Long-Term performance of a commercial Thermoelectric Power Generator
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1166-N03-14
Long-Term performance of a commercial Thermoelectric Power Generator Euripides Hatzikraniotis1, Konstantinos Zorbas1, Theodora Kyratsi2 and Konstantinos M Paraskevopoulos1 1
Department of Physics, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece 2 Department of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, University of Cyprus, Nicosia, Cyprus
ABSTRACT In this work, thermoelectric device was made, using a commercially available ThermoElectric Generator (TEG), in order to measure the gained power and efficiency for longterm performance. The module was subjected to sequential hot side heating at 200oC (392 0F), and cooling for 6000 cycles, in order to measure the TEG's power and EMF change. A 14% increase in the TEG’s material resistance was found, as well as a 5% reduction in the Seebeck coefficient. After the experiment, the module was disassembled and thermoelectric p- and nlegs were examined using IR spectroscopy. INTRODUCTION Thermoelectric generators (TEG) make use of the Seebeck effect in semiconductors for the direct conversion of heat into electrical energy, which is of particular interest for systems of highest reliability or for waste heat recovery [1]. A generator usually consists of several pairs of alternating p- and n-type semiconductor blocks (generator legs), which are arranged thermally in parallel and connected electrically in a series circuit. Heating one side of the arrangement, the opposite side being cooled, induces the heat flow, which is partly converted into electrical power. The possible use of a device consisting of numerous TEG modules in the wasted heat recovery of an internal combustion (IC) engine can considerably help the world effort for energy savings. Generally, the wasted heat from IC engines is a great percentage of the fuel’s energy. In gasoline fuelled IC engines, about 75% of the total energy of the fuel is rejected in the environment [2]. The recovery of a 6% of the exhaust’s energy could lead to 10% saving of fuel. Furthermore, the temperatures developed vary from high (about 900oC/16500F at exhaust manifold) to medium (about 100oC/2100F in the engine coolant fluid) and thus the efficiency of the thermoelectric elements could be remarkable. The use of a thermoelectric generator device will offload the alternator and thus will reduce its size. However, temperatures much higher than the desired operating range could cause structural failure of the thermoelectric elements. The requirements in the design of a system to be installed in a typical modern car are very high. The system should be able to operate reliably, with no or minimal maintenance requirements for at least 10 years (or 300,000 Km /186,411 miles) at external environment temperatures that could range from -40 to 50 0C (-40 to 122 0F) and occasionally in high humidity conditions. It should also be resistant to vibrations and strong mechanical stress and be as small as possible in weight and volume. In particular, a thermoelectric device to be placed on the exhaust, should be resistant to th
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