Experimental study on heat pipe thermoelectric generator for industrial high temperature waste heat recovery

Wang, Chenglong; Tang, Simiao; Liu, Xiao; Su, G.H.; Tian, Wenxi; Qiu, Suizheng

doi:10.1016/j.applthermaleng.2020.115299

Cited by 81 publications

(19 citation statements)

References 21 publications

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“…Techniques can be differentiated by transient and steady-state measurement approaches. Furthermore, they can be divided into methods that conclude on η from measurements of the heat flow and the electric power output according to Equation (5), or those that use Equation (6), effectively calculating the module efficiency on the basis of measured ZT TEM values. Impedance spectroscopy [53] and the Harman method [54,55] represent transient methods, which measure ZT TEM to conclude on η.…”

Section: Tem Metrology Surveymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Impedance spectroscopy [53] and the Harman method [54,55] represent transient methods, which measure ZT TEM to conclude on η. However, steady-state characterization techniques with direct measurement of the power output and the heat flow are most common and yield more application-oriented predictions of TEM performance compared to the use of ZT TEM and the subsequent calculation of η by Equation (6). One reason for this is the small temperature differences of a few K, which are typically applied for measurements of ZT TEM , whereas usual operation of TEMs implies several hundreds of K temperature difference.…”

Section: Tem Metrology Surveymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Thermoelectric generator (TEG) systems are suited to supply electric energy by the direct conversion of waste heat from mobile applications [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ] and stationary processes [ 5 , 6 , 7 ]. TEGs consist of one or multiple thermoelectric generator modules (TEM), which operate within heat transmission paths between heat reservoirs.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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International Round Robin Test of Thermoelectric Generator Modules

et al. 2022

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The status of metrology for the characterization of thermoelectric generator modules (TEM) is investigated in this work by an international round robin (RR) test including twelve laboratories from nine countries on three continents. Measurements have been performed with three samples of a Bi2Te3-based commercial TEM type, which has prevailed over three competing types during previous tests on the short- and long-term stability. A comparison of temperature-dependent results is provided up to 200 °C hot side temperature for the maximum power output Pmax, the incident heat flow Q˙In (at maximum efficiency conditions), and the maximum efficiency ηmax. Data evaluation from all RR participants reveals maximum standard deviations for these measurands of 27.2% (Pmax), 59.2% (Q˙In), and 25.9% (ηmax). A comparison between RR data sets and reference data from manufacturer specifications shows high deviations of up to 46%, too. These deviations reflect the absence of measurement guidelines and reference samples and confirm the need for improvements in the standardization of TEM metrology. Accordingly, the results of the RR are presented against the background of our own investigations on the uncertainty budgets for the determination of the abovementioned TEM properties using inhouse-developed characterization facilities, which comprise reference and absolute measurement techniques for the determination of heat flow.

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Section: Tem Metrology Surveymentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Tem Metrology Surveymentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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International Round Robin Test of Thermoelectric Generator Modules

et al. 2022

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“…Maximum thermoelectric conversion of 7.5% and the maximum output power of 183.2 W were achieved. The effective Seebeck coefficient and effective thermal conductivity of the TEG were obtained for the system‐level applications 17‐19 …”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Thermoelectric performance study on a heat pipe thermoelectric generator for micro nuclear reactor application

et al. 2021

Self Cite

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Summary Heat pipe cooled reactor is designed to meet the future energy demands with many unique advantages such as modularization, solid and static state, high reliability and passive safety. In the innovative nuclear reactor design, heat pipes are used to cool the reactor core and transfer the fission heat passively, thermoelectric generators (TEGs) are utilized to achieve static energy conversion. In this article, a finite element model is established to investigate the detailed TEG thermoelectric performance coupled with heat pipes. A temperature field and flow field coupling model is used to simulate the heat transfer performance of the potassium heat pipe including a heat pipe wall, wick and vapor region. A heat pipe TEG experimental setup is established and the steady‐state experiment is conducted. The experimental setup is selected as the numerical simulation object and the simulated results are compared with the experimental data to verify the numerical model. The maximum simulation error is within 5%. Based on the verification and validation, the steady‐state thermoelectric performances, the effect of contact thermal resistance and external load on the skutterudite TEG thermoelectric performances are investigated. The detailed heat flux distributions, temperature distributions and potential distributions are researched in the steady‐state simulation. The temperature distributions of the TEG cross section are centrally symmetrical and the horizontal temperature difference is 26°C. The temperature difference introduced by thermal resistance at the TEG hot side increases from 33°C to 94°C with the increasing heat flux through TEG module. The influence of thermal resistance on TEG hot side is more significant than that on TEG cold side. The effect of external load on TEG output characteristics is investigated under different heat flux conditions. With the increase of heat flux from 60 to 166 kW/m2, the temperature difference of TEG module and p‐n unit increase by 432°C and 348°C, the thermoelectric conversion efficiency is improved from 3.6% to 8.5%, and output power increases by 20 W, respectively. The research results are of guiding significance for exploring the application potential of TEGs in the static heat pipe cooled reactor. This work provides research foundations for the multiphysics coupling analysis of the micro heat pipe cooled reactor.

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“…As a critical energy conversion method for directly converting heat energy into electric energy, thermoelectric power generation technology has been widely applied in solar energy harvesting [1], [2], aerospace energy supply [3], [4], industrial energy recovery [5]- [7], and other thermoelectric conversion processes. Based on its advantages, such as having no moving parts, no noise, and being clean and healthy, thermoelectric power generation technology has good application value at a low cost [8].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Comparative Evaluation of Thermoelectric Energy Conversion Systems for Heat Recovery With and Without a Water-Cooling Thermal Energy Adjustment Structure

Zhang

et al. 2020

IEEE Access

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The stable exchange of energy and the effective conduction of heat are particularly critical to ensuring the stable operation of thermoelectric components in entire thermoelectric conversion processes. Poor heat exchange and conduction will cause thermal energy in a thermoelectric system to accumulate, leading to the consequence of burning the energy conversion modules. To solve these problems, a thermoelectric energy conversion system equipped with a water-cooling thermal energy adjustment structure settled on the surface of the heat source was proposed. The working temperature of the heat source, the output voltage, current, and power of the thermoelectric system with and without the structure were obtained and compared. Through comparative analysis, benefiting from the above structure, the temperature fluctuation of the heat sink surface of the heat source was found to drop from 10.36 K to 1.18 K, and the maximum output of the system increased from 255 to 290 mV through the process of input voltage from 1 to 6 V. Furthermore, in the process of gradually increasing the load from 0 to 180 ohms, the system achieves an increased output of 53.8 mV, 1.81 mA and 52.1 mV, 1.83 mA when the input voltage was 4 and 5 V, respectively. In conclusion, the application and design of the above structure obviously promotes the stability and output capacity during thermoelectric energy conversion. The combination of the watercooling thermal energy adjustment structure with pulse-width modulation (PWM) or maximum power point tracking (MPPT) theory is worth further study. INDEX TERMS Energy conversion, heat recovery, thermoelectric system, water-cooling.

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Experimental study on heat pipe thermoelectric generator for industrial high temperature waste heat recovery

Cited by 81 publications

References 21 publications

International Round Robin Test of Thermoelectric Generator Modules

International Round Robin Test of Thermoelectric Generator Modules

Thermoelectric performance study on a heat pipe thermoelectric generator for micro nuclear reactor application

Comparative Evaluation of Thermoelectric Energy Conversion Systems for Heat Recovery With and Without a Water-Cooling Thermal Energy Adjustment Structure

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