Performance evaluation and parametric optimum design of a thermoelectric refrigerator driven by a dye-sensitized solar cell

•A new model of solar-driven thermoelectric refrigeration devices is proposed.•The parametric expressions of the solar cell, refrigerator, and system are derived.•The optimal method for the design of refrigeration devices is developed.•The effects of several key parameters on the performance are discussed.•The optimum design values of main parameters are determined.

A novel model of the hybrid device based on an integration of both the dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC) and the semiconductor thermoelectric refrigerator (TER) is developed to harvest solar energy for refrigeration. In the investigation, an electron diffusion model is used to determine the current voltage characteristics of the DSSC. The coefficient of performance (COP) of the hybrid system is derived. The effects of the current density and film thickness of the DSSC, the external and internal irreversibilities of the TER, and the structure parameter of the hybrid system on the performance are discussed in detail. In the parametric design, the optimal values of the current density, film thickness, and structure parameter are about 11.7 Acm−211.7 Acm−2, 5.62 µm  , and 0.000465 cm−10.000465 cm−1, respectively. The results show that these parameters can be optimally designed to obtain a maximum COP of the refrigeration system.