Numerical study on performance of a pcm-based solar thermoelectric energy-harvesting device in alpine region

Stable and reliable energy supply units are important components of micropower wireless monitoring systems intended for alpine regions. In this work, a phase change material (PCM)–based solar thermoelectric energy-harvesting device was proposed, and a corresponding coupled heat transfer numerical model was built. The temporal thermal distribution and output power characteristics of the device were calculated and analyzed. The influences of the PCM module and vacuum glass cover on the device’s thermal and electrical power performance were examined. The average output power of the developed device in the focal alpine region was 12.94, 74.51, 97.39, and 33.86 mW on January 15, April 15, July 15, and October 15, respectively. These values meet the energy requirements of many micropower wireless sensors in alpine regions. The average output power of a none-PCM unit was only 7.82 mW and 26.0 mW as well as the average output power of a none-vacuum glass cover unit was 0.85 mW and 2.66 mW on January 15 and July 15 respectively, which were of 39.57%, 73.3%, 93.43%, and 97.27% reduction compared with comprehensive model. Thus, the PCM and vacuum glass cover module were important for the entire system, by increasing the device’s working temperature and ensuring the continuity of the system’s power supply to enhance system performance.