- Journal of Thermal Engineering
- Vol: 5 Issue: 5
- DYNAMIC PERFORMANCE CHARACTERISTICS OF A THERMOELECTRIC GENERATOR
DYNAMIC PERFORMANCE CHARACTERISTICS OF A THERMOELECTRIC GENERATOR
Authors : Ahmed S. El-adl,
Pages : 385-395
Doi:10.18186/thermal.623206
View : 9 | Download : 7
Publication Date : 2019-09-22
Article Type : Other
Abstract :A thermoelectric generator (TEG) is a device that transforms thermal energy directly into electrical power by exploiting the Seebeck effect. In the current study, the dynamic performance characteristics of a TEG is experimentally studied under different operating conditions. The Influence of input heat rate and the influence of utilizing extended surfaces (fins) on both transient and steady-state performance of a TEG are experimentally investigated. The variation in the temperatures of the TEG hot-and cold-side in addition to the output voltage is taken as a denotation of the performance characteristics. Input heating rate of 15.0 W, 17.5 W, 20.0 W, 22.0W and 25.0 W are applied to the TEG hot-side. Free air convection (FC) is utilized for heat dissipation from the TEG module through the cold-side. From the experimentation, it can be concluded that increasing the input heating rate provides a higher temperature difference between the module sides leading to higher power output. Additionally, using fins to aid heat dissipations improved the TEG performance by lowering the temperature of the cold-side and increasing the temperature difference across the module. The experimental data collected are compared with the data obtainable by the TEG module manufacturer and an excellent concordat is acquired.Keywords : Thermoelectric Generator (TEG), Fins, Seebeck Effect