Boosting diesel generators power with thermoelectric generators and integrated oil tank – Thermal modeling and parametric study

Abstract

In this paper, a unique method for using thermoelectric generators (TEGs) to generate electricity is introduced, a technique that makes use of a cold oil tank and hot exhaust gases from generators. A set of TEGs and an integrated cold oil tank are connected to the diesel generator as part of the suggested design. A pertinent thermal modeling was designed and a thorough parametric study was carried out to show the validity of this innovative concept. The parametric study has demonstrated that when the generator power and the thickness to thermal conductivity ratio of each TEG in the system are increased, the temperature differential in each TEG module and the power produced by the assembly of TEGs both exhibit linear increases. The length of the TEG plate and the height of the exhaust gas duct cause an exponential increase in the temperature differential across each TEG module. The TEG assembly's power output increases linearly with TEG surface length and decreases exponentially with exhaust gas duct height. Using an exhaust gas duct height of 0.05 m, and a TEGs plate length of 1 m, the parametric study showed that power generation of up to 2778 W is feasible under the predetermined circumstances of a diesel generator with an output of 125 kW. When compared to a conventional setup, the new hybrid generator in this scenario may be able to increase power generation by up to 2.22 %.