Design study of Bismuth-Telluride-based thermoelectric generators based on thermoelectric and mechanical performance

Xiaodong Jia and Qiuting Guo

Energy, 2020, vol. 190, issue C

Abstract: Thermoelectric generators usually work in time-changing work environments. For heat source, it is difficult to operate stably for a long time in practice. On the basis, the features of heat source are equivalent to the thermal boundary conditions of thermoelectric generators, and a three-dimensional finite element model of Bismuth-Telluride-based thermoelectric generators is consturcted to evaluate and improve the service performance of thermoelectric generators. The temperature-dependent properties of thermoelectric materials and the heat transfer at the cold side of the thermoelectric generator are considered in the model. The influence of the size of the thermoelectric legs on the output power, the power density and the maximum thermal stress under different cooling conditions, are investegated in the case of the steady heat supply. In order to achieve the best output performance and satisfy the mechanical strength requirement, an favoring leg size is proposed. Then, the characteristics of the transient response during heating are presented for the thermoelectric generator with the favoring leg size. The loading time of the thermal load is further improved. The research helps understanding the service behavior of thermoelectric generators and gives a roadmap to the performance enhancement of thermoelectric generators.

Keywords: Thermoelectric generators; Performance assessment; Design study; Transient characteristics (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:energy:v:190:y:2020:i:c:s0360544219319218

DOI: 10.1016/j.energy.2019.116226

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