Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Using a Water Lens for Light Concentration in Thermoelectric Generation

  • Published:
Journal of Electronic Materials Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

A water lens is employed to concentrate sunlight on the surface of a thermoelectric module in order to heat it. This water lens can change its shape flexibly and is adjustable to solar altitudes. The lens shape and light path were simulated for the cases when the light is incident at an angle to the water surface, parallel to the central axis of the half-cylindrical water lens, and when the light is focused on a plate. A condensing ratio larger than 70 is achieved when the incident light is closer to the normal of the water surface and if the optimal lens shape is maintained.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. N. Wang, L. Han, H. He, N.H. Park, and K. Koumoto, Energy Environ. Sci. 4, 3676 (2011).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. X. Ju, Z. Wang, G. Flamant, P. Li, and W. Zhao, Sol. Energy 86, 1941 (2012).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Y. Deng, W. Zhu, Y. Wang, and Y. Shi, Sol. Energy 88, 282 (2013).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. V. Poulek and M. Libra, Sol. Energy Mater. Sol. Cells 51, 113 (1998).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. B.J. Huang, W.L. Ding, and Y.C. Huang, Sol. Energy 85, 1935 (2011).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. T. Tao, Z. Hongfei, H. Kaiyan, and A. Mayere, Sol. Energy 85, 198 (2011).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Q.C. Murphree, Sol. Energy 70, 85 (2001).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. E.O. Hulburt, J Opt. Soc. Am. 35, 698 (1945).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. J.F. Wu and C.M. Zhang, Optik 121, 1835 (2010).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. R.O. Suzuki, A. Nakagawa, H. Sui, and T. Fujisaka, J.␣Electron. Mater. 42, 1960 (2013).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. E. Elvegård and G. Sjöstedt, Illum. Eng. 35, 333 (1940).

    Google Scholar 

  12. M.G. Davies, Build. Environ. 43, 1421 (2008).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. R.E. Parkin, Sol. Energy 84, 912 (2010).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. R. Kittler and S. Darula, Sol. Energy 93, 72 (2013).

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgment

The authors thank Prof. K. Koumoto at Nagoya University and Dr. R. Funahashi at AIST-Kansai for their kind discussions. This work is financially supported by JST-CREST and JSPS Grant-in-Aid for Exploratory Research (No.24656574). One of the authors (H.T.S.) thanks the China Scholarship Council for sponsoring his stay in Japan.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Materials Science and Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan

    Keita O. Ito, Hongtao Sui & Ryosuke O. Suzuki

  2. Department of Mechanical Engineering, Fukushima National College of Technology, Fukushima, Japan

    Hidetoshi Hakozaki & Hiroshi Kinoshita

  3. Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST), Kawaguchi, Japan

    Ryosuke O. Suzuki

Authors
  1. Keita O. Ito
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Hongtao Sui
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Hidetoshi Hakozaki
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Hiroshi Kinoshita
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Ryosuke O. Suzuki
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Keita O. Ito.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Ito, K.O., Sui, H., Hakozaki, H. et al. Using a Water Lens for Light Concentration in Thermoelectric Generation. J. Electron. Mater. 43, 2086–2093 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11664-013-2965-5

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11664-013-2965-5

Key words

Search

Navigation