IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/appene/v185y2017ip2p1343-1354.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Numerical study on thermoelectric–hydraulic performance of a thermoelectric power generator with a plate-fin heat exchanger with longitudinal vortex generators

Author

Listed:
  • Ma, Ting
  • Lu, Xing
  • Pandit, Jaideep
  • Ekkad, Srinath V.
  • Huxtable, Scott T.
  • Deshpande, Samruddhi
  • Wang, Qiu-wang

Abstract

In this paper, the effect of longitudinal vortex generators (LVGs) on the performance of a thermoelectric power generator (TEG) with a plate-fin heat exchanger is investigated. A fluid-thermal-electric multi-physics coupled model for the TEG is established on the COMSOL® platform, in which the Seebeck, Peltier, Thomson, and Joule heating effects are taken into account. The equivalent thermal–electrical properties of the thermoelectric (TE) module are used in the numerical simulation. The results indicate that the LVGs produce complex three-dimensional vortices in the cross section downstream from the LVGs, thus enhancing the heat transfer and electric performance compared to a TEG without LVGs. Under baseline operating conditions, the heat input and open circuit voltage of the TEG with LVGs are increased by 41–75% compared to a TEG with smooth channel. The simulations also show that the Reynolds number and hot-side inlet temperature have significant effects on the net power and thermal efficiency of the TEG, but the cold-side temperature has a smaller effect. Additionally, the performance of the TEG under a constant heat transfer coefficient boundary condition is almost the same as the performance under a constant temperature boundary condition. Overall, this work demonstrates that LVGs have great potential to enhance the performance of TEGs for waste heat recovery from vehicle exhaust.

Suggested Citation

  • Ma, Ting & Lu, Xing & Pandit, Jaideep & Ekkad, Srinath V. & Huxtable, Scott T. & Deshpande, Samruddhi & Wang, Qiu-wang, 2017. "Numerical study on thermoelectric–hydraulic performance of a thermoelectric power generator with a plate-fin heat exchanger with longitudinal vortex generators," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 185(P2), pages 1343-1354.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:appene:v:185:y:2017:i:p2:p:1343-1354
    DOI: 10.1016/j.apenergy.2016.01.078
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0306261916300654
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.apenergy.2016.01.078?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. Ma, Ting & Pandit, Jaideep & Ekkad, Srinath V. & Huxtable, Scott T. & Wang, Qiuwang, 2015. "Simulation of thermoelectric-hydraulic performance of a thermoelectric power generator with longitudinal vortex generators," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 84(C), pages 695-703.
    2. Chen, Wei-Hsin & Huang, Shih-Rong & Lin, Yu-Li, 2015. "Performance analysis and optimum operation of a thermoelectric generator by Taguchi method," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 158(C), pages 44-54.
    3. 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.
    4. Hsiao, Y.Y. & Chang, W.C. & Chen, S.L., 2010. "A mathematic model of thermoelectric module with applications on waste heat recovery from automobile engine," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 35(3), pages 1447-1454.
    5. Lu, Hongliang & Wu, Ting & Bai, Shengqiang & Xu, Kangcong & Huang, Yingjie & Gao, Weimin & Yin, Xianglin & Chen, Lidong, 2013. "Experiment on thermal uniformity and pressure drop of exhaust heat exchanger for automotive thermoelectric generator," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 54(C), pages 372-377.
    6. Yu, Shuhai & Du, Qing & Diao, Hai & Shu, Gequn & Jiao, Kui, 2015. "Start-up modes of thermoelectric generator based on vehicle exhaust waste heat recovery," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 138(C), pages 276-290.
    7. 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.
    8. Wang, Tongcai & Luan, Weiling & Wang, Wei & Tu, Shan-Tung, 2014. "Waste heat recovery through plate heat exchanger based thermoelectric generator system," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 136(C), pages 860-865.
    9. Favarel, Camille & Bédécarrats, Jean-Pierre & Kousksou, Tarik & Champier, Daniel, 2014. "Numerical optimization of the occupancy rate of thermoelectric generators to produce the highest electrical power," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 68(C), pages 104-116.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    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. Twaha, Ssennoga & Zhu, Jie & Yan, Yuying & Li, Bo, 2016. "A comprehensive review of thermoelectric technology: Materials, applications, modelling and performance improvement," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 65(C), pages 698-726.
    2. Massaguer, A. & Massaguer, E. & Comamala, M. & Pujol, T. & Montoro, L. & Cardenas, M.D. & Carbonell, D. & Bueno, A.J., 2017. "Transient behavior under a normalized driving cycle of an automotive thermoelectric generator," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 206(C), pages 1282-1296.
    3. Chen, Wei-Hsin & Huang, Shih-Rong & Lin, Yu-Li, 2015. "Performance analysis and optimum operation of a thermoelectric generator by Taguchi method," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 158(C), pages 44-54.
    4. Ma, Xiaonan & Shu, Gequn & Tian, Hua & Xu, Wen & Chen, Tianyu, 2019. "Performance assessment of engine exhaust-based segmented thermoelectric generators by length ratio optimization," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 248(C), pages 614-625.
    5. He, Wei & Guo, Rui & Liu, Shengchun & Zhu, Kai & Wang, Shixue, 2020. "Temperature gradient characteristics and effect on optimal thermoelectric performance in exhaust power-generation systems," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 261(C).
    6. Shu, Gequn & Ma, Xiaonan & Tian, Hua & Yang, Haoqi & Chen, Tianyu & Li, Xiaoya, 2018. "Configuration optimization of the segmented modules in an exhaust-based thermoelectric generator for engine waste heat recovery," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 160(C), pages 612-624.
    7. Zhi Li & Wenhao Li & Zhen Chen, 2017. "Performance Analysis of Thermoelectric Based Automotive Waste Heat Recovery System with Nanofluid Coolant," Energies, MDPI, vol. 10(10), pages 1-15, September.
    8. Yu, Shuhai & Du, Qing & Diao, Hai & Shu, Gequn & Jiao, Kui, 2015. "Start-up modes of thermoelectric generator based on vehicle exhaust waste heat recovery," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 138(C), pages 276-290.
    9. Ma, Ting & Pandit, Jaideep & Ekkad, Srinath V. & Huxtable, Scott T. & Wang, Qiuwang, 2015. "Simulation of thermoelectric-hydraulic performance of a thermoelectric power generator with longitudinal vortex generators," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 84(C), pages 695-703.
    10. Ma, Ting & Qu, Zuoming & Yu, Xingfei & Lu, Xing & Chen, Yitung & Wang, Qiuwang, 2019. "Numerical study and optimization of thermoelectric-hydraulic performance of a novel thermoelectric generator integrated recuperator," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 174(C), pages 1176-1187.
    11. Li, Bo & Huang, Kuo & Yan, Yuying & Li, Yong & Twaha, Ssennoga & Zhu, Jie, 2017. "Heat transfer enhancement of a modularised thermoelectric power generator for passenger vehicles," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 205(C), pages 868-879.
    12. Lan, Song & Yang, Zhijia & Chen, Rui & Stobart, Richard, 2018. "A dynamic model for thermoelectric generator applied to vehicle waste heat recovery," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 210(C), pages 327-338.
    13. Chen, Yifeng & Xie, Changjun & Li, Yang & Zhu, WenChao & Xu, Lamei & Gooi, Hoay Beng, 2023. "An improved metaheuristic-based MPPT for centralized thermoelectric generation systems under dynamic temperature conditions," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 277(C).
    14. Shen, Zu-Guo & Wu, Shuang-Ying & Xiao, Lan & Yin, Gang, 2016. "Theoretical modeling of thermoelectric generator with particular emphasis on the effect of side surface heat transfer," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 95(C), pages 367-379.
    15. Patil, Dipak S. & Arakerimath, Rachayya R. & Walke, Pramod V., 2018. "Thermoelectric materials and heat exchangers for power generation – A review," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 95(C), pages 1-22.
    16. 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.
    17. Muralidhar, Nischal & Himabindu, M. & Ravikrishna, R.V., 2018. "Modeling of a hybrid electric heavy duty vehicle to assess energy recovery using a thermoelectric generator," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 148(C), pages 1046-1059.
    18. Huang, Shouyuan & Xu, Xianfan, 2017. "A regenerative concept for thermoelectric power generation," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 185(P1), pages 119-125.
    19. Ding, L.C. & Akbarzadeh, A. & Tan, L., 2018. "A review of power generation with thermoelectric system and its alternative with solar ponds," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 81(P1), pages 799-812.
    20. Aljaghtham, Mutabe & Celik, Emrah, 2020. "Design optimization of oil pan thermoelectric generator to recover waste heat from internal combustion engines," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 200(C).

    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:185:y:2017:i:p2:p:1343-1354. 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.