Heat transfer characteristics of a thermoelectric power generator system for low-grade waste heat recovery from the sugar industry

Abstract

A numerical model was developed to simulate thermal conductivity and electrical energy transfer processes in a thermoelectric generator (TEG) designed for low-grade waste heat recovery in the sugar industry. In this study, the researchers selected four thermoelectric (TE) cooling modules of TEC1-12706 and TEC1-12710 and TE power modules of SP1848-27145 SA and TEG1-127-40-40-250 for testing of low-grade heat at a temperature of 200 °C. The test results indicated that an aluminium plate of 10 mm in thickness was most effective for creating heat exchange that is favourable for installation in a TEG system. The TEC1-12710 could generate a maximum power output of 126.15 W at a matched load of about 1.65 Ω. The thermoelectric power generation system can convert 11.5% of heat energy into electrical energy. Finally, the electrical energy costs for TEC1-12710 were estimated to be USD$ 0.22 per kWh, which is comparable to TEC1-12706, SP1848-27145 SA and TEG1-127-40-40-250. Therefore, the TE cooling module in the current work is an interesting and new alternative for power generation from waste heat in sugarcane industries.