Affiliation:
1. SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Department of Autom
2. NanoMagnetic Instruments
3. Tezpur University, Department of Mechanical Engineering
Abstract
<div class="section abstract"><div class="htmlview paragraph">Much of the thermal energy derived from combustion of fuel is lost through
exhaust gases. By effectively recovering waste heat energy in the form of
electricity, it can be used to recharge batteries or power auxiliary systems
thus improving both performance and fuel economy. In this work, the use of
thermoelectric generators (TEG) for energy recovery were studied using both
computational and experimental strategies. The efficiency of TEG
(Ƞ<sub>TEG</sub>) was analyzed through computational methods by changing
temperature gradients, Seebeck coefficient (α), and dimensions of the P- and
N-type plates individually. The results of computational analysis showed that in
comparison to vertical and planar configuration, mixed-type thermocouple
delivered 83.3% and 96% more power, respectively. Raising the α, enhanced the
Ƞ<sub>TEG</sub> by 57% and lowering α affected the Ƞ<sub>TEG</sub> by 9.5%
for mixed thermocouples. A marginal development in the Ƞ<sub>TEG</sub> was
achieved by increasing the length of the P- and N-type semiconductors but
decreasing the length improved Ƞ<sub>TEG</sub> by more than 95%. In the
experimental approach, the Ƞ<sub>TEG</sub> of a Peltier module-based TEG was
studied under static and dynamic testing conditions on a motorcycle by
connecting more than one module in series and parallel, respectively. The
average power generated over a range of engine speeds was 10.9 W and 10.6 W for
series and parallel configurations, respectively, under static test conditions.
The average power obtained with dynamic tests was 10.5 W and 12.2 W for series
and parallel configurations, respectively.</div></div>