OPTIMIZATION OF AUTONOMOUS POWER SUPPLY SYSTEMS FOR CONSUMERS IN REMOTE AREAS BASED ON COMBINED SOLAR CONCENTRATOR THERMOELECTRIC SYSTEMS
Keywords:
Access to reliable electrical energy is a fundamental prerequisite for socio-economic development, modern healthcare, and clean water supply.. Extending high-voltage transmission lines to these geographically marginalized areas is frequently deemed economically unviable due to low population densities, complex terrains, and prohibitive capital expenditures. Consequently, these communities rely heavily on decentralized diesel generator sets. However, diesel-based power generation introduces severe environmental externalities, including high carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, and suffers from volatile fuel pricing coupled with complex logistics for fuel transportation over underdeveloped infrastructure.Abstract
This paper addresses the critical challenge of providing reliable, continuous, and
sustainable electricity to off-grid consumers in remote and arid geographical locations.
Conventional solar photovoltaic (PV) systems suffer from low efficiency and
degradation under high operating temperatures, while standalone thermal systems
exhibit low thermodynamic utilization. To overcome these limitations, this study
proposes and optimizes an autonomous power supply system based on a Combined
Solar Concentrator Thermoelectric Generator (CSC-TEG) architecture. A
comprehensive mathematical and thermodynamic model is developed to evaluate the
coupled fluid-thermal-electrical behavior of the system. The optimization framework
integrates optical concentration ratios (Сr), geometric configurations of bismuth
telluride (Bi2Te3) thermoelectric modules, and dynamic coolin strategies.
Simulation results, validated through localized climatic datasets characteristic of
continental arid zones, demonstrate that the optimized CSC-TEG system achieves a
peak electrical efficiency enhancement of 18.4% compared to non-concentrating
configurations. Furthermore, the integration of a phase-change material (PCM) based
thermal storage buffer ensures a stable shift in power delivery during peak nocturnal
demand periods. The financial assessment reveals a Levelized Cost of Energy (LCOE)
reduction to $0.12/kWh, making it a highly viable alternative to diesel generation for
remote
applications.
Keywords: Solar Concentrator, Thermoelectric Generator (TEG), Autonomous Power
Supply, Remote Consumers,
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