Defining indispensability of storage for raised renewable penetration in conventional and thermoelectric coupled microgrid: Modeling,analysis and validation

The inflation of clean, efficient, sustainable, effective, secure, and reliable electricity demand have been triggered much interest for Microgrid (MG) at a miraculous and quickened pace. The necessity of reliability enhancement, diversity of fuel, cutback of greenhouse gases, severe weather fluctuation etc. has stimulated the inclusion of MG concept not only in utility level but also in customer and community level. Incorporation of solar photovoltaic (SPV) and thermoelectric (TE), termed as Solar photovoltaic-thermoelectric (SPV-TE) hybrid system is found be a very promising technique to broadening the utilization of solar spectrum and enhancing the power output effectively-cum-efficiently. This hybrid architecture caters electrical energy with additional thermal energy that signifies upon harnessing of solar insolation in an exceptional way. But in order to retain the voltage profile in the permissible level, MG needs storage mechanism for smoothening of renewable based power inconstancy, catering high active power significantly and dodging the long term reactive power rising. This paper illustrates the comparative analysis of three systems such as Conventional MG;TE coupled Conventional MG, and only TE coupled solar PV based MG defining the necessity of employment of energy storage system (ESS). The superiority of third system has been outlined in terms of lesser complexity in source integration, mitigating the detriment of Wind energy system (WES) and Fuel Cell Systems (FCT) integration in real life application, delivery of higher active power, and lesser reactive power absorbance over the two other systems. The studied system is modeled in MATLAB/Simulink environment and the results are presented to support, verify, and validate the analysis.     

Effect of buckling on the cooling performance of free-standing planar thermoelectric coolers

This article investigates the effect of buckling on the cooling performance of planar thermoelectric (TE) coolers (TECs). The TEC is made up of n-type and p-type TE elements with large length-to-thickness ratio. Each TE element is modeled as a fixed–fixed thin plate. Theoretical model for the solutions of temperature and electric potential fields of the TE element after buckling is established. The corresponding coefficient of performance (COP) that indicates the cooling performance of TEC is also given. Influence of Seebeck coefficient, thermal conductivity, temperature difference, and the ratio of length-to-thickness on the cooling performance are discussed. It is found that buckling of TEC will reduce its cooling performance. A bigger Seebeck coefficient and smaller thermal conductivity can both improve the value of COP. It is also found that there is no maximum COP when the temperature difference across the TEC is zero. However, the effect of buckling on the cooling performance of TEC can be ignored if the TEC achieves the maximum COP. The peak value of COP is independent of the ratio of length-to-thickness of the TEC. An optimized value of the electric current corresponding to the maximum COP of the TEC is obtained.     

Coupling of thermoelectric modules with a photovoltaic panel for air pre‐heating and pre‐cooling application; an annual simulation

Thermoelectric (TE) modules are possible reversible pre‐cooling and pre‐heating devices for ventilation air in buildings. In this study, the opportunity of direct coupling of TE modules with photovoltaic (PV) cells is considered. This coupling is evaluated through a numerical simulation depending on the meteorological conditions of Chambéry, Alpine region in France, and on the cooling or heating use of the TE modules, through annual energy and exergy efficiencies. For the considered conditions, TE module performances are of the same order as the ones of the vapour compression heat pumps, with a TE coefficient of performance higher than 2 for low values of input DC current. The PV–TE coupling efficiency varies between 0.096 and 0.23 over the year, with an average value of 0.157. Evolutions of the exergy effectiveness of PV and TE elements follow the same trends as the corresponding energy efficiencies but with steeper variations for the coupling exergy yield that varies between 0.004 and 0.014, with an annual average value of 0.010. The direct PV–TE coupling does not seem to be a sustainable option for the summer cooling purpose particularly. A case study with indirect coupling under a warm climate is considered and shows that the use of TE devices could be efficient in housing to ensure summer thermal comfort, but the corresponding necessary PV area would induce a high investment. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Development process of solar photovoltaic system cooling technology

光伏系统在运行时,冷却太阳能光伏电池板使其达到更高的效率是一个关键因素。适当的冷却可以提高电力效率,并随着时间的推移降低电池退化的速度,从而使光伏组件的寿命最大化。综述了传统冷却技术中自然循环对流冷却、强制对流循环冷却和液冷技术,新型冷却技术浮动跟踪集中冷却系统、混合PV/T系统冷却、混合PV/TE系统采用散热器冷却以及通过使用相变材料来提高太阳能光伏电池板的性能。根据研究的重点、贡献和实际应用分析各技术的优缺点、适合应用的领域及各自技术的经济特点。未来的技术发展方向应是无论选择何种技术来冷却光伏板,都应该保持工作表面温度较低且稳定、简单可靠、能够利用提取的热能来提高整体的转换效率。     

A review for absorbtion and adsorbtion solar cooling systems in China

In the past decades, solar water collectors were installed for the main purpose of preheating domestic hot water or to cover a fraction of the space heating demand in China. However, solar cooling systems were constructed just for demonstration purposes. Since the building of the first solar-powered absorption cooling system in Shenzhen in 1987, there have been over 10 additional solar cooling demonstration projects constructed. In this paper, the most representative five projects including both absorption and adsorption cooling systems are introduced and summarized. From the demonstrations, solar absorption cooling systems have been shown to be more suitable for large building air-conditioning systems. Comparatively, solar adsorption cooling systems are more promising for small size air-conditioning systems. In order to attain high utilization ratio, it is highly recommended to design solar-powered integrated energy systems in public buildings. In addition, highly efficient heat pumps are considered as the most appropriate auxiliary heat sources for solar cooling systems, for the purpose of all-weather operation. In the 11th Five year research project (duration 2006–2010), solar cooling technologies will be further investigated to achieve a breaking through in the integration of solar cooling systems with buildings.     

Performance of the novel design thermoelectric cooling system

Thermoelectric coolers (TECs) have been used for cooling electrical elements of high dissipating energy to provide a fixed temperature, with the advantages of being reliable, noiseless, tightly packed, with no moving parts as well as no harmful gases. As high performance of TECs is required, developed emerging thermoelectric (TE) materials can be employed to enhance their performance. Hence, this study provides an experimental investigation to study the effect of different operational parameters on the performance of the TE cooling system including the system coefficient of performance (COP) and the rate of heat transfer. The parameters investigated are the applied input power, inlet working fluid velocity, and the arrangement of utilized TECs modules. The used test rig consists of two attached horizontal ducts, and the interface surface between them contains three TE modules, each of power 48 W. The applied input power and the working fluid flow rate range from 16 to 48 W and from 0.0025 to 0.01 L/min, respectively. Results show that the maximum COP occurs at lower values of applied input power. A noticeable enhancement in the COP is found when all TEC modules are in use. A new correlation of the COP of the TEC system is obtained.     

Demonstrating the benefits of thermoelectric-coupled solar PV system in microgrid challenging conventional integration issues of renewable resources

Incorporation of solar photovoltaic (SPV) and thermoelectric (TE), termed as solar photovoltaic-thermoelectric (SPV-TE) hybrid system, is found be a very promising technique in widening the utilization of solar spectrum and improving the power yield viably cum-proficiently. This hybrid architecture caters electrical energy with additional thermal energy, which signifies upon harnessing of solar insolation in an exceptional way. The implementation of the aforementioned system in microgrid (MG) leads to procurement of higher active power and comparably lesser reactive power to the system. Many nonconventional energy sources have been implemented for power generation in MG in spite of their instability and reconciliation issues. This article portrays upon the main concern of implementing only SPV-TE system in MG by considering two systems to analyze and compare. Those two systems, ie, SPV-wind energy system (SPV-WES)/fuel cell technology (FCT) and SPV-thermoelectric generator (SPV-TEG)-WES/FCT, were analyzed and validated over the employment of only the SPV-TEG system. For WES and FCT, the proposed system delivers higher active power near about 20% to 70% over the conventional MG and the TEG-integrated MG; 21% to 52% lesser reactive power is absorbed over the conventional MG and 7% to 17% higher reactive power is absorbed over the TEG-integrated MG. This, thus, brings about the lesser multifaceted nature in source incorporation and moderating the cons of coordinating WES and FCT, considering all its application. The proposed replaceable SPV-TEG framework in MG is observed to exceed expectations over the two frameworks offering ascend to a noteworthy leap forward in advancement of SPV. The whole system was studied, analyzed, and validated in MATLAB/Simulink environment.     

Comparative study of vapour compression,thermoelectric and absorption refrigerators

This paper investigates the performance characteristics of three domestic refrigerators, namely the vapour compression (VC), the thermoelectric (TE) and the absorption refrigeration (AR). AR and TE refrigerators are the result of research and development in refrigeration system in the quest to find a cooling system which does not use any refrigerant that damages the ozone layer. Three refrigerators of similar capacity (about 50 l) were compared for their usage in the hotel industry in view of their energy efficiency, noise produced and cost (owning as well as running). It was found that the VC refrigerator consumed the least energy, was least costly but was the noisiest. The absorption refrigerator was the quietest of the three but was the least energy efficient and most expensive. The thermoelectric refrigerator was the costliest, nearly as noisy as the VC but was a little less energy efficient than the absorption refrigerator. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Development of solar thermal technologies in China

Solar energy is receiving much more attention in building energy systems in recent years. Solar thermal utilization should be based on integration of solar collectors into buildings. The facades of buildings can be important solar collectors, and, therefore, become multifunctional. In addition, solar collectors can be used to enhance the appearance of the facade when considering their aesthetic compatibility. Currently, installation of collectors on the south tilted roofs, south walls, balconies or awnings of buildings are the feasible approaches for integration of solar collectors into buildings. The most well known solar energy demonstration projects in China are introduced in this paper, which cover different integrated approaches, and solar heating and cooling systems. In China's cities, the process of rebuilding apartment roofs from flat to inclined offers the ideal opportunity to carry out solar renovation in combination with roof-integrated collectors. It can be seen from the demonstration projects over the last twenty years, that, solar cooling systems were mainly used in public buildings for either absorption or adsorption. Besides, nearly all solar cooling systems are multifunctional. They have been used to supply heating and hot water in other seasons for the purpose of high solar fraction. In the 11th Five-year research project (duration 2006–2010), the government has encouraged solar energy researchers to study, develop, and break through the key technologies involved in the integration of solar thermal technologies with buildings.     

Optimization of multiple‐module thermoelectric coolers using artificial‐intelligence techniques

Genetic algorithm (GA) and simulated annealing (SA) methods were employed to optimize the current distribution of a cooler made up of a large number of thermoelectric (TE) modules. The TE modules were grouped into several clusters in the flow direction, and the electric currents supplied to different clusters were adjusted separately to achieve maximum energy efficiency or minimum refrigeration temperature for different operating conditions and cooling requirements. Optimization results based on the design parameters of a large TE cooler showed considerable improvements in energy efficiency and refrigeration temperature when compared to the results of uniform current for the parallel‐flow arrangement. On the other hand, results of the counter‐flow arrangement showed only slight differences between uniform‐ and non‐uniform‐current optimizations. The optimization results of GA and SA were very close to each other. SA converged faster and was more computationally economical than GA for TE system optimization. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Techno-economic performance analysis of solar cooling systems

Vapour absorption cooling systems, powered by solar thermal energy, are now commercially manufactured in sizes ranging from 1.5 to over 20 RT (one refrigeration ton = 3.51 kW of cooling). The needed thermal energy at appropriate temperature potential can either be provided by solar thermal collectors or else from a solar pond. The paper gives the assessment criteria and results for technical and economic evaluation of the performance of absorption chiller using a solar pond. These results, based on Kuwait's environmental data and costs, have been compared with three alternate cooling systems, namely:

• 1 Solar thermal collector absorption cooling system.
• 2 Solar photovoltaic cooling system.
• 3 Standard vapour compression cooling system.

The criteria, used for performance evaluation of the solar cooling systems on a technical basis, consists of assessing the extent to which such systems can make a positive contribution in a conserving fossil fuel. This is done by first estimating the total electrical energy needed by the standard system (defined in para. 3 above) to produce one unit of cooling output. Solar cooling systems are then analysed and compared with a standard system to establish their electrical energy saving or generation capability, after accounting for the parasitic electrical energy used in pump/fan motors and equivalent energy needed for the production of soft water (used-up in the cooling tower) from seawater desalination. The economic analysis considers the cost and life of subsystems and that of the electrical and water desalination plants to arrive at the unit cooling cost. The unit cooling is defined as the ratio of amortized capital investments plus operation and maintenance costs over the year and the total yearly cooling production by the system. The results show that the solar pond absorption cooling system is the closest competitor to the conventional cooling system.     

Review of passive solar heating and cooling technologies

Heating, ventilating, and air-conditioning (HVAC) are parts of the major energy consumption in a building. Conventional heating and cooling systems are having an impact on carbon dioxide emissions, as well as on security of energy supply. In this regard, one of the attempts taken by researchers is the development of solar heating and cooling technologies. The objective of this paper is to review the passive solar technologies for space heating and cooling. The reviews were discussed according to the working mechanisms, i.e. buoyancy and evaporative effects. The advantages, limitations and challenges of the technologies have been highlighted and the future research needs in these areas have also been suggested.     

Economic comparison of solar absorption and photovoltaic-assisted vapour compression cooling systems

When the solar absorption and vapour compression cooling systems are viewed from the point of view of electrical energy consumption the differences between them can be expressed in terms of electrical energy saving with the former. As such, it is proposed that an economic comparison between photovoltaic-assisted vapour compression and solar absorption cooling systems be conducted, assuming that the former receives an amount of solar electricity equal to the potential electrical energy saving with the latter. The comparison is conducted with particular emphasis on the operational conditions in Kuwait. Analysis has shown that the potential electrical energy saving with a solar absorption cooling system is equal to 16 per cent of its refrigeration generation. The cost of supplying an equal amount of solar electricity is compared with the difference between the life-time costs of a solar absorption system and an equivalent vapour compression system. The economic comparison is conducted on the basis of the difference between the net present values of both systems. Given the current cost estimates and the prevailing climatic conditions in Kuwait it is shown that photovoltaic-assisted vapour compression cooling systems are likely to compete with the solar absorption cooling systems. This is particularly true in such applications where cooling is required for few hours during the day, and as the cost of the photovoltaic system decreases.     

Perspectives of solar cooling in view of the developments in the air-conditioning sector

Changes in the standards of thermal comfort in the urban microclimate and in the capital cost of air-conditioning equipment have drastically increased the energy consumption in the building sector over the last decade. At the same time, the integration of renewable energy systems, mainly active solar ones, in buildings has been an area of intense research over the last 30 years. This has also been the case in the field of solar refrigeration, mainly in the field of sorption systems. The analysis discussed in the paper is focused on the state of the art of thermal solar systems use and on the possibilities of combining those with state of the art technologies in sorption refrigeration, in order to cover the cooling demand of residential and commercial buildings. This was done by assessing the available solar and refrigeration technologies as well as by highlighting the situation in the building market, as this is still the dominant factor for the propagation of such systems.     

一种多功能光伏发电系统的可行性研究

通过在光伏组件的背面连接了一个热电转换模块,形成一个光伏一热电混合模块,从而将光伏组件工作过程中产生的废热转换成电能的同时又降低了光伏组件的温度,进而提高了光电转换效率。将光伏一热电模块与百叶有效结合,从而实现了室内采光、通风及节约空间等多种功能。同时,为了提高光伏组件的入射太阳辐射,引入了可调节的抛物型双面聚焦板,减少了太阳能电池板的面积,从而减少了太阳能发电的成本。     

A review and new approach to minimize the cost of solar assisted absorption cooling system

Solar energy is an alternative energy source for cooling systems where electricity is demand or expensive. Many solar assisted cooling systems have been installed in different countries for domestic purpose. Many researches are going on to achieve economical and efficient thermal systems when compared with conventional systems. This paper reviews the past efforts of solar assisted-single effect vapour absorption cooling system using LiBr–H₂O mixture for residential buildings. Solar assisted single-effect absorption cooling systems were capable of working in the driving temperature range of 70–100 °C. In this system LiBr–H₂O are the major working pairs and has a higher COP than any other working fluids. Besides the review of the past theoretical and experimental investigations of solar single effect absorption cooling systems, some new ideas were introduced to minimize the capital and operational cost, to reduce heat loss from generator and thus to increase COP to get effective cooling.     

Performance comparison investigation on solar photovoltaic-thermoelectric generation and solar photovoltaic-thermoelectric cooling hybrid systems under different conditions

The performance of solar photovoltaic-thermoelectric generation hybrid system (PV-TGS) and solar photovoltaic-thermoelectric cooling hybrid system (PV-TCS) under different conditions were theoretically analysed and compared. To test the practicality of these two hybrid systems, the performance of stand-alone PV system was also studied. The results show that PV-TGS and PV-TCS in most cases will result in the system with a better performance than stand-alone PV system. The advantage of PV-TGS is emphasised in total output power and conversion efficiency which is even poorer in PV-TCS than that in stand-alone PV system at the ambient wind speed u_w being below 3 m/s. However, PV-TCS has obvious advantage on lowering the temperature of PV cell. There is an obvious increase in tendency on the performance of PV-TGS and PV-TCS when the cooling capacity of two hybrid systems varies from around 0.06 to 0.3?W/K. And it is also proved that not just a-Si in PV-TGS can produce a better performance than the stand-alone PV system alone at most cases.     

Energy balance of solar absorption and vapour compression cooling systems

Solar absorption cooling systems are viewed as potential alternatives to fossil-fuel-based conventional cooling systems. This view is investigated in this paper from the point of view of the energy balance of solar absorption and conventional systems. The paper investigates the primary energy needs of three cooling systems; dry and wet cooled vapour compression systems and wet cooled solar absorption. The sources of energy demand in the three systems are identified and their primary energy needs determined. The paper, then, investigates the conditions under which the energy inputs to the solar system breaks even with the other two systems. The investigation is conducted with particular reference to the operational and environmental conditions in Kuwait.     

Comparative study of different solar cooling systems for buildings in subtropical city

In recent years, more and more attention has been paid on the application potential of solar cooling for buildings. Due to the fact that the efficiency of solar collectors is generally low at the time being, the effectiveness of solar cooling would be closely related to the availability of solar irradiation, climatic conditions and geographical location of a place. In this paper, five types of solar cooling systems were involved in a comparative study for subtropical city, which is commonly featured with long hot and humid summer. The solar cooling systems included the solar electric compression refrigeration, solar mechanical compression refrigeration, solar absorption refrigeration, solar adsorption refrigeration and solar solid desiccant cooling. Component-based simulation models of these systems were developed, and their performances were evaluated throughout a year. The key performance indicators are solar fraction, coefficient of performance, solar thermal gain, and primary energy consumption. In addition, different installation strategies and types of solar collectors were compared for each kind of solar cooling system. Through this comparative study, it was found that solar electric compression refrigeration and solar absorption refrigeration had the highest energy saving potential in the subtropical Hong Kong. The former is to make use of the solar electric gain, while the latter is to adopt the solar thermal gain. These two solar cooling systems would have even better performances through the continual advancement of the solar collectors. It will provide a promising application potential of solar cooling for buildings in the subtropical region.     

A review on the performance of photovoltaic/thermoelectric hybrid generators

Utilization of a broad range of solar spectrum has the potential for high power output from solar cells. However, solar photovoltaics (PVs) can convert only part of the solar electromagnetic spectrum into electricity efficiently. The remaining of the solar radiation is often dissipated in the form of heat, which causes performance reduction and reduces the life expectancy of the solar PV cell. Thermoelectric generators (TEGs) are devices that operate like a heat engine by converting thermal energy into electricity through thermoelectric effect. Integrating a TEG into a PV converter will enhance its efficiency and reduce the amount of heat dissipated. Different studies have been carried out and are still taking place to increase the total efficiency of a coupled photovoltaic thermoelectric generator (PV-TEG) system. This review discusses the concept of PV converters and thermoelectric devices and presents the various models and numerical and experimental investigations on performance enhancement of integrated PV-TEGs. The influence of key parameters on the performance of PV-TEG were also discussed. The review is expected to serve as a reference to recent work on research and development of integrated PV-TEG systems.