The Experimental Design of Thermoelectric Generator for Industrial Waste Heat Recovery

Year 2016, Volume: 5 , 253 - 263, 07.11.2016

Abdullah Hakan Yavuz Cem Emeksiz Oğuzhan Sönmez

Abstract

A new method for the design of Thermo-Electric Generators (TEG) used for recovery of industrial waste heat is discussed in this article. Whilst TEGs now operate autonomously using waste heat and generate power, they can be used to generate hot water, additionally. A hybrid TEG was designed and measurements were made in the laboratory environment. Established with 12 pieces of TEG1-12610-4.3 thermoelectric modules in the design, 26.6 W of power was obtained within a temperature difference of 119.4 °C. The system was provided with the ability to cool itself with the energy it produced without applying any external force. In this case, the water temperature in the reservoir rose from 14 °C to 69 °C whilst 14 W of power was being obtained at the temperature difference of 109 °C. Thus, hybrid-TEGs were noted being the significant alternative for the recovery of waste heat and their necessity were seen in terms of the energy efficiency, as well.

Keywords

Thermoelectric Generators, Power Generators; Waste Heat Recovery; Renewable Energy

References

• Thermoelectric nanomaterials materials design and applications. Vol. 182.2013: Springer Series in Materials Science.
• Hamid Elsheikh M, Shnawah DA, Sabri MFM, Said SM, Haji Hassan M, Ali Bashir MB, Mohamad M. A review on thermoelectric renewable energy: principle parameters that affect their performance. Renew Sustain Energy Rev 2014;30:337–55.
• Zheng XF, Liu CX, Yan YY, Wang Q. A review of thermoelectrics research – Recent developments and potentials for sustainable and renewable energy applications. Renew Sustain Energy Rev 2014;32:486–503.
• Dai, D., Zhou, Y. ve Liu, J., “Liquid metal based thermoelectric generation system for waste heat recovery”, Renewable Energy, 36(12): 3530–3636 (2011).
• Nagayoshi, H., Tokimusu, K. ve Kajikawa, T., “Evaluation of multi MPPT thermoelectric generator system”, 26th International Conference on Thermoelectrics, Jeju, 318–321 (2007).
• Karabetoğlu, S., Şişman, A., Öztürk, Z. F. ve Sahin, T., “Characterization of a thermoelectric generator at low temperatures”, Energy Conversion and Management, 62(1): 47–50 (2012).
• Zhao, L. D., Zhang, B. P., Li, J. F., Zhou, M., Liu, W. S. ve Liu, J., “Thermoelectric and mechanical properties of nano–SiC–dispersed Bi2Te3 fabricated by mechanical alloying and spark plasma sintering”, Journal of Alloys and Compounds, 455(1–2): 259–264 (2008).
• Xi, H., Luo, L. ve Fraisse, G., “Development and applications of solar–based thermoelectric technologies”, Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 11(5): 923–936 (2007).
• Riffat, S. B. ve Ma, X., “Thermoelectrics: A review of present and potential applications”, Applied Thermal Engineering, 23(8): 913–935 (2003).
• Date Ashwin, Date Abhijit, Dixon Chris, Singh Randeep, Akbarzadeh Aliakbar.
• Theoretical and experimental estimation of limiting input heat flux forthermoelectric power generators with passive cooling. Sol Energy 2015; 111:201–17. ISSN 0038-092X
• Djafar Z, Putra N, Koestoer RA. The utilization of heat pipe on cold surface of thermoelectric with low-temperature waste heat. Appl. Mech. Mater. 2013; 302:410–5.
• Liu Changwei, Chen Pingyun, Li Kewen. A 500 W low-temperature thermoelectric generator: design and experimental study. Int. J. Hydrogen Energy 2014;39(28):15497–505. ISSN 0360-3199
• Remeli Muhammad Fairuz, Tan Lippong, Date Abhijit, Singh Baljit, Akbarzadeh Aliakbar. Simultaneous power generation and heat recovery using a heat pipe assisted thermoelectric generator system. Energy Convers. Manage. 2015; 91:110–9. ISSN 0196-8904
• Goldsmid, J. Introduction to Thermoelectricity; Springer: Heidelberg, Germany, 2010.
• Rowe, D.M. Handbook of Thermoelectrics; CRC Press: Boca Raton, FL, USA, 1995.
• He, W.; Zhang, G.; Zhang, X.; Ji, J.; Li, G.; Zhao, X. Recent development and application of thermoelectric generator and cooler. Appl. Energy 2015, 143, 1–25.
• Snyder, G.J.; Toberer, E.S. Comply thermoelectric materials. Nat. Mater. 2008, 7, 105–114.
• Ahıska, R., Mamur, H. ve Uliş, M., 2011. Modeling and experimental study of thermoelectric module as generator, Journal of The Faculty of Engineering and Architecture of Gazi University, (26(4): 889–896).
• Bierschenk, J., 2008. Optimized thermoelectric for energy harvesting applications, 17th International Symposium on the Applications of Ferroelectrics ISAF 2008, (1–4), Santa Re.
• Ferrari, M., Ferrari, V., Guizzetti, M., Marioli, D. ve Taroni, A., 2007. Characterization of thermoelectric modules for powering autonomous sensors, Instrumentation and Measurement Technology Conference, (1–3), Warsaw.
• Champier, D., Bedecarrats, J. P., Rivaletto, M. ve Strub, F., “Thermoelectric power generation from biomass cook stoves”, Energy, 35(2): 935–942 (2010).