1. A model to analyze the device level performance of thermoelectric generator.
- Author
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Wu, Yongjia, Zuo, Lei, Chen, Jie, and Klein, Jackson A.
- Subjects
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THERMOELECTRIC generators , *SOLID state physics , *HEAT engines , *ENERGY conversion , *ENERGY consumption - Abstract
The thermoelectric generator (TEG) is a distinctive solid-state heat engine with great potential in various scale energy harvesting. Device-level heat transfer coupled with energy conversion makes the accurate analysis of the system very complicate. In this paper, the thermodynamic analysis in a TEG module is carried out to study the influence of the contact layer resistance, Thompson Effect, Joule heat, and thermo-pellet gap heat leakage on the performance of the TEG. All expressions of power output, current, matching load resistant factor, and efficiency of the device are derived and compared with a commercial module. The equations for the simplified model are also given concisely in order to give a full picture of TEG modeling. The research can evaluate the combined influence of all the factors and redress some derivations in the existing models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2016
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