Abstract
Thermoelectric power generation is a renewable energy conversion technology that can directly convert heat into electricity. In recent years, a great number of theoretical models have been established to predict and optimize the performance of both thermoelectric generators and thermoelectric generator systems. In this work, a comprehensive review of theoretical models is given with a specific focus on the different modeling approaches and different application scenarios. Firstly, the basic principles of theoretical models of the thermoelectric generator are presented, including the thermal resistance model, thermal-electric numerical model, and analogy model. Then, the theoretical models of the thermoelectric generator system are reviewed in detail, including the thermal resistance-based analytical model, computational fluid dynamics models, and fluid-thermal-electric multiphysics field coupled numerical model. The methods to improve the accuracy of theoretical models are also discussed. Furthermore, the transient thermal-electric numerical model of the thermoelectric generator and the transient fluid-thermal-electric multiphysics field coupled numerical model of the thermoelectric generator system are introduced, which can take into account the dynamic characteristics of the heat source, and may remain a hot research field in the upcoming years. Generally, thermal resistance models can quickly obtain the performance of the thermoelectric generator and thermoelectric generator system under different parameters, but suffer from relatively large errors; while it is the opposite for numerical models. To design a comprehensive thermoelectric generator system for practical application, it is suggested to combine the advantages of different models, to shorten the development time and ensure optimal performance at the same time.
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