Performance analysis on a novel micro-channel heat pipe evacuated tube solar collector-incorporated thermoelectric generation

In China, because of the emergence of a large number of high-rise buildings, the solar hot water heater system often uses the balcony wall-mounted method for installation. The thermoelectric energy converter is proposed as one of the possible technologies to incorporate solar water heater to produce electricity for building application. In this paper, the conceptual development and theoretical analysis of a novel micro-channel heat pipe evacuated tube solar collector-incorporated thermoelectric generation are all proposed. The new system takes into account many advantages, including the high heat transfer, low convective heat loss, and low contact thermal resistance. The exergy analysis method based on the second law of thermodynamics is also introduced to evaluate the performance of this system. The results show that a novel micro-channel heat pipe evacuated tube solar collector-incorporated thermoelectric generation has a high thermal performance with addition of electricity production. Copyright (c) 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.