IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/appene/v109y2013icp1-9.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Optimization of thermoelectric topping combined steam turbine cycles for energy economy

Author

Listed:
  • Yazawa, Kazuaki
  • Koh, Yee Rui
  • Shakouri, Ali

Abstract

A mismatch between the fuel combustion temperature ∼2250K (adiabatic) and the high pressure steam temperature up to 900K, results in a large amount of thermodynamic losses in steam turbine (ST) cycles. A solid-state thermoelectric (TE) placed on top of a ST cycle will produce additional electrical power. By selecting the right materials for the TE generator for high temperature operation, the energy production from the same fuel consumption will increase. Recent nano-structured enhancements to the thermoelectric materials could provide practical performance benefits. We carried out a theoretical study on the optimization of the interface temperature connecting these two idealized engines for energy economy as a combined system. We also analytically studied the optimum point-of-operation between the maximum power output for minimizing the payback and the maximum efficiency to obtain the maximum fuel economy for each generator. The economic optimum ends up in a significant reduction in energy cost ($/kWh). The combined TE topping generator system provides a lower energy cost for any period of operational life and higher interface temperature compared to the ST cycle alone. The maximum power output is observed at around 700K of interface temperature for 10,000h of operation, while the minimum energy production cost from the combined system is observed at over 900K with ZT=1.

Suggested Citation

  • Yazawa, Kazuaki & Koh, Yee Rui & Shakouri, Ali, 2013. "Optimization of thermoelectric topping combined steam turbine cycles for energy economy," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 109(C), pages 1-9.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:appene:v:109:y:2013:i:c:p:1-9
    DOI: 10.1016/j.apenergy.2013.03.050
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0306261913002468
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.apenergy.2013.03.050?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Chen, Lingen & Li, Jun & Sun, Fengrui & Wu, Chih, 2005. "Performance optimization of a two-stage semiconductor thermoelectric-generator," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 82(4), pages 300-312, December.
    2. Xiao, Jinsheng & Yang, Tianqi & Li, Peng & Zhai, Pengcheng & Zhang, Qingjie, 2012. "Thermal design and management for performance optimization of solar thermoelectric generator," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 93(C), pages 33-38.
    3. Qiu, K. & Hayden, A.C.S., 2012. "Integrated thermoelectric and organic Rankine cycles for micro-CHP systems," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 97(C), pages 667-672.
    4. Wu, Bo & Li, Jigeng & Liu, Huanbin & Zhang, Zhanbo & Zhou, Yanming & Zhao, Ning, 2012. "Energy information integration based on EMS in paper mill," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 93(C), pages 488-495.
    5. Gou, Xiaolong & Xiao, Heng & Yang, Suwen, 2010. "Modeling, experimental study and optimization on low-temperature waste heat thermoelectric generator system," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 87(10), pages 3131-3136, October.
    6. Chen, Min & Lund, Henrik & Rosendahl, Lasse A. & Condra, Thomas J., 2010. "Energy efficiency analysis and impact evaluation of the application of thermoelectric power cycle to today's CHP systems," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 87(4), pages 1231-1238, April.
    7. Yamada, Noboru & Mohamad, Md Nor Anuar & Kien, Trinh Trung, 2012. "Study on thermal efficiency of low- to medium-temperature organic Rankine cycles using HFO−1234yf," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 41(C), pages 368-375.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Bianchi, Michele & Branchini, Lisa & De Pascale, Andrea, 2014. "Combining waste-to-energy steam cycle with gas turbine units," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 130(C), pages 764-773.
    2. Siviter, J. & Montecucco, A. & Knox, A.R., 2015. "Rankine cycle efficiency gain using thermoelectric heat pumps," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 140(C), pages 161-170.
    3. Liu, Di & Zhao, Fu-Yun & Yang, Hong-Xing & Tang, Guang-Fa, 2015. "Thermoelectric mini cooler coupled with micro thermosiphon for CPU cooling system," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 83(C), pages 29-36.
    4. He, Wei & Wang, Shixue & Lu, Chi & Zhang, Xing & Li, Yanzhe, 2016. "Influence of different cooling methods on thermoelectric performance of an engine exhaust gas waste heat recovery system," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 162(C), pages 1251-1258.
    5. Agrawal, Nikhil & Ahiduzzaman, Md & Kumar, Amit, 2018. "The development of an integrated model for the assessment of water and GHG footprints for the power generation sector," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 216(C), pages 558-575.
    6. He, Wei & Wang, Shixue & Yue, Like, 2017. "High net power output analysis with changes in exhaust temperature in a thermoelectric generator system," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 196(C), pages 259-267.
    7. Stevens, Robert J. & Weinstein, Steven J. & Koppula, Karuna S., 2014. "Theoretical limits of thermoelectric power generation from exhaust gases," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 133(C), pages 80-88.
    8. Kim, Hoon & Kim, Woochul, 2015. "A way of achieving a low $/W and a decent power output from a thermoelectric device," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 139(C), pages 205-211.
    9. Lei Zhang & Zongliang Qiao & Bingsen Hei & Youfei Tang & Shasha Liu, 2022. "Optimization of Steam Distribution Mode for Turbine Units Based on Governing Valve Characteristic Modeling," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(23), pages 1-15, December.
    10. F. P. Brito & João Silva Peixoto & Jorge Martins & António P. Gonçalves & Loucas Louca & Nikolaos Vlachos & Theodora Kyratsi, 2021. "Analysis and Design of a Silicide-Tetrahedrite Thermoelectric Generator Concept Suitable for Large-Scale Industrial Waste Heat Recovery," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(18), pages 1-21, September.
    11. Huang, Shouyuan & Xu, Xianfan, 2017. "A regenerative concept for thermoelectric power generation," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 185(P1), pages 119-125.
    12. Albino, Vito & Ardito, Lorenzo & Dangelico, Rosa Maria & Messeni Petruzzelli, Antonio, 2014. "Understanding the development trends of low-carbon energy technologies: A patent analysis," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 135(C), pages 836-854.
    13. Weiqi Zhou & Jiasheng Yang & Qing Qin & Jiahao Zhu & Shiyu Xu & Ding Luo & Ruochen Wang, 2022. "Research on Module Layout and Module Coverage of an Automobile Exhaust Thermoelectric Power Generation System," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(3), pages 1-15, January.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Wang, Yuchao & Dai, Chuanshan & Wang, Shixue, 2013. "Theoretical analysis of a thermoelectric generator using exhaust gas of vehicles as heat source," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 112(C), pages 1171-1180.
    2. Kim, Hoon & Kim, Woochul, 2015. "A way of achieving a low $/W and a decent power output from a thermoelectric device," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 139(C), pages 205-211.
    3. Tian, Hua & Sun, Xiuxiu & Jia, Qi & Liang, Xingyu & Shu, Gequn & Wang, Xu, 2015. "Comparison and parameter optimization of a segmented thermoelectric generator by using the high temperature exhaust of a diesel engine," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 84(C), pages 121-130.
    4. Liang, Xingyu & Sun, Xiuxiu & Tian, Hua & Shu, Gequn & Wang, Yuesen & Wang, Xu, 2014. "Comparison and parameter optimization of a two-stage thermoelectric generator using high temperature exhaust of internal combustion engine," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 130(C), pages 190-199.
    5. Zhang, Houcheng & Xu, Haoran & Chen, Bin & Dong, Feifei & Ni, Meng, 2017. "Two-stage thermoelectric generators for waste heat recovery from solid oxide fuel cells," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 132(C), pages 280-288.
    6. Liang, Gaowei & Zhou, Jiemin & Huang, Xuezhang, 2011. "Analytical model of parallel thermoelectric generator," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 88(12), pages 5193-5199.
    7. Fu, Xueqian & Sun, Hongbin & Guo, Qinglai & Pan, Zhaoguang & Zhang, Xiurong & Zeng, Shunqi, 2017. "Probabilistic power flow analysis considering the dependence between power and heat," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 191(C), pages 582-592.
    8. Sun, Xiuxiu & Liang, Xingyu & Shu, Gequn & Tian, Hua & Wei, Haiqiao & Wang, Xiangxiang, 2014. "Comparison of the two-stage and traditional single-stage thermoelectric generator in recovering the waste heat of the high temperature exhaust gas of internal combustion engine," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 77(C), pages 489-498.
    9. Cui, Tengfei & Xuan, Yimin & Yin, Ershuai & Li, Qiang & Li, Dianhong, 2017. "Experimental investigation on potential of a concentrated photovoltaic-thermoelectric system with phase change materials," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 122(C), pages 94-102.
    10. Kütt, Lauri & Millar, John & Karttunen, Antti & Lehtonen, Matti & Karppinen, Maarit, 2018. "Thermoelectric applications for energy harvesting in domestic applications and micro-production units. Part I: Thermoelectric concepts, domestic boilers and biomass stoves," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 98(C), pages 519-544.
    11. Kwan, Trevor Hocksun & Wu, Xiaofeng, 2017. "The Lock-On Mechanism MPPT algorithm as applied to the hybrid photovoltaic cell and thermoelectric generator system," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 204(C), pages 873-886.
    12. Soprani, S. & Haertel, J.H.K. & Lazarov, B.S. & Sigmund, O. & Engelbrecht, K., 2016. "A design approach for integrating thermoelectric devices using topology optimization," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 176(C), pages 49-64.
    13. Shen, Rong & Gou, Xiaolong & Xu, Haoyu & Qiu, Kuanrong, 2017. "Dynamic performance analysis of a cascaded thermoelectric generator," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 203(C), pages 808-815.
    14. Yin, Ershuai & Li, Qiang & Xuan, Yimin, 2018. "Optimal design method for concentrating photovoltaic-thermoelectric hybrid system," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 226(C), pages 320-329.
    15. Liu, Zhichun & Zhu, Shiping & Ge, Ya & Shan, Feng & Zeng, Lingping & Liu, Wei, 2017. "Geometry optimization of two-stage thermoelectric generators using simplified conjugate-gradient method," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 190(C), pages 540-552.
    16. Kunlin Cheng & Yu Feng & Chuanwen Lv & Silong Zhang & Jiang Qin & Wen Bao, 2017. "Performance Evaluation of Waste Heat Recovery Systems Based on Semiconductor Thermoelectric Generators for Hypersonic Vehicles," Energies, MDPI, vol. 10(4), pages 1-16, April.
    17. Lee, HoSung, 2013. "Optimal design of thermoelectric devices with dimensional analysis," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 106(C), pages 79-88.
    18. Ge, Ya & Liu, Zhichun & Sun, Henan & Liu, Wei, 2018. "Optimal design of a segmented thermoelectric generator based on three-dimensional numerical simulation and multi-objective genetic algorithm," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 147(C), pages 1060-1069.
    19. Ali, Haider & Yilbas, Bekir Sami & Al-Sharafi, Abdullah, 2017. "Innovative design of a thermoelectric generator with extended and segmented pin configurations," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 187(C), pages 367-379.
    20. Oluleye, Gbemi & Jobson, Megan & Smith, Robin & Perry, Simon J., 2016. "Evaluating the potential of process sites for waste heat recovery," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 161(C), pages 627-646.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:appene:v:109:y:2013:i:c:p:1-9. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/journaldescription.cws_home/405891/description#description .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.