Analysis and modeling of effective temperature differences and electrical parameters of thermoelectric generators

作者：Kim Shiho^*

来源：Applied Energy, 2013, 102: 1458-1463.

DOI：10.1016/j.apenergy.2012.09.006

• Thermoelectric generator (TEG)
• Seebeck coefficients
• Thermal resistance
• Load current dependence
• Power generation efficiency

We have derived an analytic model describing the interior temperature difference as a function of the load current of a thermoelectric generator (TEG); we have also proposed a method to extract the intrinsic and extrinsic Seebeck coefficients and resistances of TEG using experimental current-voltage curves. The decrement of internal temperature difference is almost linearly depending on load current of the TEG. From the experimental results, using a thermoelectric (TE) module with a thermal conductance of 3.52 W/K and a parasitic thermal conductance of 50 W/K, the effective internal electrical resistance was increased by approximately 5%, but the effective Seebeck coefficient was attenuated by approximately 13%, as compared to the intrinsic parameters. The relationship between the output power reduction factor and limited thermal conductance of TEG packaging was also derived. Approximately 25% of the maximum output power is lost because of the parasitic thermal resistance of the TE module used in the experiment.

• 出版日期2013-2