A comprehensive review of solar thermoelectric cooling systems

Abstract

Summary The negative environmental impacts of burning fossil fuels have forced the energy research community seriously to consider renewable sources, such as naturally available solar energy. This paper provides an overview of solar thermoelectric (TE) cooling systems. Thus, this review presents the details referring to TE cooling parameters and formulations of the performance indicators and focuses on the development of TE cooling systems in recent decade with particular attention on advances in materials and modeling and design approaches. Additionally, the TE cooling applications have been also reviewed in aspects of electronic cooling, domestic refrigeration, air conditioning, and power generation. Finally, the possibility of solar TE cooling technologies application in “nearly zero” energy buildings is briefly discussed, and some future research directions are included. This research shows that TE cooling systems have advantages over conventional cooling devices, including compact in size, light in weight, high reliability, no mechanical moving parts, no working fluid, being powered by direct current, and easily switching between cooling and heating modes.

Promising and Eco‐Friendly Cu2X‐Based Thermoelectric Materials: Progress and Applications

“…The practical applications of thermoelectric materials are highly limited by both their efficiency and cost . Figure c,d shows the calculated maximum energy conversion efficiency (η max ) of Cu 2 X‐based thermoelectric materials (applied as power generators) estimated from peak zT values at corresponding temperatures and the estimated material costs . As can be seen, Cu 2 Se‐based thermoelectric materials possess highest zT values and subsequently highest η max , as well as intermediate material cost .…”

“…b) Peak zT values of state‐of‐the‐art Cu 2 X‐based thermoelectric materials and their derivatives as a function of publication year. c) Maximum energy conversion efficiency (η max , estimated from peak zT values and corresponding T ) and d) material costs (in the unit of US$ kg −1 ) of Cu 2 Te, Cu 2 Se and Cu 2 S‐based thermoelectric materials, respectively …”

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“…Perez‐Mora et al summarized the literature available on solar district heating along with identifying the technical and economic issues in its widespread application . Sarbu and Dorca provided an overview of the solar thermoelectric (TE) cooling systems in terms of its available performance indicators, recent advances in its development, and its advantages over the conventional cooling systems . Purohit, Singh, and Mamodiya provided a brief general overview of the solar energy system as a whole and discussed the steps required to calculate the size of the solar system .…”

Energy Applications of Magnetocaloric Materials

“…This technology also performs work without moving parts, but suffers from a very low energy efficiency . It is, therefore, only suitable for specific markets and applications, especially for the cooling of electronics . Also worth mentioning here is thermoacoustic refrigeration, which again operates without moving parts .…”