Design of a single stage thermoelectric power generator module with specific application on the automotive industry

Abstract

In a world where fossil fuels dominate as energy sources, the need for an environmentally friendly and economically and commercially viable renewable energy source is dire. As a result, different green technologies have been developed for the generation of energy. One such promising technology is the generation of electrical power from waste heat. As waste heat recovering techniques, thermoelectric generator (TEG) technologies utilization in automotive industry is attempted from many aspects. This paper focuses on analytical investigations on the dynamics of thermoelectric generators at low temperature (waste heat). This research proposes to design and simulate a single stage TEG module to contribute to the further development of TEGs as reasonable energy sources for the consumer market. The design process involved calculating and optimizing the energy balance across the heat absorber, minimizing heat losses, analyzing heat transfer through the thermoelectric elements, and analyzing the electrical power system.