Concentration Solar Thermoelectric Generator (CSTEG): Review Paper

Thermoelectric generator is considered as a solid-state device used for electricity production in particular, the low scale applications such as; medical, wearable and communication due to its ability in converting the heat into electrical power. However, the thermoelectric generator (TEG) efficiency is low and the electrical power generation also low. Therefore, integrating more systems such as concentrator or vacuumed systems in one hybrid system will improve the power production and efficiency whether electrical or thermal. The present work reviews the progress on the concentrating solar thermoelectric generator (SCTEG) with and without vacuumed system. The attention is given to development of the system, modeling and optimizing in numerical and experimental and method of absorbing the heat from the system. The review gives an in depth that the CSTEG system might be useful for small scale electricity production or may be both electrical and thermal. The study will benefit the designer and researchers that interested in improving the CSTEG system.