Characterization Of A Solar Concentration Thermoelectric Generator

In this work we developed a didactic linear parabolic solar concentrator for use with Peltier cooling modules for power generation. The main idea is to maximize the temperature gradient between the hot and cold sides to provide maximum power for this system and use that in class for experimental explanations. The cold temperature is provided by a flow of water pumped from a cold water reservoir and the hot temperature provided by solar radiation which could reach up to 200 degrees C, but is limited to the Peltier modules allowed temperature of T < 140 degrees C. This system is compact and lightweight when compared to conventional solar electric generators and can be easily assembled and used in lectures. For this system, we have dedicated to IV measurements and adjustment models to precisely extract the model parameters in a robust simultaneous autonomous adjustment of three equations. As far as we know, our parameter extraction approach was applied to thermoelectric generation for the first time.