Analyzing the Performance of Thermoelectric Generators with Inhomogeneous Legs: Coupled Material–Device Modelling for Mg 2 X -Based TEG Prototypes

Julia Camut, Eckhard Müller and Johannes de Boor ()
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Julia Camut: Department of Thermoelectric Materials and Systems, Institute of Materials Research, German Aerospace Center, 51147 Cologne, Germany
Eckhard Müller: Department of Thermoelectric Materials and Systems, Institute of Materials Research, German Aerospace Center, 51147 Cologne, Germany
Johannes de Boor: Department of Thermoelectric Materials and Systems, Institute of Materials Research, German Aerospace Center, 51147 Cologne, Germany

Energies, 2023, vol. 16, issue 9, 1-18

Abstract: Thermoelectric generators (TEGs) possess the ability to generate electrical power from heat. As TEGs are operated under a thermal gradient, inhomogeneous material properties—either by design or due to inhomogeneous material degradation under thermal load—are commonly found. However, this cannot be addressed using standard approaches for performance analysis of TEGs in which spatially homogeneous materials are assumed. Therefore, an innovative method of analysis, which can incorporate inhomogeneous material properties, is presented in this study. This is crucial to understand the measured performance parameters of TEGs and, from this, develop means to improve their longevity. The analysis combines experimental profiling of inhomogeneous material properties, modelling of the material properties using a single parabolic band model, and calculation of device properties using the established Constant Property Model. We compare modeling results assuming homogeneous and inhomogeneous properties to the measurement results of an Mg 2 (Si,Sn)-based TEG prototype. We find that relevant discrepancies lie in the effective temperature difference across the TE leg, which decreases by ~10%, and in the difference between measured and calculated heat flow, which increases from 2–15% to 9–16% when considering the inhomogeneous material. The approach confirms additional resistances in the TEG as the main performance loss mechanism and allows the accurate calculation of the impact of different improvements on the TEG’s performance.

Keywords: thermoelectrics; performance modelling; material modelling; TEG characterization; single parabolic band model; constant property model; inhomogeneous material; performance analysis (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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