Optimum load resistance for a thermoelectric generator system

Abstract

The current work focuses on finding the optimum electrical load resistance of thermoelectric generator system. The optimum load resistance and optimum geometric ratio of a thermoelectric module are obtained simultaneously by using an analytical method based on dimensional analysis. These parameters are optimized to provide the maximum possible output power of a thermoelectric module attached to two heat sinks. Subsequently, an experiment has been conducted in order to validate the accuracy of the analytical model where good agreement is observed. Moreover, by using the specifications of the thermoelectric module that are provided by manufacturer, the effective thermoelectric material properties can be obtained; these properties help estimate the impact of contact resistance and Thomson effect. Furthermore, generalized charts are presented in this study which can help designers to determine the optimum load resistance and geometry for maximum output power.