Solar thermoelectric generator performance relative to air speed

• Solar thermoelectric generator characteristics were measured.
• Peak power performance was discussed relative to wind speed.
• An individual module’s electromotive force was analyzed.
• Thermal resistivity and electrical resistance of the module were reported.
• The peak power conditions for each tested wind speed are summarized in Fig. 10.

The electrical characteristics of a solar thermoelectric generator (STEG) are measured. The STEG device is novel in that it requires no external pumps such as a water refrigeration unit to maintain a thermal differential. The heat source is simulated solar radiation heating a double walled evacuated tube. The heat sink is a CPU cooler subjected to simulated wind energy. The peak power performance of the STEG for a fixed heat input and a varying forced convection brought upon by the artificial wind is reported. The STEG’s thermoelectric power output under naturally occurring solar and wind energy is also reported. A discussion on the thermoelectric effect presents experimental results showing the effect of varying the circuit’s load resistance on a Bi2Te3Bi2Te3 module’s electromotive force, electrical resistance, and thermal resistivity.