Study of solar thermoelectric generators coupled with concentrated solar power systems

Thermoelectricity, although being a fairly new technology, is making new paths into energy generation. One of the drawbacks of thermoelectric generators is its low efficiency (3%-4%), which is why it has not been utilized in a large scale energy production. In this thesis, I discuss the possibility of implementing thermoelectric generators into solar thermal concentrator tubes, which can generate electricity without any significant effect on thermal power generated for energy production or industrial process heating. The calculations provided in this thesis are based on theoretical heat transfer models and reasonable assumptions.