Characterization of a thermoelectric generator (TEG) system for waste heat recovery

Abstract

This paper presents the development and characterization of a thermoelectric generator (TEG) system for waste heat recovery to low temperature in industrial processes. The relevance of this mode of electric energy harvest is that it is clean energy and it depends only on the capture of losses. These residual energies from industrial processes are, in principle, released into the environment without being exploited. With the proposed device, the waste energy will not be released into the environment and will be used for electrical generation, which is useful for heat production. The characterization of TEGs that are used a data-acquisition system have measured data for the voltage, current, and temperature, in real-time, for temperatures down to 200◦C without signal degradation. As a result, the measured data has revealed an open circuit voltage of VOC = 0.4306 × ∆T, internal resistance of R0 = 9.41 Ω, with tolerance ∆Rint = ±0.77 Ω, where Rint = 9.41 ± 0.77 Ω. The measurements were made on the condition that the maximum output was obtained at a temperature gradient of ∆T = 80◦C, resulting in a maximum power gain of Pout ≈ 29 W.