Article: High-performance flat-panel solar thermoelectric generators with high thermal concentration
| Title | High-performance flat-panel solar thermoelectric generators with high thermal concentration | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Authors | Kraemer, D2 Poudel, B1 Feng, HP2 Caylor, JC1 Yu, B4 Yan, X4 Ma, Y4 Wang, X4 Wang, D4 Muto, A2 McEnaney, K2 Chiesa, M2 3 Ren, Z4 Chen, G2 | ||||||
| Keywords | Best value Electric power Flat panel High thermal Innovative design Nano-structured Optical concentrators Peak efficiency Solar thermal Solar thermal electricity Solar thermal power generation Thermoelectric generators Thermoelectric material Design Electric generators Electric power generation Heat engines Photovoltaic cells Photovoltaic effects Power quality Solar energy Solar equipment Solar heating Solar power generation Thermoelectric equipment Thermoelectricity Solar absorbers | ||||||
| Issue Date | 2011 | ||||||
| Publisher | Nature Publishing Group. The Journal's web site is located at http://www.nature.com/nmat/ | ||||||
| Citation | Nature Materials, 2011, v. 10 n. 7, p. 532-538 [How to Cite?] DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/nmat3013 | ||||||
| Abstract | The conversion of sunlight into electricity has been dominated by photovoltaic and solar thermal power generation. Photovoltaic cells are deployed widely, mostly as flat panels, whereas solar thermal electricity generation relying on optical concentrators and mechanical heat engines is only seen in large-scale power plants. Here we demonstrate a promising flat-panel solar thermal to electric power conversion technology based on the Seebeck effect and high thermal concentration, thus enabling wider applications. The developed solar thermoelectric generators (STEGs) achieved a peak efficiency of 4.6% under AM1.5G (1kW m -2) conditions. The efficiency is 7-8 times higher than the previously reported best value for a flat-panel STEG, and is enabled by the use of high-performance nanostructured thermoelectric materials and spectrally-selective solar absorbers in an innovative design that exploits high thermal concentration in an evacuated environment. Our work opens up a promising new approach which has the potential to achieve cost-effective conversion of solar energy into electricity. © 2011 Macmillan Publishers Limited. All rights reserved. | ||||||
| ISSN | 1476-1122 2011 Impact Factor: 32.841 2011 SCImago Journal Rankings: 4.559 | ||||||
| DOI | http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/nmat3013 | ||||||
| ISI Accession Number ID | WOS:000291969500019
Funding Information: This is material is partially based on work supported as part of the 'Solid State Solar-Thermal Energy Conversion Center (S3TEC)', an Energy Frontier Research Center funded by the US Department of Energy, Office of Science, Office of Basic Energy Sciences under Award Number: DE-SC0001299/DE-FG02-09ER46577 (G.C. and Z.F.R) and MIT-Masdar Program (G.C. and M.C.). | ||||||
| References | References in Scopus |
| dc.contributor.author | Kraemer, D | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| dc.contributor.author | Poudel, B | ||||||
| dc.contributor.author | Feng, HP | ||||||
| dc.contributor.author | Caylor, JC | ||||||
| dc.contributor.author | Yu, B | ||||||
| dc.contributor.author | Yan, X | ||||||
| dc.contributor.author | Ma, Y | ||||||
| dc.contributor.author | Wang, X | ||||||
| dc.contributor.author | Wang, D | ||||||
| dc.contributor.author | Muto, A | ||||||
| dc.contributor.author | McEnaney, K | ||||||
| dc.contributor.author | Chiesa, M | ||||||
| dc.contributor.author | Ren, Z | ||||||
| dc.contributor.author | Chen, G | ||||||
| dc.date.accessioned | 2011-10-10T06:39:43Z | ||||||
| dc.date.available | 2011-10-10T06:39:43Z | ||||||
| dc.date.issued | 2011 | ||||||
| dc.description.abstract | The conversion of sunlight into electricity has been dominated by photovoltaic and solar thermal power generation. Photovoltaic cells are deployed widely, mostly as flat panels, whereas solar thermal electricity generation relying on optical concentrators and mechanical heat engines is only seen in large-scale power plants. Here we demonstrate a promising flat-panel solar thermal to electric power conversion technology based on the Seebeck effect and high thermal concentration, thus enabling wider applications. The developed solar thermoelectric generators (STEGs) achieved a peak efficiency of 4.6% under AM1.5G (1kW m -2) conditions. The efficiency is 7-8 times higher than the previously reported best value for a flat-panel STEG, and is enabled by the use of high-performance nanostructured thermoelectric materials and spectrally-selective solar absorbers in an innovative design that exploits high thermal concentration in an evacuated environment. Our work opens up a promising new approach which has the potential to achieve cost-effective conversion of solar energy into electricity. © 2011 Macmillan Publishers Limited. All rights reserved. | ||||||
| dc.description.nature | Link_to_subscribed_fulltext | ||||||
| dc.identifier.citation | Nature Materials, 2011, v. 10 n. 7, p. 532-538 [How to Cite?] DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/nmat3013 | ||||||
| dc.identifier.citeulike | 9384093 | ||||||
| dc.identifier.doi | http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/nmat3013 | ||||||
| dc.identifier.epage | 538 | ||||||
| dc.identifier.isi | WOS:000291969500019
Funding Information: This is material is partially based on work supported as part of the 'Solid State Solar-Thermal Energy Conversion Center (S3TEC)', an Energy Frontier Research Center funded by the US Department of Energy, Office of Science, Office of Basic Energy Sciences under Award Number: DE-SC0001299/DE-FG02-09ER46577 (G.C. and Z.F.R) and MIT-Masdar Program (G.C. and M.C.). | ||||||
| dc.identifier.issn | 1476-1122 2011 Impact Factor: 32.841 2011 SCImago Journal Rankings: 4.559 | ||||||
| dc.identifier.issue | 7 | ||||||
| dc.identifier.scopus | eid_2-s2.0-79959500503 | ||||||
| dc.identifier.spage | 532 | ||||||
| dc.identifier.uri | http://hdl.handle.net/10722/142038 | ||||||
| dc.identifier.volume | 10 | ||||||
| dc.publisher | Nature Publishing Group. The Journal's web site is located at http://www.nature.com/nmat/ | ||||||
| dc.publisher.place | United Kingdom | ||||||
| dc.relation.ispartof | Nature Materials | ||||||
| dc.relation.references | References in Scopus | ||||||
| dc.subject | Best value | ||||||
| dc.subject | Electric power | ||||||
| dc.subject | Flat panel | ||||||
| dc.subject | High thermal | ||||||
| dc.subject | Innovative design | ||||||
| dc.subject | Nano-structured | ||||||
| dc.subject | Optical concentrators | ||||||
| dc.subject | Peak efficiency | ||||||
| dc.subject | Solar thermal | ||||||
| dc.subject | Solar thermal electricity | ||||||
| dc.subject | Solar thermal power generation | ||||||
| dc.subject | Thermoelectric generators | ||||||
| dc.subject | Thermoelectric material | ||||||
| dc.subject | Design | ||||||
| dc.subject | Electric generators | ||||||
| dc.subject | Electric power generation | ||||||
| dc.subject | Heat engines | ||||||
| dc.subject | Photovoltaic cells | ||||||
| dc.subject | Photovoltaic effects | ||||||
| dc.subject | Power quality | ||||||
| dc.subject | Solar energy | ||||||
| dc.subject | Solar equipment | ||||||
| dc.subject | Solar heating | ||||||
| dc.subject | Solar power generation | ||||||
| dc.subject | Thermoelectric equipment | ||||||
| dc.subject | Thermoelectricity | ||||||
| dc.subject | Solar absorbers | ||||||
| dc.title | High-performance flat-panel solar thermoelectric generators with high thermal concentration | ||||||
| dc.type | Article |
Author Affiliations
- GMZ Energy, Inc.
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology
- Masdar Institute of Science and Technology
- Boston College