Amirkabir Journal of Mechanical Engineering

Amirkabir Journal of Mechanical Engineering

Experimental investigation of the use of thermoelectric on a photovoltaic/thermal system to increase efficiency and heat transfer

Document Type : Research Article

Authors
Payam Gol mohammad pour
Arezoo Karimabadi
Amir mohammad Jadidi
Semnan university
10.22060/mej.2025.24538.7881
Abstract
Due to global problems such as increasing energy costs, environmental pollution and global warming, the use of renewable energies such as solar energy has gained special importance. Photovoltaic/thermal (PV/T) systems with the ability to simultaneously produce electricity and heat are an efficient way to use solar energy. This paper investigated the performance of a standalone photovoltaic/thermal system and a combination with thermoelectric generator (TEG) module’s, heat well and fan at different mass flow rates of 100, 200 and 300 cm3/min under the climatic conditions of Semnan, Iran. The results showed that the maximum power output for the photovoltaic/thermal system at three different mass flow rates was about 78.2 W, 78.7 W and 9.7 W, respectively, and with thermoelectric module’s was 79.1 W, 78.81 W and 4.84 W, respectively. The maximum thermal efficiency for the photovoltaic/thermal system at a flow rate of 100 cm3/min was 31.9 % and the electrical efficiency at a flow rate of 300 cm3/min was 14.1 %, and with thermoelectric module’s it was 27.3 % and 14.9 %, respectively. The Nusselt number also improved by an average of 28.6 % at three different flow rates compared to the standalone system. This improvement in efficiency and heat transfer provides a bright prospect for the application of these systems in buildings and commercial spaces to provide simultaneous power and heating.
Keywords
Photovoltaic/Thermal (PV/T) system
Thermoelectric (TEG) module
Electrical and Thermal efficiency
Heat transfer
Solar energy
Subjects
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Amirkabir Journal of Mechanical Engineering
Volume 57, Issue 6
2025
Pages 685-708