Optimal dynamic reconfiguration of thermoelectric generator array using RIME optimizer to maximize the generated power

Abstract

The innovation of green and flexible sources of electricity is identified as one of the key enablers to a more electric-dependent world aiming at meeting the technology needs and promised sustainability goals. The thermoelectric generator device is one of these innovative sources as it directly converts the wasted heat to electric power with a cheap, silent, and no-emissions process. Yet, the power output of the thermoelectric generator is primarily based on the temperature distribution on its sides. Towards efficiently saving the wasted heat and maximizing the output power of the thermoelectric generator, optimizing the configuration for the thermoelectric generator array is paramount. In this regard, this paper proposes an optimal dynamic reconfiguration for several design options of the thermoelectric generator array, including series–parallel, total-cross-tied, bridge-linked, and honey-comp, to better enhance the thermoelectric generator array output power under nonuniform temperature distribution. The proposed dynamic reconfiguration approach is mathematically formulated as a maximization optimization problem for the thermoelectric generator array output power. The physics-based optimization of RIME is tailored to provide the optimal array reconfiguration layout that realizes the maximum power, upon which the overall power loss is potentially decreased, and the energy conversion efficiency is significantly improved. The efficacy and superiority of the proposed configuration types and optimal dynamic reconfiguration technique are assessed for two sizes of the thermoelectric generator array: a symmetric 9x9 array and an asymmetric 10x15 array. A detailed analysis is conducted to compare the thermoelectric generator output power of the studied configurations without and with the proposed dynamic reconfiguration technique. The results affirm that optimized dynamic reconfiguration significantly enhances the thermoelectric generator array-generated power. One of the key observations from the results is that employing a dynamic reconfiguration for the bridge-linked type yields up to a 10% increase in the output power of the thermoelectric generator array compared to the design options without reconfiguration. Also, the results show that the dynamically reconfigured bridge-linked type could yield about a 5% increase in the produced output power compared to other dynamically reconfigured design options.