Thermoelectric power enhancement by way of flow impedance for fixed thermal input conditions

Abstract

Liquid-to-liquid thermoelectric generators are now being considered for the purpose of converting low cost heat to electricity for local energy uses. The importance in investigating their system efficiency lies in the fact that the generator's purpose is to maintain a heat source and a heat sink for its embedded thermoelectric modules. Of particular importance is the generator's ability to maintain an asymmetric thermal field across its embedded modules since this mechanism partially dictates the devices' thermal to electric conversion efficiency. Indeed, since the modules' semiconductor materials' ability to generate an electromotive force is dependent on the quality of the thermal dipole across the material, gains in thermoelectric generator energy conversion efficiency are made possible with thermal system management. In an effort to improve the system conversion efficiency of a liquid-to-liquid thermoelectric generator (TEG), the present work builds upon recent advancements in TEG inner pipe flow optimisation by investigating the thermoelectric power enhancement brought upon by flow impeding panel inserts in a thermoelectric generator's flow channels for fixed thermal input conditions and with respect to varying insert panel densities. The pumping penalty associated with the flow impedance is measured in order to present and to discuss the net thermoelectric power enhancement.