Performance Analysis of a Photovoltaic System with Thermoelectric Generator and Phase Change Material; An Experimental Approach

TL;DR

This experimental study demonstrates that integrating phase change materials and thermoelectric generators with photovoltaic panels significantly improves their efficiency and power output under high-temperature conditions.

Contribution

The paper presents a novel experimental analysis of combined PCM and TEG integration with PV panels, quantifying efficiency improvements in real-world conditions.

Findings

PV-PCM boosts power output by 68.04%.

PV-PCM-TEG and PV-TEG-PCM improve efficiency by 43.06% and 37.51%.

Efficiency gains relative to standalone PV are 33.33%, 25.76%, and 21.21%.

Abstract

This study explores the integration of thermoelectric generators (TEGs) and phase change materials (PCMs) to enhance the efficiency of photovoltaic (PV) panels in high-temperature conditions. An AP-PM-20 Polycrystalline PV panel, SP-1848-27145 Bismuth Telluride TEG, and paraffin wax PCM in an aluminum container were used. Four configurations were tested: standalone PV, PV-PCM, PV-TEG-PCM, and PV-PCM-TEG, under identical conditions from 10:30 AM to 6:00 PM at 25-minute intervals. Data on PV and TEG voltage, current, and solar irradiance were collected and analyzed. The results show significant performance improvements: the PV-PCM configuration boosted power output by 68.04%, while PV-PCM-TEG and PV-TEG-PCM configurations improved efficiency by 43.06% and 37.51%, respectively. Efficiency gains relative to the standalone PV system were 33.33% for PV-PCM, 25.76% for PV-PCM-TEG, and 21.21% for PV-TEG-PCM, demonstrating the effectiveness of PCMs and TEGs in enhancing PV performance.