Materials Science in Semiconductor Processing 107 (2020) 104782

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Materials Science in Semiconductor Processing

journal homepage: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/mssp

Concentrated solar thermal energy harvesting using Bi2Te3based

thermoelectric generator
Y. Jeyashree a, *, Y. Sukhi b, A. Vimala Juliet c, S. Lourdu Jame a, S. Indirani c
a
Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, SRM Instituteof Science and Technology, Kattankulathur, Tamilnadu, 603203, India
b
Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, RMK Engineering College, Kavaraipettai, Tamil nadu, 601206, India
c
Department of Electronics and Instrumentation Engineering, SRM Instituteof Science and Technology, Kattankulathur, Tamilnadu, 603203, India

A R T I C L E I N F O A B S T R A C T

Keywords: This paper presents the harvesting of concentrated solar thermal energy using Bismuth telluride (Bi2Te3) based
Thermoelectric generator thermoelectric generator. An experimental setup was made which consist of Fresnel lens which concentrates the
Phase change material solar thermal energy and makes to fall on the 4 � 4 cm2 Bi2Te3 based thermoelectric generator hot side.
Thermal conductivity
Aluminum fins are provided on the other side of TEG. Openings are filled with nanoAl2O3 -OM35PCM composite
Latent heat
Temperature difference
material. PCM is mixed with nanoparticles to increase the thermal conductivity of PCM. Due to the temperature
Voltage generation difference between the hot and the cold side of TEG,a voltage is generated. A greatest of 0.615 V is generated
with a hot side temperature of 140 � C and cold side temperature of 44 � C in the day time. The maximum current
developed by a single TEG is about 84.9 mA in the day time. During the day time, the Nano-PCM mixture changes
its phase from solid to liquid and stores heat energy. During the night, heat energy stored in the nano-PCM
mixture releases and its phase changes from liquid to solid. During this process, it will create a temperature
difference between the top side and bottom side of the TEG resulting voltage across the TEG. The maximum
voltage generated during the night is 89 mV. Thus day and night energy harvesting are obtained using ther­
moelectric and latent heat effects.

1. Introduction
In recent times, environmental issues have been increased due to rise
in emissions causing global warming. Due to the exhaust of fossil fuels,
research is going on for the innovative technologies on the green source
of energy. Electrical energy is one of the main requirements for the
present-day living but due to insufficient production of electrical energy
frequent power cuts are being experienced. With the increasing
advancement in science and technology, thermoelectric generators have
emerged as a promising alternative for the generation of clean and pure
energy [1–4]. Bismuth Telluride Bi2Te3 is the conventional, commercial
and predominant thermoelectric material. They exhibit an excellent
thermoelectric performance near room temperature [2,5]. Various
studies show that the mechanical and thermoelectric properties of
Bi2Te3 can be improved. The maximum ZT value was 0.78 at 480 K for
ultrasonic-assisted hot pressing Bi2Te3 material [5]. Microstructured
Bi2Te3 based thermoelectric thin films are fabricated for the optimiza­
tion of performance [2]. An experimental setup with nine,
40 mm � 40 mm thermoelectric module was made. Capric acid was used
as the phase change material (PCM) [6]. The PCM absorbs heat from the
cold side of TEG and melts at 30.5 � C. Its latent heat is 159 kJ/kg. The
thermal and electrical characteristics were determined. The temperature
at the cold side remains almost constant, which proves that PCM can be
used as the heat sink and heat source. Optimization of thermoelectric
generator for heavy-duty vehicles is achieved by optimizing the heat
exchanger and thermoelectric generator simultaneously with power
output as the objective function. The maximum power output cannot be
achieved by independent optimization of thermoelectric generator and
heat exchanger [13]. The solar thermoelectric performance is enhanced
with combined solar concentration and carbon nanotube absorber. The
photothermal conversion efficiency is increased by adding fabricated
Carbon Nano Tube (CNT) solar absorbing substrate on the hot side of
Bi2Te3 based TE module. To improve the performance, a Fresnel lens is
mounted on the top of the TEG module. Thus the hot side temperature is
enhanced by the combination of Fresnel lens and CNT based solar
absorber [14]. High performance terrestrial solar thermoelectric gen­
erators without optical concentration for residential and commercial
rooftops are designed. The high efficiency is obtained by using

* Corresponding author.
E-mail addresses: jeyashry@srmist.edu.in (Y. Jeyashree), ysi.eee@rmkec.ac.in (Y. Sukhi).

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mssp.2019.104782
Received 15 March 2019; Received in revised form 20 September 2019; Accepted 11 October 2019
Available online 2 November 2019
1369-8001/© 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Y. Jeyashree et al. Materials Science in Semiconductor Processing 107 (2020) 104782

high-performance Bi2Te3 based thermoelectric material. High perfor­

mance wavelength-selective solar absorber increases the hot side tem­
perature without optical concentration. The concentration of heat at the
hot side is further enhanced with high thermally conductive super­
conducting substrate. The peak efficiency of the system is 7.17% at solar
irradiance of 1032 W/m2 [15].
The present research aimed to evaluate the energy harvested by solar
energy-based thermoelectric generator. At the cool side of TEG phase
change materials are used. These materials absorb a large amount of
heat at nearly constant temperature (the latent heat of melting). The
heat accumulated in the PCM can be used for heating of TEG during the
night time.

2. Experimental setup

An experimental thermoelectric generator was made with single

thermoelectric module [Model No.: TEC1-12706] with dimensions of
Fig. 2. View of pyranometer.
40 mm � 40 mm. To one side of the TEG, Al heat sink is attached, which
act as the top cover for the PCM container. The other sides of the
container are made of 3 mm transparent acrylic sheet. After filling with Intensityoflightinthereflector � reflectorarea
the PCM nano composite, the container is closed. Sealing is done by the Intensity of light in absorber ¼
Absorberarea
use of superglue called anabond, which binds the sealing tightly. Fig. 1
54:64 � 35 � 25
shows the schematic diagram of the experimental setup. ¼
4�4
Solar radiation is used as the heat source. The solar radiation is
¼ 2988:152W
focussed using the Fresnel lens. Solar radiations are measured using the
pyranometer. Fig. 2 shows the view of pyranometer.
Measured the global radiation for a day in the month of April 2019 at 2.1. Materials
12noon is 690.1 W/m2. Measured the diffused radiation for the same
day in the month of April 2019 at 12noon is65.64 W/m2. 2.1.1. Al2O3 nano particle
Direct radiation ​ ¼ ​ Global radiation Diffused radiation Al2 O3, Aluminium Oxide nano particles were purchased from Sisco
¼ 690:1 65:64 ​ Research Laboratories Pvt. Ltd. Chennai Depot.
¼ 624:46 ​ W=m2 Properties of aluminium Oxide nanoparticle.

ReflectorArea 1. Thermal conductivity (W/mK) 25

Concentration ratio of the lens CR ¼
AbsorberArea 2. Density (kg/m3) 3.72
½35 � 25� 3. Heat capacity at constant pressure (kJ/kgK)-880
CR ¼
½4 � 4�
CR ¼ 54:688 There are many more better nanoparticles which provide better re­
sults than aluminum oxide such as carbon nanotubes. These carbon
Intensity of light in the reflector ¼ Direct radiation � Reflector area ​ nanotubes are anisotropic materials which have exceptional thermal
¼ 624:46 � 0:35 � 0:25 conductivity properties but are too costly to perform the experimental
¼ 54:64W study. But many experimental studies on carbon have already been
performed and gave out remarkable results. The thermal conductivity of
water added with chemically functionalized graphene nanoplatelets was
experimentally measured by transient hot-wire method. The volume
percentage of nanocomposite is varied from 0.1% to 0.5% with a step
value of 0.1%. Thermal conductivity was increased by 24% for 0.5%

Fig. 1. A schematic diagram of the experimental set-up; 1-thermoelectric module,2-Top side,3-Bottom side 4-internal fins,5-PCM container,A-ampere meter,V-
voltmeter,R-external load.

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Y. Jeyashree et al. Materials Science in Semiconductor Processing 107 (2020) 104782

volume percentage in the liquid state and 53% enhancement in the solid-
state. The freezing rate was increased by 43%, and the melting rate was
enhanced by 63% [7].
The heat flow and temperature graph with respect to time are taken
using Differential Scanning Calorimeter [NET2SCH DSC 214 Polyma
DSC21400A-0910-L] for Al2O3 nanoparticle. This is given in Fig. 3.

2.1.2. Phase changing material OM35

Phase changing material is a substance with the high latent heat of
fusion and undergoes phase change at specific temperature. Under phase
change conditions, it is capable of storing and releasing a large amount
of heat at a constant temperature. Hence phase-changing materials are
called to be latent heat storage substances (LHS). The main difference
between phase-changing materials and the conventional heat storage
devices like water is that the melting temperature of the phase changing
material lies within the working range condition [8,9].
Generally melting and solidification occurs at a constant tempera­
ture. Fig. 4 shows the variations in phase change under different tem­
perature conditions. Heat stored in the PCM can be evaluated using
equation (1)
Z Tm Z Tf
Q¼ ms Cps dT þ mΔh þ ml Cpl dT (1)
Ti Tm
Fig. 4. Temperature variations in phase change material.
latent heat increases the energy storage density considerably while the
volume changes are handled easily [10].
In the proposed model, OM35 is used as a phase-changing material.
The reason behind the choice of OM35 is that it is economically available
and can yield better results in the small-scale applications. OM 35 was
purchased from Pluss Polymers Pvt. Ltd Haryana (India).
Technical specifications and its properties are below mentioned
[11]:
Technical specifications.

where, m is the mass of PCM, Ti is the initial temperature, Tm is phase

1 Series: OM 35
change temperature, Tf being final temperature of PCM and Δℎ is the
2 Description: Mixture of Organic materials
latent heat.
3 Appearance: White waxy flakes/Solid (below 35 � C).
Solid-liquid phase change has high latent heat of fusion, but the
volume changes are approximately 10%. Solid-gas and liquid-gas have
Properties.
the highest latent heat of fusion and have high volume changes. In
technical applications, liquid-gas PCM’s are preferably used as their
1. Melting Temp (� C) 37.0

Fig. 3. DSC curve of Al2O3.

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Y. Jeyashree et al. Materials Science in Semiconductor Processing 107 (2020) 104782

2. Freezing Temp (� C) 35.0 proportions and of higher thermal conductivity than phase-changing
3. Latent Heat (kJ/kg) 197 material, then it absorbs a more significant amount of heat as
4. Liquid Density (kg/m3) 870 compared to single phase-changing material.
5. Solid Density (kg/m3) 900 The proposed module considering economic aspect aluminum oxide
6. Solid Specific Heat (kJ/kgK) 2.57 is used as Nano-particle to mix with phase changing material. Thermal
7. Liquid Thermal Conductivity (W/mK) 0.16 conductivity of aluminum oxide is considerably large enough than
8. Solid Thermal Conductivity (W/mK) 0.20 phase-changing material, thereby providing better yield. The heat flow
9. Base Material -Organic and temperature graph with respect to time for PCM OM35 with Al2O3
10. Congruent Melting -Yes nanocomposite are taken using Differential Scanning Calorimeter
11. Flammability -No [NET2SCH DSC 214 Polyma DSC21400A-0910-L] and is shown in Fig. 6.
12. Thermal Stability (Cycles) ~2000
13. Maximum Operating Temperature (� C) 120 3. Hardware design
14. Flash Point (� C) 200
The frame of the setup as shown in Fig. 7 is made up of UPVC pipes
The heat flow and temperature graph with respect to time for PCM which are used for supporting the lens, at the same times frame is
OM35 is taken using Differential Scanning Calorimeter [NET2SCH DSC vertically adjustable to focus the lens at different vertical positions. At
214 Polyma DSC21400A-0910-L] and is shown in Fig. 5. the bottom end of the frame, wooden plank is fixed with L type clamps so
that it can provide the base for the temperature monitor system and the
PCM filled aluminum slot box. In the proposed model considering the
2.2. Preparation of mixture of OM35 and aluminium oxide nanoparticles economic constraints, aluminum oxide is used as a Nanoparticle to mix
with the phase changing material. OM35 an organic phase-changing
Add 100 gm of OM35 in a clean beaker and heat it in an oven at 55 � C material is mixed with nanoparticles in proper proportions. The
for two and a half hour till it melts completely. Taking 5% weight of mixture is prepared and entirely filled in the slots of the aluminum box
OM35 as the weight aluminum oxide nanoparticle add 5 gm of aluminum without any air spaces left and sealed with 3 mm transparent acrylic
oxide nanoparticle to the molten OM35. For forming mixture, magnetic sheet so that there wouldn’t be any leakages. Sealing is done by the use
stirrer is used. The magnetic stirrer is stirred at 1500 rpm for 1 h for the of superglue called anabond, which binds the sealing tightly. Trans­
proper dispersion of aluminum oxide nanoparticle in OM35. After mix­ parent acrylic sheet is used so that phase change in the material can be
ing, the fluid was sonicated using a bath sonicator (PCi ANALYTICS, seen properly. Three thermocouples are connected one to find out the
Maharashtra, India)or 2 h to enhance the stability. The nano-particles cold side temperature, the second one for the phase changing temper­
which have higher thermal conductivity materials are mixed with the ature, and the last one is connected to find out hot side temperature.
phase changing material in order to increase the performance charac­ These connected thermocouples are connected to the temperature
teristics as well as stabilization of the material. When in proper

Fig. 5. DSC curve of PCM OM35.

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Y. Jeyashree et al. Materials Science in Semiconductor Processing 107 (2020) 104782

Fig. 6. DCS Curve of PCM with nano composite.

Qmax:92W
Internal resistance:1.98Ω.
Thot: 300 � C.
Tcold: 30 � C.
Dimensions:40 mm � 40 mm � 3.6 mm.

3.2. Thermocouple

Thermocouples are essentially temperature sensors used for tem­

perature measurement. Fig. 8 shows the Wire based thermocouple.

3.3. Temperature monitor system

Fig. 7. Hardware design.
monitor system across three different channels to monitor the temper­
ature at that position through the display. Voltage is developed
accordingly based on the temperature difference created across the TEG.
Thermocouples are connected to the temperature monitor system
input port. The temperature of the different port are displayed on the
display. A nob is used to select the port. Fig. 9 shows the temperature
monitoring system used.
4. Experimental results

3.1. Technical specification of Teg Experimentally analysis is performed day and night to find out the
voltage developed when exposed to a temperature gradient. Day time
Model No.:TEC1-12706. and night analysis are carried out separately; subsequently, the nano-
Voltage:12 V PCM mixture undergoes frequent phase changes during which it stores
Vmax: 15.4 V and releases the energy during phase change. During this process, it will
Imax:6A create a temperature difference between the top side and bottom side of

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Y. Jeyashree et al.
Fig. 8. Wire based thermocouple.
Fig. 9. Temperature Monitoring system.
the TEG resulting voltage across the TEG. Fig. 10 shows the hot side
temperature, cold side temperature, PCM temperature, and the tem­
perature difference between the hot and cold side during the day time.
Fig. 11 shows the generated voltage during day time. Fig. 12 shows the
generated voltage during night time. Thus the stored energy in the PCM
is used for power generation in the night.
5. Application analysis
Considering a 76.5 Watt LED street light bulb. To power that these
Fig. 10. Temperature variations during the day time.
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Materials Science in Semiconductor Processing 107 (2020) 104782
Fig. 11. Voltage variations during the day time.
Fig. 12. Voltage variations during the night time.
TEG’s can be connected in series and parallel to control a single unit LED
street light bulb.
Generally, for a 76.5 W LED street light bulb 9 LED’s are connected in
series like such eight parallel paths are considered. Each LED has a
voltage rating of 3 V and a current rating of 700 mA. When the LED’s are
connected in such series and parallel combination total current equals to
(700 mA x 8 (parallel paths) ¼ 5600 mA) and the voltage is equal to (3 V
x 9 (series) ¼ 27 V).
Hence the total voltage of the combination is 27 V, from the table
mentioned above we can see that a single TEG can harvest a maximum
voltage of 0.615 V. To generate a voltage of 27 V, we require 44 TEG in
series.
Similarly, the total current through the combination is 5600 mA, and
the maximum current developed by a single TEG is about 84.9 mA hence
66 TEG parallel paths are required to produce 5600 mA current.
For increasing the voltage when 44 TEGs are connected in series and
the voltage produced is 44 times the voltage produced by a single TEG.
For increasing the current when 66 TEGs are connected in parallel and
the current produced is 66 times the current produced by a single TEG.
The power generated by 44 TEGs in series and 66 TEGs in parallel is
obtained by multiplying both voltage and current. Fig. 13 shows the
voltage calculated for 44 TEGs connected in series for the day time.
Fig. 14 shows the current calculated for 66 parallel paths of TEGs for the
day time. Fig. 15 shows the power calculated for 44 TEGs connected in
series with 66 parallel path of TEGs for the day time. Fig. 16 shows the
voltage calculated for 44 TEGs connected in series for the night time.
Fig. 17 shows the current calculated for 66 parallel path of TEGs for the
night time. Fig. 18 shows the power calculated for 44 TEGs connected in
series with 66 parallel path of TEGs for the night time.
Y. Jeyashree et al.
Fig. 13. Voltage calculated for 44 TEGs connected in series for the day time.
Fig. 14. Current calculated for 66 parallel path of TEGs for the day time.
Fig. 15. Power calculated for 44 TEGs connected in series with 66 parallel path
of TEGs for the day time.
Fig. 16. Voltage calculated for 44 TEGs connected in series for the night time.
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Materials Science in Semiconductor Processing 107 (2020) 104782
Fig. 17. Current calculated for 66 parallel path of TEGs for the night time.
Fig. 18. Power calculated for 44 TEGs connected in series with 66 parallel path
of TEGs for the night time.
The total energy calculated for the day is 744.3 Wh for the 5 h
30 min. We are considering the energy produced for the remaining 6 h
30 min as 13 Wh, the total energy produced for the day is757.3 Wh. The
total energy calculated for the night is 22.86 Wh for the 4 h 30 min. We
are considering the energy produced for the remaining 7 h 30 min as
7.5 Wh, the total energy produced for the day is30.36 Wh. This varying
power can be connected with the converter with the smoothening
inductor to charge the battery with the load specifications [12].
In the proposed module, TEG of dimensions (4cmx4cm) is used.
Considering 1 cm spacing between each TEG when the TEG’s are con­
nected 44 in series and 66 in parallel, then the total dimension of the
series combination will be (330cmx220cm). Hence TEG’s combination
of sizes (330 cmx220cm) can power up to 76.5W.
When considered normal LED street light of 70W rating and di­
mensions of (410cmx233cm) can be easily powered day and night
efficiently by the TEG module of power rating 76.5W and sizes of
(330 � 220).
6. Conclusion
The thermoelectric system employing thermoelectric generators in­
tegrated with phase changing material can harness voltage. The pro­
posed method has been successfully designed, implemented, and
experimentally tested for the results. The proposed system can harness
the voltage when it is exposed to a temperature gradient across the TEG.
It is able to harvest both day and night energy by the use of Phase
changing material along with aluminum oxide Nanopowder, which
helps in stabilization of properties of Phase changing material. The
proposed system can harvest a maximum voltage of 0.615 V when such
TEG’s are connected in series and parallel combination it can power a
normal LED street light of 70W rating day and night efficiently.
Y. Jeyashree et al.
Declaration of competing interest
The authors declares no conflict of interest in this manuscript.
Appendix A. Supplementary data
Supplementary data to this article can be found online at https://doi.
org/10.1016/j.mssp.2019.104782.
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