A PV-Powered TE Cooling System with Heat Recovery: Energy Balance and Environmental Impact Indicators
Abstract
:1. Introduction
2. Materials and Methods
- Stage 1: The thermoelectric cooling system without heat recovery; the TE module was powered by a PV system including a PV panel, solar battery and charge controller;
- Stage 2: The thermoelectric cooling system with heat recovery; the TE module was powered by a laboratory AC/DC power supply within the power comparable to the low solar irradiance conditions;
- Stage 3: The thermoelectric cooling system with heat recovery; the TE module was powered by a solar battery.
2.1. Experimental Room
2.2. Heat Exchangers and Power Supply
2.3. Characteristics of the Measurement and Recording Systems
2.4. Statistical Processing of Data
2.5. Life Cycle Assessment of TE Cooling and Heating System
- Scenario I: 10 years of system operation, 3 working hours each day, direct PV supply
- Scenario II: 10 years of system operation, 3 working hours each day, 50% solar battery discharge, 50% direct PV supply
- Scenario III: 10 years of system operation, 3 working hours each day, electrical grid supply
- Scenario IV: 10 years of system operation, 4 working hours each day, direct PV supply
- Scenario V: 10 years of system operation, 4 working hours each day, 50% solar battery discharge, 50% direct PV supply
- Scenario VI: 10 years of system operation, 4 working hours each day, electrical grid supply
3. Results
3.1. Stage 1: TE Cooling System with Heat Dissipation Powered by PV
3.1.1. Power Supply Data
3.1.2. Temperature Performance
3.2. Stage 2: TE Cooling System with Heat Recovery Powered by PV
3.2.1. Power Supply Data
3.2.2. Temperature Performance
3.3. Stage 3: TE Cooling System with Heat Recovery Powered by Solar Battery
3.3.1. Power Supply Data
3.3.2. Temperature Performance
3.4. Statistical Processing of Data
3.4.1. Air Temperature inside the Experimental Room
3.4.2. Water Temperature inside the Tank
3.4.3. Power Supply Data
3.5. Life Cycle Assessment
4. Discussion
5. Conclusions
- 1)
- The TE modules can be successfully used for the cooling and heating purposes, with the possibility using the supply energy generated by photovoltaic modules.
- 2)
- The utilization of a PV panel, charge controller and solar battery allows keeping the supply parameters at the level required for a constant operation of the TE modules without the significant decrease in the temperature characteristics.
- 3)
- The range of supply parameter change, tested for various solar irradiance, did not affect the main functions of the tested system.
- 4)
- Within the lower supply parameters, the cooling effect of the tested system increased, while the rise of supply power caused higher temperature values at hot side of the module and increased the heating effect.
- 5)
- The COP values calculated for the tested modifications of system range from 0.055 to 1.3, which is mostly related to the change of the TE module hot side cooling; within the use of water heat exchanger, it is possible to obtain a significantly improved performance.
- 6)
- The greenhouse gas emission measured by GWP 100a indicator ranged from 0.234 to 15.277 gCO2eq/Wh, depending on the analyzed system modification, electricity source and life cycle scenario. The lowest value of the impact indicator is connected with the scenario of TE cooling system with heat recovery supplied by the direct PV panel operation.
Author Contributions
Funding
Acknowledgments
Conflicts of Interest
Appendix A
- 1)
- Production, including processed characterized in lines 1–9 in Table A1
- 2)
- Operation, including line 11
- 3)
- Final disposal, including line 12
No | Assembly | Materials/Processes Included | Amount | Unit | Lifespan, Years |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | TE module | Ceramic tile 19 g, Copper 1,5 g, Tellurium, semiconductor-grade 10 g, Brazing solder 0,5 g, Metal working 1,5 g | 31 | g | 5 |
2 | Aluminum heat exchanger, double | Aluminum alloy, Aluminum casting | 900 | g | 10 |
3 | Fan, double | Fan, for power supply | 176 | g | 5 |
4 | Cables | Cable, unspecified | 400 | g | 5 |
5 | Thermal grease | Solder paste | 2 | g | 5 |
6 | PV panel | Photovoltaic panel, multi-Si wafer | 1.63 | m2 | 30 |
7 | Solar battery | Battery, Li-ion, rechargeable | 13 | kg | 15 |
8 | Control equipment (tracker) | Controller, charger | 0.95 | kg | 15 |
9 | PV cable | Cable, three-conductor | 12 | m | 15 |
10 | Power supply unit | Power supply unit, transformer | 3 | kg | 15 |
11 | Service (10 years perspective) | TE module and supplementary devices replacement | - | - | - |
12 | Final disposal | Mechanical treatment of waste electric and electronic equipment | 1 | kg | - |
13 | Electricity (grid) | Electricity mix, AC, consumption mix, at consumer, <1 kV EU-27 | 1 | Wh | - |
- 1)
- Production, including processed characterized in lines 1–13 in Table A1
- 2)
- Operation, including line 15
- 3)
- Final disposal, including line 16
No | Assembly | Materials/Processes Included | Amount | Unit | Lifespan, Years |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | TE module | Ceramic tile 19 g, Copper 1,5 g, Tellurium, semiconductor-grade 10 g, Brazing solder 0,5 g, Metal working 1,5 g | 31 | g | 5 |
2 | Aluminum heat exchanger, single | Aluminum alloy, Aluminum casting | 450 | g | 5 |
3 | Fan, single | Fan, for power supply | 88 | g | 5 |
4 | Cables | Cable, unspecified | 400 | g | 5 |
5 | Thermal grease | Solder paste | 2 | g | 5 |
6 | Water heat exchanger connections | Polyethylene pipe, corrugated | 0.5 | m | 10 |
7 | Water heat exchanger | Copper, copper working | 345 | g | 10 |
8 | Pump | Pump for water, 9 W | 1 | p | 10 |
9 | Pipes insulation | Tube insulation, Synthetic rubber | 0.5 | kg | 10 |
10 | PV panel | Photovoltaic panel, multi-Si wafer | 1.63 | m2 | 30 |
11 | Solar battery | Battery, Li-ion, rechargeable | 13 | kg | 15 |
12 | Control equipment (tracker) | Charger | 0.95 | kg | 15 |
13 | PV cable | Cable, three-conductor | 12 | m | 30 |
14 | Power supply unit | Power supply unit, transformer | 3 | kg | 15 |
15 | Service (10 years perspective) | TE module and supplementary devices exchange | - | - | - |
16 | Final disposal | Mechanical treatment of waste electric and electronic equipment | 1 | kg | - |
17 | Electricity (grid) | Electricity mix, AC, consumption mix, at consumer, <1 kV EU-27 | 1 | Wh | - |
Scenario | Processes Included | GWP (kgCO2eq) | Comment |
---|---|---|---|
I | Production (Table A1) Service: TE module and fans replacement Final disposal: total for TE module and partial for elements with longer lifespan Energy balance according Stage 1: Series I and II | 397.4 | PV supply system included for 10 of 30 years of usage |
II | Production (Table A1) Service: TE module and fans replacement Final disposal: total for TE module and partial for elements with longer lifespan Energy balance according Stage 1: Series III | 420.2 | PV supply system included for 10 of 30 years of usage, battery life 30% shorter |
III | Production (Table A1) Service: TE module and fans replacement Final disposal: total for TE module and partial for elements with longer lifespan Energy balance according Stage 1: Series I and II | 646.8 | Power supply from EU-27 low voltage grid |
IV | Production (Table A1) Service: TE module and fans replacement Final disposal: total for TE module and partial for elements with longer lifespan Energy balance according Stage 1: Series I and II | 397.4 | PV supply system included for 10 of 30 years of usage |
V | Production (Table A1) Service: TE module and fans replacement Final disposal: total for TE module and partial for elements with longer lifespan Energy balance according Stage 1: Series III | 420.2 | PV supply system included for 10 of 30 years of usage, battery life 30% shorter |
VI | Production (Table A1) Service: TE module and fans replacement Final disposal: total for TE module and partial for elements with longer lifespan Energy balance according Stage 1: Series I and II | 806.0 | Power supply from EU-27 low voltage grid |
Scenario | Processes Included | GWP (kgCO2eq) | Comment |
---|---|---|---|
I | Production (Table A2) Service: TE module and fan replacement Final disposal: total for TE module and partial for elements with longer lifespan Energy balance according Stage 3 | 297.4 | PV supply system included for 10 of 30 years of usage |
II | Production (Table A2) Service: TE module and fan replacement final disposal total for TE module and partial for elements with longer lifespan Energy balance according Stage 2 | 320.2 | PV supply system included for 10 of 30 years of usage, battery life 30% shorter |
III | Production (Table A2) Service: TE module and fan replacement Final disposal total for TE module and partial for elements with longer lifespan, Energy balance according Stage 3 | 522.9 | Power supply from EU-27 low voltage grid |
IV | Production (Table A2) Service: TE module and fan replacement Final disposal: total for TE module and partial for elements with longer lifespan Energy balance according Stage 3 | 297.4 | PV supply system included for 10 of 30 years of usage |
V | Production (Table A2) Service: TE module and fan replacement final disposal total for TE module and partial for elements with longer lifespan Energy balance according Stage 2 | 320.2 | PV supply system included for 10 of 30 years of usage, battery life 30% shorter |
VI | Production (Table A2) Service: TE module and fan replacement Final disposal total for TE module and partial for elements with longer lifespan, Energy balance according Stage 3 | 674.1 | Power supply from EU-27 low voltage grid |
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TE Material | Operation Temperature (K) | Max. ZT Value |
---|---|---|
Bi2Te3 | <150 | 0.8–1.0 |
PbTe | 150–500 | 0.7–0.8 |
TeAgGeSb (TAGS) | 1.2 | |
CoSb3 | 500–700 | 0.8 |
CeFe4Sb12 | 1.1 | |
SiGe | 700–1000 | 0.6–1.3 |
LaTe | 0.4 |
Characteristic Parameter | Value |
---|---|
Nominal voltage | 15.5 V |
Max. amperage | 8.5 A |
Max. thermal output | 72 W |
Max. temperature difference between the hot and cold sides | 71 K |
Dimensions (length × width × height) | 40 mm × 40 mm × 3.4 mm |
Series Number | Supply Power (W) | Energy Used (Wh) | Energy Generated (Wh) | COP - |
---|---|---|---|---|
Series I | 69.4 | 42.7 | 2.3 | 0.054 |
Series II | 65.9 | 40.7 | 2.1 | 0.051 |
Series III | 60.3 | 26.1 | 1.5 | 0.059 |
Stage Number | Air Temperature (°C) | Water Temperature (°C) | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Initial | Final | Mean | Median | Initial | Final | Mean | Median | |
Stage 1 | 23.0 | 16.0 | 18.2 | 17.8 | - 1 | - 1 | - 1 | - 1 |
Stage 2 | 19.9 | 5.2 | 4.7 | 3.6 | 10.5 | 40.3 | 26.4 | 27.0 |
Stage 3 | 20.7 | 5.6 | 5.0 | 3.9 | 10.4 | 39.8 | 26.8 | 27.6 |
T. stage 1 | T. stage 2 | T. stage 3 | |
---|---|---|---|
T. stage 1 | - | 0.991 | 0.991 |
T. stage 2 | 0.991 | - | 0.997 |
T. stage 3 | 0.991 | 0.997 | - |
Stage Number | Momentary Power (W) | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Initial | Final | Mean | Standard deviation | |
Stage 1 | 72.2 | 62.8 | 65.3 | 2.0 |
Stage 2 | 51.0 | 65.8 | 58.7 | 4.4 |
Stage 3 | 78.7 | 62.3 | 68.7 | 5.0 |
Global Warming Potential (gCO2eq/Wh) | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Scenario I | Scenario II | Scenario III | Scenario IV | Scenario V | Scenario VI |
9.386 | 9.514 | 15.277 | 7.039 | 7.136 | 14.278 |
Global Warming Potential (gCO2eq/Wh) | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Scenario I | Scenario II | Scenario III | Scenario IV | Scenario V | Scenario VI |
0.312 | 0.324 | 0.548 | 0.234 | 0.243 | 0.530 |
Reduction of GWP (%) | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Scenario | I | II | III | IV | V | VI |
TEC 1 | 20% | 21% | 8% | 20% | 21% | 7% |
TEC&H 2 | 10% | 13% | 2% | 10% | 13% | 1% |
COP | Type of Heat Exchanger | Reference |
---|---|---|
0.16–0.64 | CS 1, HS 2: finned heat sink and fan | [33,34,35] |
0.3–4.51 | CS 1: finned heat sink and fan HS 2: water heat exchanger | [26,30,36] |
0.055 | CS 1, HS 2: finned heat sink and fan | Current study, Stage 1 |
1.25–1.3 | CS 1: finned heat sink and fan HS 2: water heat exchanger | Current study, Stage 2–3 |
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Żelazna, A.; Gołębiowska, J. A PV-Powered TE Cooling System with Heat Recovery: Energy Balance and Environmental Impact Indicators. Energies 2020, 13, 1701. https://doi.org/10.3390/en13071701
Żelazna A, Gołębiowska J. A PV-Powered TE Cooling System with Heat Recovery: Energy Balance and Environmental Impact Indicators. Energies. 2020; 13(7):1701. https://doi.org/10.3390/en13071701
Chicago/Turabian StyleŻelazna, Agnieszka, and Justyna Gołębiowska. 2020. "A PV-Powered TE Cooling System with Heat Recovery: Energy Balance and Environmental Impact Indicators" Energies 13, no. 7: 1701. https://doi.org/10.3390/en13071701