Using solar energy to generate power through a solar wall

Abstract

In this study, a novel solar application is presented to transform the sun rays into heat energy based on the black body. By assuming a wall that contains units of a Thermo-Magnetic-Electrical-Generator (TMEG), the movement of the generator depends on the thermomagnetic properties of the ferromagnetic metals. Gadolinium (Gd) was chosen as the ferromagnetic material due to its convenient Curie point (TC). A Gd disk horizontally moves under the influence of two variables and opposing forces. A permanent magnet (PM) force arises when Gd is in its ferromagnetic state, while it vanishes in a paramagnetic state. In contrast, a spring force always tries to drag Gd opposite the PM force direction. Gd moves in a space between two different temperature zones: hot and cold walls. The hot wall temperature rises due to the solar radiation hitting the black body. In contrast, the cold wall dissipates heat that transfers through the TMEGs to the atmosphere. The thermal balance in the system depends on the solar radiation value, so when the solar radiation changes it is accompanied by a change in temperatures of hot and cold walls.