A two-stage solar collector using a non-tracking conical concentrator and a glass lens for PV-TEG hybrid system

Abstract

In this paper, a newly designed two-stage solar collector using a non-tracking conical concentrator and a glass lens has been demonstrated for the application in hybrid photo-thermo-electric system (HPTES). The revealed two-stage solar collector system is very simple as well as economical with respect to the solar concentrators which have complicated lens and parabolic concentrators. The thermal efficiency of the hybrid solar concentrators was found to be 52.1?62.5%. The concentration ratio of the designed conical concentrator was 4. The HSPTES was fabricated by attaching the thermo-electric device to the bottom of the solar cell using a thermally conductive material. The dimensions of the photovoltaic cell and thermo-electric generator were 77�mm (diameter) and 40�mm�נ40�mm�נ4�mm, respectively. The photo-thermo-electric properties of the HPTES were investigated under the illumination intensity in the range of 45�90�mW/cm2.