Performance Analysis of a Thermoelectric Combined Power Cycle

Abstract

As the level of aerospace technology continues to advance, the requirements for aircraft engines are becoming more onerous. A new thermal-cycle propulsion-technology scheme is proposed based on the existing propulsion system to meet the needs of round-trip space and multitask flights that use hypersonic vehicles, where thermoelectric materials are introduced into the wall of the engine tail nozzle and the front of the aircraft. The residual heat at the tail nozzle of the engine and the aerodynamic heat generated during flight are converted into electrical energy and reused in the engine cycle. The results show that, compared with traditional engine schemes, the thermoelectric combined-power engine has a higher specific impulse and cycle thermal efficiency, but the performance of the required thermoelectric materials is higher. However, the performance of existing materials cannot achieve the required standards.