Investigation of a Multiple Input Converter for Grid Connected Thermoelectric-Photovoltaic Hybrid System

Hybrid thermoelectric and photovoltaic (TE/PV) systems more effectively convert solar energy into electrical energy by harvesting thermal energy from the heat dissipated from the photovoltaic technology that would otherwise be wasted. This allows a broader spectrum of the solar electromagnetic energy to be converted to electricity through the use of a thermoelectric module integrated with photovoltaic materials. There have not been previously developed circuits to simultaneously convert mixed-source TE/PV devices for electric utility grid interconnection. Challenges associated with grid interfaces include determining optimized configurations that to account for different or mixed TE/PV materials. A Ćuk-Ćuk multiple input converter is presented to accommodate power flow from multiple sources simultaneously or independently.