An Experimental Evaluation of Energy and Exergy Efficiency of a Solar Parabolic Dish Thermoelectric Power Generator

Abstract

A low-cost parabolic dish collector was made and tested with commercial thermoelectric modules made of bismuth telluride for electricity generation on its focal plane; the energy end exergy efficiencies were experimentally evaluated. It was found that the daily average temperature of the receiver plate in the solar parabolic dish thermoelectric generator was 127.4°C with the maximum of 189°C. The energy and exergy efficiencies were in the range 0.94–1.68% and 1.01–1.81%, respectively.

Keywords::

• energy efficiency
• exergy efficiency
• solar parabolic dish collector
• thermoelectric generator