Thermal and Electrical Performances of Thermoelectric Generator System for Different Internal Fin Structures

Abstract

In the present study, the thermal and electrical performances of automotive waste heat recovery thermoelectric generator system are investigated for different internal fin structures in hot heat exchanger. A coupled numerical model integrated with heat transfer and thermoelectric effects is developed to simulate the Multiphysics behavior of thermoelectric generator system. The coupled numerical model is validated with experimental results for both thermal and electrical performances within maximum error of $\pm$8%. The temperature difference, pressure drop, power, conversion efficiency, exergy efficiency, and net efficiency of thermoelectric generator system are compared for hot heat exchanger without internal fin structure and that with 12 different internal fin structures. The 12 different internal fin structures comprise of straight fins, perpendicular fins, fishbone fins, triangular guide fins, and combination of fins. The results reveal that, an Internal structure11 depicts superior thermal and electrical performances of thermoelectric generator system among all internal fin structures. Despite of higher pressure drop of 0.04571 bar, the Internal structure11 shows superior power, conversion efficiency, exergy efficiency, and net efficiency of 70.79 W, 7.76%, 14.10%, and 0.996%, respectively. The hot heat exchanger with Internal structure11 is proposed as the best configuration for the optimum performance of thermoelectric generator system.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Dong-A University Research Fund.

Notes on contributors

Kunal Sandip Garud

Kunal Sandip Garud is currently pursuing doctorate degree in Department of Mechanical Engineering, Dong-A University, Republic of Korea. He received master’s degree in thermal sciences from National Institute of Technology Calicut, India in 2018. His research interests include electric vehicle driving motor cooling, thermal management of xEVs, nanofluids, artificial intelligence, solar energy, photovoltaic systems, heat pump, heat and mass transfer, and thermoelectric generators.

Arun Kumaradas Raj

Arun Kumaradas Raj is currently working as Assistant Professor (Research Track) in the Center for Excellence in Computational Engineering & Networking at the Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, Coimbatore, India, from August 2022. Since 2015, he has been involved in works related to experimental and computational heat transfer and fluid flow analysis, thermodynamics, applied research on solar energy and thermal energy storage (heating and cooling, drying, desalination, and heat pumps), and finding new eco-friendly refrigerants for automobiles. He worked as a Postdoctoral Scholar (2021–2022) in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of California, Merced Campus, USA, and as an Institute Postdoctoral Fellow (2020–2021) in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, India.

Moo-Yeon Lee

Moo-Yeon Lee is currently working as a Professor in Department of Mechanical Engineering, Dong-A University, Republic of Korea. He is also head and director of xEVs Thermal Energy Management Lab (TEML). He received his doctorate degree in Mechanical Engineering from Korea University in 2010. He worked as a senior researcher in Korea Automotive Technology Institute (2011–2012) and as a team lead in LG Electronics Co., Ltd (2005–2007). Currently, he is serving as an academic editor of Symmetry journal and editor of Sustainable Energy journal. His research interests include thermal management of xEVs, heat pump, renewable energy, heat and mass transfer, and nanofluids.