa Cruz

A solar tracker and concentrator was designed and assembled for the purpose of cogeneration of thermal power and electrical power using thermoelectric technology. A BiTe thermoelectric module was placed between the concentrated sunlight and a water cooling system to produce electrical power from the temperature gradient. The system was tested with the intent of determining if thermoelectric devices could provide beneficial synergy to solar thermal systems. The system was able to transfer 78% of the incident 384 watts of thermal energy from the sun via the water cooling system, but was not able to produce a substantial amount of electrical power with the thermoelectric module. The TE module only performed at 15% of its expected output of 3 watts. Either the modules were not as powerful as advertised or the thermal impedances of the various layers within the receiver were not well matched for optimal heat transport. The closed loop water cooling system worked well to display how well the system can extract thermal energy from the receiver, but the system was not well designed for optimal thermal storage after extracting the heat. Additional studies were done for optimizing the system performance, such as the effect of concentrator misalignment on the receiver output, as well as the introduction of absorbing coatings on the receiver for increased output. After preliminary testing, simulations and modifications to the system were performed in order to prevent receiver overheating and optimize system performance. Further system improvements are discussed, in addition to future investigations that would be useful for advancing sustainable energy solutions.