MIT Advances Hybrid Solar Thermoelectric System

Researchers at Boston's world-renowned Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) are working on highly-advanced, hybrid renewable energy technology.

Combining solar energy and thermoelectric power, the system has the potential to outperform individual solar thermal technologies and traditional photovoltaic (PV) cells - especially in domestic situations - simply by generating electricity and heat at the same time.

The researchers have, so far, written a paper describing how this renewable energy advance could be achieved.

Older-style solar thermal technologies feature parabolic mirror bank troughs that reflect solar rays onto tubes filled with liquid, heating up their contents. This heated water can either then be used to either push a turbine around and create energy, or as a direct source of heat for industrial purposes, but not both.

MIT Hybrid Energy System

The MIT research team - comprised of a professor and a graduate student - is progressing towards a multifunctional hybrid energy system by adapting the tubes so that they feature a network of internal tubes. One of these tubes contains specialised thermoelectric material, another houses a device known as a thermosiphon that pulls away heat from the unheated element of a thermoelectric system.

The heat collected by the thermosiphon has several subsequent applications, including heating up water for industrial processes and other activities.

According to MIT, the thermosiphon ‘draws heat away from the cold part of a thermoelectric system...passively transferring heat from the thermoelectric cold side and alleviating the need to pump cooling fluid as in a conventional parabolic-trough system.'

Solar Thermoelectric System

While the solar thermoelectric system wouldn't be especially efficient, it's still regarded as powerful enough to meet the domestic energy requirements of most homes.

According, meanwhile, to Israeli professor Abraham Kribus - who hasn't participated in the MIT solar/thermoelectric system studies - the idea holds merit. As quoted by MIT in a press release, the paper "describes a fresh approach to solar energy conversion, with optimistic results showing high theoretical conversion efficiency", he says, adding: "Overall, the paper shows a nice start and a very capable team behind it."

Image copyright Akradecki - Courtesy Wikimedia Commons

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