IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/energy/v280y2023ics0360544223013737.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Experimental validation and numerical assessment of a temperature-controlled thermoelectric generator concept aimed at maximizing performance under highly variable thermal load driving cycles

Author

Listed:
  • Carvalho, Rui
  • Martins, Jorge
  • Pacheco, Nuno
  • Puga, Hélder
  • Costa, Joaquim
  • Vieira, Rui
  • Goncalves, L.M.
  • Brito, Francisco P.

Abstract

Although the internal combustion engine (ICE) dominance in mobility is being challenged, ICE R&D enables a non-disruptive transition towards sustainable transportation through hybridization and carbon neutral fuels. The efficiency improvement of ICE-based mobility through Waste Heat Recovery (WHR) is thus a priority, especially in the area of hybrid, plugin hybrid and long-haul transportation, where the recovery potential is high, and ICEs will still be used for a long time. Thermoelectric (TE) Generators (TEGs) have been assessed as a possible low maintenance WHR solution for long. However, viable market solutions are still not a reality. While material costs are steadily being overcome with novel affordable TE materials, there is still the issue of low average conversion efficiency under realistic driving conditions. This is caused by the fact that the efficiency of TEGs is further deprecated by the big challenge of thermally optimizing the TEGs under highly variable conditions of exhaust flow rate and exhaust temperature during real-world driving. This thermal optimization mainly means that the hot side temperature should be as close as possible to the maximum allowable temperature of the modules, but not higher.

Suggested Citation

  • Carvalho, Rui & Martins, Jorge & Pacheco, Nuno & Puga, Hélder & Costa, Joaquim & Vieira, Rui & Goncalves, L.M. & Brito, Francisco P., 2023. "Experimental validation and numerical assessment of a temperature-controlled thermoelectric generator concept aimed at maximizing performance under highly variable thermal load driving cycles," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 280(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:energy:v:280:y:2023:i:c:s0360544223013737
    DOI: 10.1016/j.energy.2023.127979
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0360544223013737
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.energy.2023.127979?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. Pacheco, N. & Brito, F.P. & Vieira, R. & Martins, J. & Barbosa, H. & Goncalves, L.M., 2020. "Compact automotive thermoelectric generator with embedded heat pipes for thermal control," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 197(C).
    2. Massaguer, A. & Massaguer, E. & Comamala, M. & Pujol, T. & González, J.R. & Cardenas, M.D. & Carbonell, D. & Bueno, A.J., 2018. "A method to assess the fuel economy of automotive thermoelectric generators," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 222(C), pages 42-58.
    3. Peng, Zhijun & Wang, Tianyou & He, Yongling & Yang, Xiaoyi & Lu, Lipeng, 2013. "Analysis of environmental and economic benefits of integrated Exhaust Energy Recovery (EER) for vehicles," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 105(C), pages 238-243.
    4. F. P. Brito & Jorge Martins & Francisco Lopes & Carlos Castro & Luís Martins & A. L. N. Moreira, 2020. "Development and Assessment of an Over-Expanded Engine to be Used as an Efficiency-Oriented Range Extender for Electric Vehicles," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(2), pages 1-18, January.
    5. 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.
    6. Ana Sofia Moita & Pedro Pontes & Lourenço Martins & Miguel Coelho & Oscar Carvalho & F. P. Brito & António Luís N. Moreira, 2022. "Complex Fluid Flow in Microchannels and Heat Pipes with Enhanced Surfaces for Advanced Heat Conversion and Recovery Systems," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(4), pages 1-20, February.
    7. Zhu, WenChao & Weng, Zebin & Li, Yang & Zhang, Leiqi & Zhao, Bo & Xie, Changjun & Shi, Ying & Huang, Liang & Yan, Yonggao, 2022. "Theoretical analysis of shape factor on performance of annular thermoelectric generators under different thermal boundary conditions," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 239(PD).
    8. Wang, Tianyou & Zhang, Yajun & Peng, Zhijun & Shu, Gequn, 2011. "A review of researches on thermal exhaust heat recovery with Rankine cycle," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 15(6), pages 2862-2871, August.
    9. Alagumalai, Avinash, 2014. "Internal combustion engines: Progress and prospects," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 38(C), pages 561-571.
    10. Yang, Wenlong & Zhu, WenChao & Li, Yang & Zhang, Leiqi & Zhao, Bo & Xie, Changjun & Yan, Yonggao & Huang, Liang, 2022. "Annular thermoelectric generator performance optimization analysis based on concentric annular heat exchanger," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 239(PB).
    11. He, Wei & Zhang, Gan & Zhang, Xingxing & Ji, Jie & Li, Guiqiang & Zhao, Xudong, 2015. "Recent development and application of thermoelectric generator and cooler," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 143(C), pages 1-25.
    12. Luo, Ding & Sun, Zeyu & Wang, Ruochen, 2022. "Performance investigation of a thermoelectric generator system applied in automobile exhaust waste heat recovery," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 238(PB).
    13. Massaguer, E. & Massaguer, A. & Pujol, T. & Comamala, M. & Montoro, L. & Gonzalez, J.R., 2019. "Fuel economy analysis under a WLTP cycle on a mid-size vehicle equipped with a thermoelectric energy recovery system," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 179(C), pages 306-314.
    14. Carolina Clasen Sousa & Jorge Martins & Óscar Carvalho & Miguel Coelho & Ana Sofia Moita & Francisco P. Brito, 2022. "Assessment of an Exhaust Thermoelectric Generator Incorporating Thermal Control Applied to a Heavy Duty Vehicle," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(13), pages 1-19, June.
    15. Dominković, D.F. & Bačeković, I. & Pedersen, A.S. & Krajačić, G., 2018. "The future of transportation in sustainable energy systems: Opportunities and barriers in a clean energy transition," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 82(P2), pages 1823-1838.
    16. Jorge Martins & F. P. Brito, 2020. "Alternative Fuels for Internal Combustion Engines," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(16), pages 1-34, August.
    17. Pourkiaei, Seyed Mohsen & Ahmadi, Mohammad Hossein & Sadeghzadeh, Milad & Moosavi, Soroush & Pourfayaz, Fathollah & Chen, Lingen & Pour Yazdi, Mohammad Arab & Kumar, Ravinder, 2019. "Thermoelectric cooler and thermoelectric generator devices: A review of present and potential applications, modeling and materials," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 186(C).
    18. Zhao, Yulong & Lu, Mingjie & Li, Yanzhe & Wang, Yulin & Ge, Minghui, 2023. "Numerical investigation of an exhaust thermoelectric generator with a perforated plate," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 263(PB).
    19. Garud, Kunal Sandip & Seo, Jae-Hyeong & Bang, You-Ma & Pyo, Young-Dug & Cho, Chong-Pyo & Lee, Moo-Yeon & Lee, Dong-Yeon, 2022. "Energy, exergy, environmental sustainability and economic analyses for automotive thermoelectric generator system with various configurations," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 244(PA).
    20. Chang, Wei-Ru & Hwang, Jenn-Jiang & Wu, Wei, 2017. "Environmental impact and sustainability study on biofuels for transportation applications," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 67(C), pages 277-288.
    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. Zhu, WenChao & Yang, Wenlong & Yang, Yang & Li, Yang & Li, Hao & Shi, Ying & Yan, Yonggao & Xie, Changjun, 2022. "Economic configuration optimization of onboard annual thermoelectric generators under multiple operating conditions," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 197(C), pages 486-499.
    2. Yang, Wenlong & Jin, Chenchen & Zhu, Wenchao & Li, Yang & Zhang, Rui & Huang, Liang & Xie, Changjun & Shi, Ying, 2024. "Taguchi optimization and thermoelectrical analysis of a pin fin annular thermoelectric generator for automotive waste heat recovery," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 220(C).
    3. Wenlong Yang & Wenchao Zhu & Yang Yang & Liang Huang & Ying Shi & Changjun Xie, 2022. "Thermoelectric Performance Evaluation and Optimization in a Concentric Annular Thermoelectric Generator under Different Cooling Methods," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(6), pages 1-21, March.
    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. Yang, Wenlong & Zhu, WenChao & Du, Banghua & Wang, Han & Xu, Lamei & Xie, Changjun & Shi, Ying, 2023. "Power generation of annular thermoelectric generator with silicone polymer thermal conductive oil applied in automotive waste heat recovery," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 282(C).
    6. Deng, Jinchang & Zhou, Fubao & Shi, Bobo & Torero, José L. & Qi, Haining & Liu, Peng & Ge, Shaokun & Wang, Zhiyu & Chen, Chen, 2020. "Waste heat recovery, utilization and evaluation of coalfield fire applying heat pipe combined thermoelectric generator in Xinjiang, China," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 207(C).
    7. Luo, Ding & Wang, Ruochen & Yan, Yuying & Yu, Wei & Zhou, Weiqi, 2021. "Transient numerical modelling of a thermoelectric generator system used for automotive exhaust waste heat recovery," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 297(C).
    8. Pacheco, N. & Brito, F.P. & Vieira, R. & Martins, J. & Barbosa, H. & Goncalves, L.M., 2020. "Compact automotive thermoelectric generator with embedded heat pipes for thermal control," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 197(C).
    9. Ivan Ruiz Cózar & Toni Pujol & Eduard Massaguer & Albert Massaguer & Lino Montoro & Jose Ramon González & Martí Comamala & Samir Ezzitouni, 2021. "Effects of Module Spatial Distribution on the Energy Efficiency and Electrical Output of Automotive Thermoelectric Generators," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(8), pages 1-16, April.
    10. Fernández-Yáñez, P. & Armas, O. & Kiwan, R. & Stefanopoulou, A.G. & Boehman, A.L., 2018. "A thermoelectric generator in exhaust systems of spark-ignition and compression-ignition engines. A comparison with an electric turbo-generator," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 229(C), pages 80-87.
    11. Duan, Mengfan & Sun, Hongli & Lin, Borong & Wu, Yifan, 2021. "Evaluation on the applicability of thermoelectric air cooling systems for buildings with thermoelectric material optimization," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 221(C).
    12. Luo, Ding & Yan, Yuying & Li, Ying & Wang, Ruochen & Cheng, Shan & Yang, Xuelin & Ji, Dongxu, 2023. "A hybrid transient CFD-thermoelectric numerical model for automobile thermoelectric generator systems," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 332(C).
    13. Weng, Zebin & Liu, Furong & Zhu, Wenchao & Li, Yang & Xie, Changjun & Deng, Jian & Huang, Liang, 2022. "Performance improvement of variable-angle annular thermoelectric generators considering different boundary conditions," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 306(PA).
    14. Hyland, Melissa & Hunter, Haywood & Liu, Jie & Veety, Elena & Vashaee, Daryoosh, 2016. "Wearable thermoelectric generators for human body heat harvesting," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 182(C), pages 518-524.
    15. Carolina Clasen Sousa & Jorge Martins & Óscar Carvalho & Miguel Coelho & Ana Sofia Moita & Francisco P. Brito, 2022. "Assessment of an Exhaust Thermoelectric Generator Incorporating Thermal Control Applied to a Heavy Duty Vehicle," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(13), pages 1-19, June.
    16. Liu, H.R. & Li, B.J. & Hua, L.J. & Wang, R.Z., 2022. "Designing thermoelectric self-cooling system for electronic devices: Experimental investigation and model validation," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 243(C).
    17. Luo, Ding & Yan, Yuying & Li, Ying & Yang, Xuelin & Chen, Hao, 2023. "Exhaust channel optimization of the automobile thermoelectric generator to produce the highest net power," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 281(C).
    18. Xie, Yu & Wu, Shi-jun & Yang, Can-jun, 2016. "Generation of electricity from deep-sea hydrothermal vents with a thermoelectric converter," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 164(C), pages 620-627.
    19. Lv, Hao & Wang, Xiao-Dong & Wang, Tian-Hu & Cheng, Chin-Hsiang, 2016. "Improvement of transient supercooling of thermoelectric coolers through variable semiconductor cross-section," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 164(C), pages 501-508.
    20. Mohammadnia, Ali & Ziapour, Behrooz M. & Sedaghati, Farzad & Rosendahl, Lasse & Rezania, Alireza, 2021. "Fan operating condition effect on performance of self- cooling thermoelectric generator system," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 224(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:energy:v:280:y:2023:i:c:s0360544223013737. 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.journals.elsevier.com/energy .

    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.