Sharif Digital Repository

Abstract: The use of thermoelectric fabrics for powering wearable devices is expected to become widespread soon. A thermoelectric fabric was prepared by coating nanocomposite of polyaniline/graphene nanosheets (PANI/GNS) on a fabric. Four samples of the fabric containing different wt% of GNS (0.5, 2.5, 5, and 10) were prepared. To characterize the samples, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectra, attenuated total reflectance-Fourier transform infrared (AT-FTIR) spectra, field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), electrical conductivity and Seebeck coefficient measurements were used. The electrical conductivity increased from 0.0188 to 0.277 S cm−1 (from 0.5 to 10 wt% of the GNS... 

The low temperature thermoelectric properties of hydrogen-passivated graphene-based antidot lattices are theoretically investigated. Calculations are performed using density functional theory in conjunction with the Landauer formula to obtain the ballistic transport coefficients. Antidot lattices with hexagonal, triangular and rectangular antidot shapes are studied. Methods to reduce the thermal conductance and to increase the thermoelectric power factor of such structures are studied. Our results indicate that triangular antidot lattices have the smallest thermal conductance due to longer boundaries, the smallest distance between the neighboring antidots, and the armchair edges. This... 

The thermoelectric properties of graphene-based antidot lattices are theoretically investigated. A third nearest-neighbor tight-binding model and a fourth nearest-neighbor force constant model are employed to study the electronic and phononic band structures of graphene antidot lattices with circular, rectangular, hexagonal, and triangular antidot shapes. Ballistic transport models are used to evaluate transport coefficients. Methods to reduce the thermal conductance and to increase the thermoelectric power factor of such structures are studied. Our results indicate that triangular antidot lattices have the smallest thermal conductance due to longer boundaries and the smallest distance... 

We theoretically investigate the thermoelectric properties of zigzag graphene nanoribbons in the presence of extended line defects, substrate impurities, and edge roughness along the nanoribbon's length. A nearest-neighbor tight-binding model for the electronic structure and a fourth nearest-neighbor force constant model for the phonon bandstructure are used. For transport, we employ quantum mechanical non-equilibrium Green's function simulations. Starting from the pristine zigzag nanoribbon structure that exhibits very poor thermoelectric performance, we demonstrate how after a series of engineering design steps the performance can be largely enhanced. Our results could be useful in the... 

Extraction of thermal heat from a salinity-gradient solar pond (SGSP) as a way of accumulating solar energy, stockpiling and taking merit of it for medium and low temperature demands is presented as an interesting topic in recent decades. This reliable supply of heat can be used for low-temperature refrigeration systems to yield cooling load for residential applications. For this purpose, theoretical investigation of ejector refrigeration cycle (ERC) driven by a SGSP is carried out to produce cooling output. Also, thermoelectric generator (TEG) is used as a potential device replacing condenser of the ERC for the sake of bolstering performance of the fundamental system by producing power,... 

As one of the cleanest energies, hydrogen has attracted much attention over the past decade. Hydrogen can be produced using water electrolysis in a Proton Exchange Membrane Electrolysis Cell (PEMEC). In the present study, the performance of the PEMEC, powered by the Photovoltaic-Thermal (PVT) system, is scrutinized. It is considered that the PVT system provides the required electrical power of the PEMEC and preheats the feedwater. A comprehensive numerical model of the coupled PVT-PEMEC system is developed. The model is used to investigate the effect of various operating parameters, including solar radiation intensity, inlet feedwater temperature, and feedwater mass flow rate, on the... 

Thermal conductivity and phonon transport properties of graphyne nanotubes (GNTs) and conventional carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are studied using nonequilibrium molecular dynamics simulations. The effect of nanotube length on the thermal conductivity and phonon transport transition from a ballistic to a diffusive regime is investigated. It is found that the thermal conductivity is significantly higher for CNTs in comparison to that of GNTs across the entire ballistic-diffusive transport range. Among GNTs, β- and γ-GNTs demonstrated the lowest and highest thermal conductivities, respectively. In addition, ultralow ballistic to diffusive transition length (4.5-7.6 nm) was observed in GNTs, which... 

Structural, half-metallic, magneto-optic, and thermoelectric properties of CrTiZ (Z = As, P) half-Heusleres compounds are investigated based on density functional theory. These compounds have mechanical stability in the ferromagnetic state with a high bulk modulus. They are often half-metallic with a large and integer magnetic moment and are very attractive in spintronics, magneto-optics applications. The magnetic moments of CrTiAs and CrTiP were 2.9865 μB and 3.00 μB, respectively, which were attributed to their ferromagnetic phase. Additionally, the positive sign of the phonon branches indicates the dynamic stability of these compounds. Applying both GGA and mBJ approximations, CrTiAs and... 

Liquid air energy storage is one of the most recent technologies introduced for grid-scale energy storage. As the title implies, this technology offers energy storage through an air liquefaction process. High energy storage density, no geographical limitation, and applicability for large-scale uses are some of the advantages of this technology. To improve the performance and environmental friendliness of the conventional design of this technology, a novel liquid air energy system combined with high-temperature thermal energy storage, thermoelectric generator, and organic Rankine cycle is proposed in the present article. The thermal energy storage unit removes the need for the conventional... 

Condensation of water vapor available in atmospheric air can be considered as a solution for water scarcity problem. In this paper, a comprehensive thermodynamic analysis of water production from humid air using thermoelectric coolers (TECs) is presented. The system consists of a number of thermoelectric coolers, a fan to supply the required air flow circulation, two cold and hot air channels, heat sinks and solar cells for powering the thermoelectric coolers and fan. Effects of various design parameters are investigated and discussed. The proposed design is optimized to get the maximum effectiveness which is defined as the amount of produced water per unit of energy consumption. Sensitivity... 

In this work, a three-dimensional numerical model is developed to investigate the performance of a photovoltaic thermal system integrated with a thermoelectric generator module (PVT/TE). Furthermore, the effects of various operating parameters such as solar radiation, coolant mass flow rate, and inlet and ambient temperatures on the performance of both the PVT and PVT/TE systems are investigated and compared. Based on the obtained results, the electrical efficiency of the PVT/TE system, when exposed to solar radiation of 600 and 1000 W/m2, is 6.23% and 10.41% higher than that of the PVT system, respectively. Besides, the electrical efficiency of the PVT and PVT/TE by increasing the inlet... 

As one of the cleanest energies, hydrogen has attracted much attention over the past decade. Hydrogen can be produced using water electrolysis in a Proton Exchange Membrane Electrolysis Cell (PEMEC). In the present study, the performance of the PEMEC, powered by the Photovoltaic-Thermal (PVT) system, is scrutinized. It is considered that the PVT system provides the required electrical power of the PEMEC and preheats the feedwater. A comprehensive numerical model of the coupled PVT-PEMEC system is developed. The model is used to investigate the effect of various operating parameters, including solar radiation intensity, inlet feedwater temperature, and feedwater mass flow rate, on the... 

Three novel geothermal-based organic Rankine cycle (ORC) systems are proposed to enhance the efficiency and for waste heat recovery purpose. The proposed systems are modeled based on a basic ORC system (concept 1), an ORC system with an internal heat exchanger (concept 2), and a regenerative ORC system (concept 3). Accordingly, two thermoelectric generators (TEG) are introduced into the systems to exploit the waste heat of the system. The condenser is replaced with a TEG unit while the other TEG unit is used to recover the waste heat of the reinjected geothermal fluid. A comprehensive numerical investigation is conducted to compare the proposed systems from the thermodynamic and... 

Three novel geothermal-based organic Rankine cycle (ORC) systems are proposed to enhance the efficiency and for waste heat recovery purpose. The proposed systems are modeled based on a basic ORC system (concept 1), an ORC system with an internal heat exchanger (concept 2), and a regenerative ORC system (concept 3). Accordingly, two thermoelectric generators (TEG) are introduced into the systems to exploit the waste heat of the system. The condenser is replaced with a TEG unit while the other TEG unit is used to recover the waste heat of the reinjected geothermal fluid. A comprehensive numerical investigation is conducted to compare the proposed systems from the thermodynamic and... 

During the last decades, the adoption of more strict safety and environmental regulations, as well as a rise in energy costs, sparked an increasing interest in the design of renewable energies systems, particularly solar systems, to supply both electrical power and heat. Because of their capability to simultaneously supply both electricity and heat, concentrating photovoltaic-thermal and thermoelectric hybrid systems have recently attracted scholarly attention. In this study, a detailed three-dimensional computational model of a novel concentrating photovoltaic-thermal solar system combined with thermoelectric modules in an integrated design with a triangular absorber and corresponding...