Effect of pulsed heat power on the thermal and electrical performances of a thermoelectric generator

Chen, Leisheng; Lee, Jae-Young

doi:10.1016/j.apenergy.2015.04.009

Cited by 62 publications

(17 citation statements)

References 30 publications

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“…[32][33][34] In order to increase the accuracy of the models, temperature dependent TE properties (Seebeck coefficient, thermal and electrical conductivities) were used as shown in Table S1 in the supplementary section according to. 22,26,53 Other material properties used in the numerical simulations including density (D), specific heat (C), Young's modulus (E), Poisson's ratio (ν) and coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) are presented in Table 2. The yielding stress of skutterudite and Bi2Te3 were selected to be 146 and 112 MPa, respectively according to the previous studies.…”

Section: Design Of Segmented Te Systemsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Numerical analysis of energy conversion efficiency and thermal reliability of novel, unileg segmented thermoelectric generation systems

Aljaghtham

Çelik

2021

Int J Energy Res

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Despite their great potential to recover waste heat, thermoelectric generators (TEGs) find limited usage since thermoelectric materials are only efficient within a limited temperature range. Using multiple materials in segmented TEGs can significantly enhance the overall energy conversion efficiency. However, thermal reliability is questionable in these systems especially at elevated temperatures and in annular configurations. This study explores the feasibility of utilizing unileg (single material) segmented TEG configuration as a remedy for the thermal stress problem. This study introduces the concept of unileg, segmented thermoelectric configurations (flat and annular) for the first time, and three-dimensional finite element simulations are conducted to investigate the thermoelectric performance and thermal reliability analysis in comparison with the conventional unicouple (dual material) systems. Results indicate that thermal stresses are significantly lowered in unileg systems compared to the unicouple configuration. In addition to the enhanced thermal reliability, power generation and thermoelectric conversion efficiency are higher in unileg systems since the material with higher performance is used solely eliminating the need of poorly performing, second thermoelectric leg material.

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Section: Design Of Segmented Te Systemsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Numerical analysis of energy conversion efficiency and thermal reliability of novel, unileg segmented thermoelectric generation systems

Aljaghtham

Çelik

2021

Int J Energy Res

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“…Finite element method is utilized to solve the thermoelectric governing equations using COMSOL 5.4 Multiphysics software. The coupled equation of heat transfer and current density continuity are given as [16]:…”

Section: Numerical Modelmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Considering six continuous time periods (3 = 450 ), the transient heat input is given as " = ( − ) × ( ) + (16) where ( ) is the rectangular input function.…”

Section: Numerical Modelmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…To the best of our knowledge, this study is the first of its kind and would provide valuable information on the optimization of thermoelectric generators using pulsed heat power. The only pervious similar study was performed by [16] however, temperature dependent thermoelectric material properties were not used and geometry optimization was not performed. In addition, only rectangular pulsed heating was considered in that study.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Thermoelectric Generator Performance Enhancement by the Application of Pulsed Heat Power

Shittu¹,

Li²,

Zhao³

et al. 2019

International Conference on Fluid Flow, Heat and Mass Transfer

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Thermoelectric generator (TEG) is usually studied under steady state heating conditions however, the use of pulsed heat power could significantly enhance its performance. Therefore, this paper presents a numerical investigation of the thermal and electrical performance of a typical thermoelectric generator (TEG) under both steady state and transient pulsed heating conditions. A threedimensional finite element model is used to study the temperature, voltage, current distribution and power output of the TEG. A comparison is made between the performance of the TEG under steady state and transient pulsed heating conditions. Furthermore, a parametric study is performed to investigate the influence of thermoelectric leg length and cross-sectional area on the performance of the TEG under both heating conditions. Rectangular and triangular pulsed heat functions are used for the transient study. Results show that rectangular pulsed heating provides the best performance compared to the triangular pulsed heating and steady state heating. In addition, the power output of the TEG decreased as the leg height increased however, it increased as the leg area increased. Therefore, shorter thermoelectric legs with wider cross-sectional area are suggested to enhance the performance of the TEG. This study will provide a valuable reference for future design of thermoelectric generators to obtain optimum performance.

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“…Mirhosseini et al [9]) rather than more standard TEGs, but comparisons between the two types are not valid because of the significant difference in size, construction, and materials used. Experimental investigations of standard TEGs typically involve a sample placed between a heat source and sink with the cold side of the TEG maintained at a constant temperature and the hot side temperature cycled, such as the study by Chen and Lee [10]. Hori et al [11] assessed the influence of thermal cycling on the performance of bismuth telluride (Bi2Te3) TEGs.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Thermal cycling of thermoelectric generators: The effect of heating rate

et al. 2019

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Thermoelectric generators, or TEGs, are solid state devices which can convert heat directly into electricity according to the Seebeck effect. When thermoelectric generators are subjected to thermal cycling they can undergo severe performance degradation. In this study, an experimental rig is constructed which is capable of thermally cycling the heat delivered to commercially available thermoelectric generators. An experimental investigation is undertaken to elucidate the effects of the cycling and heating rate on the power generation performance of the generators over time. Three generator modules of the same specifications were subjected to different heating rates. The figure of merit, the electrical power output, the effective Seebeck coefficient and the internal resistance of the generators are measured to assess the evolution of the modules' performance over 600 heating and cooling cycles. It is determined that all thermoelectric generators display power generation performance reductions, and that faster thermal cycling rates lead to both faster performance degradation and an overall greater performance drop. It is observed that the reduction of the figure of merit and power generation performance is primarily due to the increase of the internal resistance of the thermoelectric generators.

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Effect of pulsed heat power on the thermal and electrical performances of a thermoelectric generator

Cited by 62 publications

References 30 publications

Numerical analysis of energy conversion efficiency and thermal reliability of novel, unileg segmented thermoelectric generation systems

Numerical analysis of energy conversion efficiency and thermal reliability of novel, unileg segmented thermoelectric generation systems

Thermoelectric Generator Performance Enhancement by the Application of Pulsed Heat Power

Thermal cycling of thermoelectric generators: The effect of heating rate

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