Thermoelectric Conversion Efficiency Research Articles

Analysis of thermoelectric conversion efficiency of tritium breeding blanket with He-CO2 mixture coolant in fusion reactors

The first wall of the tritium breeding blanket is an important high-heat flux component in fusion reactors, and its thermal analysis is critical. Helium is chosen as the coolant for the CFETR tritium breeding blanket due to its good compatibility with structural materials and excellent thermal properties. However, its low density requires a significant amount of drive power. After extensive feasibility research, using He-CO2 mixture as coolant is one of the main optimization directions. In this paper, a new method is proposed to consider the variation of thermal properties parameters of the He-CO2 mixture with temperature. A fitting formula for the He-CO2 mixture at different ratios under 12MPa is provided, and the mixture is simulated in the commercial CFD software Fluent by compiling a UDF program. The results show that the optimum He mole fraction in the He-CO2 mixture is 60%, which reduces the required drive power by 89.36% compared with using pure He as coolant and by 81.57% compared with using CO2.With further programming calculations and considering the effect of the secondary circuit, it is calculated that the highest energy conversion efficiency is 29.43% .This study provides valuable insights into the thermal-hydraulic performance of the tritium breeding blanket with a binary gas mixture coolant in fusion reactors.

A novel thermal management system for a cylindrical battery based on tubular thermoelectric generator

This study introduces an innovative thermal management system tailored for cylindrical Lithium-ion batteries. It integrates a tubular thermoelectric generator (TTEG) to handle both battery thermal management and the utilization of waste heat for power generation. The main focus lies in evaluating the waste heat recovery capabilities of the TTEG to enhance effective thermal management. The research investigates key geometric and operational parameters such as battery discharge rate (C-rate), thermocouple count (NTC), heat transfer coefficient (HTC), and thermoelectric leg height (HL) to comprehensively assess the overall system performance. The results highlight that integrating the TTEG improves thermal management and waste heat recovery in lithium-ion batteries. It demonstrates temperature reductions of up to 21 °C at a discharge rate of 3C compared to batteries without the TTEG thermal management system. Additionally, increasing the NTC leads to a rise in the maximum battery temperature, thereby enhancing waste heat recovery performance. For instance, increasing the number of thermocouples from 100 to 144 results in a substantial up to 70 % increase in TTEG voltage.Furthermore, enhancing HTC and HL positively impacts thermal performance, showing a significant decrease in the maximum battery temperature. Elevated HTC and HL also contribute to improving thermoelectric voltage, power, and conversion efficiency, highlighting their dual role in enhancing waste heat recovery. For instance, at peak conditions, there is a notable reduction of 2.66 °C in the maximum battery temperature with an HL of 12 mm compared to 4 mm. Additionally, increasing HTC from 10 to 20, particularly at maximum discharge, leads to a surge of 15.87 % in voltage and a substantial 34.28 % increase in output power.

Large transverse thermoelectric effect induced by the mixed-dimensionality of Fermi surfaces

Transverse thermoelectric effect, the conversion of longitudinal heat current into transverse electric current, or vice versa, offers a promising energy harvesting technology. Materials with axis-dependent conduction polarity, known as p × n-type conductors or goniopolar materials, are potential candidate, because the non-zero transverse elements of thermopower tensor appear under rotational operation, though the availability is highly limited. Here, we report that a ternary metal LaPt2B with unique crystal structure exhibits axis-dependent thermopower polarity, which is driven by mixed-dimensional Fermi surfaces consisting of quasi-one-dimensional hole sheet with out-of-plane velocity and quasi-two-dimensional electron sheets with in-plane velocity. The ideal mixed-dimensional conductor LaPt2B exhibits an extremely large transverse Peltier conductivity up to ∣αyx∣ = 130 A K−1 m−1, and its transverse thermoelectric performance surpasses those of topological magnets utilizing the anomalous Nernst effect. These results thus manifest the mixed-dimensionality as a key property for efficient transverse thermoelectric conversion.

Analysis of discharge performance and thermo-electric conversion efficiency in thermally regenerative ammonia-based flow battery with foam copper electrode

This paper established a numerical model of mass transport and electrochemical reaction coupling in porous media of thermally regenerative ammonia-based flow battery with foam copper electrode (TRAFB-FCE) for the first time. The effects of the structural parameters of the foam copper electrode on the power density, energy density, discharge capacity, and active species distribution of the battery were comprehensively studied based on the coupled numerical model. Special attention was paid to the selection strategy of the initial reactant concentration for the battery under different discharge conditions. The results suggest that increasing the porosity or thickness of the foam copper electrode causes the voltage and power density of the battery to first increase and then decrease, while the discharge capacity and energy density monotonically increase. Moreover, the battery should avoid discharging at current densities exceeding 720 A·m−2. When the discharge current density is less than 200 A·m−2, it is preferable to set the initial concentration of Cu2+ to 0.4 mol/L, while the discharge current density is in the range of 200–720 A·m−2, the initial concentration of Cu2+ is preferable to be 0.3 mol/L. When it discharges at about 5 % of its maximum power density, the Carnot-relative efficiency of this battery is comparable to the highest value currently reported in the field of liquid-based thermo-electric conversion achieved by the Thermal Regenerative Electrochemical Cycle (TREC) technology, and the power density of the former is 8.87 times that of the latter.

Design and optimization of three segmented thermoelectric generator for nuclear reactor application

With the scientific exploration in deep space and deep sea, traditional fossil energy and solar energy cannot supply energy for deep space aircrafts and deep sea vehicles continuously, new energy power systems with the features of long endurance, high reliability and high energy density are imperative. Small nuclear reactor has become one of the best solutions for deep space energy demand in the future due to its strong environmental adaptability and long-life time. To improve the reliability of the static heat pipe reactor, the thermoelectric generators (TEGs) are utilized to convert fission heat into electrical energy. Focusing on the demands of improving the conversion efficiency, a new three segmented TEG is proposed based on the Bi2Te3, CoSb3 and Half-Heusler thermoelectric materials in this paper. Combined with the application requirements of heat pipe reactor, the geometric configuration such as different heights and the cross-sectional area of the three different materials in the PN legs is designed and optimized under different heat flux boundary conditions. The influences of contact electrical resistance and contact thermal resistance on the conversion efficiency have been investigated. When the contact electrical resistivity increases from 0.01 μΩ cm2 to 1000 μΩ cm2, the conversion efficiency loss increases from 2.6% to 80.1%. As the surface roughness rises from 0.1 μm to 100 μm, the conversion efficiency loss increases from 0.9% to 42.7%. Based on the heat flux boundary conditions provided by the heat pipes, the thermoelectric conversion performances of three segmented TEG under different external loads are investigated. Through the geometric optimization of the three segmented TEG with total height 20 mm, the thermoelectric conversion efficiency improves from 6.9% to 15.34%. For the simulation heat flux density conditions of 70 kW m−2, 75 kW m−2, 80 kW m−2, 85 kW m−2 and 90 kW m−2, the maximum output power of a thermoelectric generator can reach 8.56W, 9.71W, 10.85W, 12.00W, and 13.11W, respectively. The output characteristics of the three segmented TEGs meet the design demands of the static conversion system.

Black Silver-Decorated liquid metal nanofillers coupled with Glycerol-Modified hydrogel composites for high efficiency solar steam generation and thermoelectric conversion

Solar-driven interfacial evaporation (SDIE) holds great potential in alleviating global freshwater scarcity, which requires the design of efficient energy conversion devices. Herein, a quadruply engineered hydrogel-based evaporator is developed based on multipath regulation of the four key processes involved in SDIE, i.e., heat generation, energy utilization, water transportation, and evaporation. Surface-tailored liquid metal nanoparticles (EGaIn@Ag NPs) with a high photothermal conversion efficiency (PCE) of 30.4 % serve as the nanofiller to produce heat efficiently. Vertically aligned microchannels are constructed in the poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) hydrogel through directional freezing to accelerate water transportation. Glycerol is introduced to the PVA matrix to synergistically a) prevent heat loss from the interface to bulk water, and b) modulate the bonding state of water in the hydrogel to reduce the vaporization enthalpy. Such an elaborate design achieves a rather high evaporation rate of 3.26 kg m−2h−1 under 1 sun illumination. The hydrogel evaporator (EGaIn@Ag/PVAG) is applicable in treating real seawater and dye-contaminated sewages, showing favorable desalination durability and self-cleaning property. The synergistic design also imparts the hydrogel with thermoelectric power generation capabilities. This work offers a new insight into the synergistic design of SDIE devices, which is expected to inspire innovations in solar energy conversion and utilization.

Experimental study on thermoelectric characteristics of intermediate fluid thermoelectric generator

Thermoelectric technology plays a crucial role in harnessing waste heat from automobile exhaust, and developing low-resistance and high-efficiency thermoelectric generator is currently a focal point of research. The intermediate fluid thermoelectric generator (IFTEG) introduces a structural modification to conventional designs by utilizing boiling-condensation heat transfer of the intermediate fluid to enhance power generation performance. In this study, we constructed an experimental system to investigate the thermoelectric characteristics of IFTEG. The results demonstrate that the IFTEG outperforms traditional thermoelectric generators, exhibiting a remarkable increase in total output power ranging from 171% to 283%, a reduction in pressure drop ranging from 23% to 42%, and a significant improvement in voltage distribution uniformity across the modules. Increasing the exhaust temperature and flow rate significantly enhances the net output power while minimally affecting the voltage distribution uniformity. The net output power of 10.17 W and the net thermoelectric conversion efficiency of 1.39% are achieved at 200 °C and 30 m3/h. Overall, this novel generator offers advantages such as low pressure loss, high efficiency, and high reliability. The findings of this study provide valuable guidance for the development of exhaust thermoelectric generators.

Modifying Roles of CuSbSe2 in Realizing High Thermoelectric Performance of GeTe

AbstractThermoelectric materials are widely researched for their energy conversion capabilities in the fields of power generation and refrigeration. And a superior thermoelectric conversion efficiency requires an excellent power factor and low thermal conductivity. Herein, a remarkable thermoelectric figure of merit（ZT） ∼ 2.6 at 673 K is realized in GeTe with 20% addition of CuSbSe2. Multiple synergistic effects of CuSbSe2 alloying collectively contribute to the excellent thermoelectric performance in GeTe. CuSbSe2 alloying effectively tunes ultrahigh carrier density of GeTe to the optimum. The introduction of Cu, Sb, and Se atoms create numerous point defects that scatter high‐frequency phonons. Additionally, surplus CuSbSe2 facilitates the formation of copper‐selenium phases, which embed at grain boundaries and generate interfaces after sintering. Combining the planar defects evolved from Ge vacancies, multi‐dimension defects effectively scatter multiple frequency phonons. An extraordinarily low lattice thermal conductivity of 0.3 Wm−1 K−1 at 673 K is obtained, approaching the theoretical estimation predicted by Cahill model. Eventually, the peak conversion efficiency of 7.4% is obtained in segmented device with ΔT of 419 K. The commingled effects of CuSbSe2 in GeTe further open up an elitist route to designing high‐performance materials.

Multiscale functionalized graphene origami metamaterials enable programming thermoelectric performance of flexible energy harvesters

Origami engineering stands out as one of the prominent approaches for fine tuning the multiphysical properties of energy materials. Employing first-principle calculations at the nanoscale, we explore the mechano-thermoelectric properties of graphene origami metamaterials functionalized by hydrogen (H), nitrogen (N), oxygen (O), and fluorine (F) adatoms. Our computational results reveal that functionalizing carbon (C) atoms induce buckling in the pristine graphene, transitioning carbon atoms from sp2 (for pristine graphene sheet) to hybridized sp3 orbital to fold the graphene origami. The functionalized graphene origami metamaterials, adopting the Miura-ori architecture, exhibit anisotropic mechanical properties and an unprecedented negative Poisson's ratio (NPR) of up to −0.8. Non-symmetrical functionalization breaks the inherent symmetry of graphene, resulting in a robust non-zero electronic band gap. This characteristic makes the graphene origami metamaterial a compelling contender for thermoelectric applications, since they offer an electronic figure of merit that exceed 200 at room temperature (Graphene-H), surpassing that of the majority of 2D thermoelectric materials can offer. Resorting to the finite element approach, we explore the origami-based thermoelectric legs in nanogenerators at mesoscale. The folding capability of origami architectures offer tunable heat insulation in order to realize next generation of thermoelectric legs. Compared to conventional cuboid leg thermoelectric nanogenerators, thermoelectric conversion efficiency of origami metamaterials can be two orders of magnitude higher; an enhancement that is significantly governed by their folding angle. The underlying principles governing the multiphysics performance of multiscale origami-based thermoelectric materials impart novel design concepts for customizing the thermoelectric performance of shape-changing low-dimensional metamaterials and energy-related devices.

Ultralow Glassy Thermal Conductivity and Controllable, Promising Thermoelectric Properties in Crystalline o-CsCu5S3.

We thoroughly investigated the anharmonic lattice dynamics and microscopic mechanisms of the thermal and electronic transport characteristics in orthorhombic o-CsCu5S3 at the atomic level. Taking into account the phonon energy shifts and the wave-like tunneling phonon channel, we predict an ultralow κL of 0.42 w/mK at 300 K with an extremely weak temperature dependence following ∼T-0.33. These findings agree well with experimental values along with the parallel to the Bridgman growth direction. The κL in o-CsCu5S3 is suppressed down to the amorphous limit, primarily due to the unconventional Cu-S bonding induced by the p-d hybridization antibonding state coupled with the stochastic oscillation of Cs atoms. The nonstandard temperature dependence of κL can be traced back to the critical or dominant role of wave-like tunneling of phonon contributions in thermal transport. Moreover, the p-d hybridization of Cu(3)-S bonding results in the formation of a valence band with "pudding-mold" and high-degeneracy valleys, ensuring highly efficient electron transport characteristics. By properly adjusting the carrier concentration, excellent thermoelectric performance is achieved with a maximum thermoelectric conversion efficiency of 18.4% observed at 800 K in p-type o-CsCu5S3. Our work not only elucidates the anomalous electronic and thermal transport behavior in the copper-based chalcogenide o-CsCu5S3 but also provides insights for manipulating its thermal and electronic properties for potential thermoelectric applications.

New Directions for Thermoelectrics: A Roadmap from High‐Throughput Materials Discovery to Advanced Device Manufacturing

Thermoelectric materials, which can convert waste heat into electricity or act as solid‐state Peltier coolers, are emerging as key technologies to address global energy shortages and environmental sustainability. However, discovering materials with high thermoelectric conversion efficiency is a complex and slow process. The emerging field of high‐throughput material discovery demonstrates its potential to accelerate the development of new thermoelectric materials combining high efficiency and low cost. The synergistic integration of high‐throughput material processing and characterization techniques with machine learning algorithms can form an efficient closed‐loop process to generate and analyze broad datasets to discover new thermoelectric materials with unprecedented performances. Meanwhile, the recent development of advanced manufacturing methods provides exciting opportunities to realize scalable, low‐cost, and energy‐efficient fabrication of thermoelectric devices. This review provides an overview of recent advances in discovering thermoelectric materials using high‐throughput methods, including processing, characterization, and screening. Advanced manufacturing methods of thermoelectric devices are also introduced to realize the broad impacts of thermoelectric materials in power generation and solid‐state cooling. In the end, this article also discusses the future research prospects and directions.

Synergistically optimized electron and phonon transport in high-performance copper sulfides thermoelectric materials via one-pot modulation

Optimizing thermoelectric conversion efficiency requires the compromise of electrical and thermal properties of materials, which are hard to simultaneously improve due to the strong coupling of carrier and phonon transport. Herein, a one-pot approach realizing simultaneous second phase and Cu vacancies modulation is proposed, which is effective in synergistically optimizing thermoelectric performance in copper sulfides. Multiple lattice defects, including nanoprecipitates, dislocations, and nanopores are produced by adding a refined ratio of Sn and Se. Phonon transport is significantly suppressed by multiple mechanisms. An ultralow lattice thermal conductivity is therefore obtained. Furthermore, extra Se is added in the copper sulfide for optimizing electrical transport properties by inducing generating Cu vacancies. Ultimately, an excellent figure of merit of ~1.6 at 873 K is realized in the Cu1.992SSe0.016(Cu2SnSe4)0.004 bulk sample. The simple strategy of inducing compositional and structural modulation for improving thermoelectric parameters promotes low-cost high-performance copper sulfides as alternatives in thermoelectric applications.

Creation of flexible spin-caloritronic material with giant transverse thermoelectric conversion by nanostructure engineering

Functional materials such as magnetic, thermoelectric, and battery materials have been revolutionized through nanostructure engineering. However, spin caloritronics, an advancing field based on spintronics and thermoelectrics with fundamental physics studies, has focused only on uniform materials without complex microstructures. Here, we show how nanostructure engineering enables transforming simple magnetic alloys into spin-caloritronic materials displaying significantly large transverse thermoelectric conversion properties. The anomalous Nernst effect, a promising transverse thermoelectric phenomenon for energy harvesting and heat sensing, has been challenging to utilize due to the scarcity of materials with large anomalous Nernst coefficients. We demonstrate a remarkable ~ 70% improvement in the anomalous Nernst coefficients (reaching ~ 3.7 µVK−1) and a significant ~ 200% enhancement in the power factor (reaching ~ 7.7 µWm−1K−2) in flexible Fe-based amorphous materials by nanostructure engineering without changing their composition. This surpasses all reported amorphous alloys and is comparable to single crystals showing large anomalous Nernst effect. The enhancement is attributed to Cu nano-clustering, facilitating efficient transverse thermoelectric conversion. This discovery advances the materials science of spin caloritronics, opening new avenues for designing high-performance transverse thermoelectric devices for practical applications.

Structural design and performance optimization of Co/Bi0.5Sb1.5Te3 artificially tilted multilayer thermoelectric devices

Due to the complex principle of transverse thermoelectric conversion and the specific preparation technique, there are few studies on the three-dimensional structure of artificially tilted multilayer thermoelectric devices (ATMTDs), which also lags the development of ATMTDs for applications. It is necessary to optimize the three-dimensional structure of ATMTDs to satisfy the requirements of practical applications in thermal sensors, power generation, refrigeration, and so on. In this paper, Co/Bi0.5Sb1.5Te3 ATMTDs are selected as the research object. A COMSOL Multiphysics simulation analysis and experimental validation are used to establish the relationship between the structure and its thermal sensing, power generation, and cooling performance. Results indicate that increasing the length significantly improves the thermal response voltage. Increasing the length and width enhances output power while increasing the height of the ATMTD improves the thermoelectric conversion efficiency. The effective cooling temperature improves when the heat transfer area decreases or the height increases. Based on these findings, flexible thin-film thermal sensors, high-efficiency waste heat power generation tubular devices, and high-efficiency refrigeration pyramidal devices are designed. The results will lead to effective optimization and promote the multi-field application of ATMTDs.

Development of the high temperature PbLi experimental facility for CFETR

Chinese Fusion Engineering and Test Reactor (CFETR) aims to demonstrate the fusion energy production up to 200MW, and finally reach commercial electricity power level 1GW. As one key component, the blanket is in charge of tritium breeding, neutron shielding and energy conversion. The liquid breeder blanket has many important advantages of simpler structure, tritium extraction and fuel replenishment online, as well as the high thermoelectric conversion efficiency. Moreover, the supercritical carbon dioxide (S-CO2) cOoled Lithium-Lead (COOL) blanket has been proposed for CFETR. However, the key issue of MagnetoHydroDynamics (MHD) needs further investigation, especially for the experiments. Therefore, the high temperature PbLi experimental loop is under development, which mainly includes three systems of PbLi, oil and water. The main components include the mechanical pump, main heater, cold trap as well as the superconducting magnet. At the test section, the mass flow rate, temperature and magnetic intensity will be up to 32 kg/s, 700 °C and 3T, respectively. In addition, the ultrasonic doppler velocimeter and potential probe instruments will be adopted to obtain the flow field. The main goal is to establish flow and heat transfer models, which are the critical input for the liquid breeder blanket design and optimization.

Low-grade heat recycling of vertical thermoelectric cells based on thermal-induced electric double layer

Employing electric double-layer (EDL) capacitors to harvest low-grade heat (LGH) is a novel technique in the high-efficiency energy absorption field. This work reports the fabrication of a vertical thermoelectric cell, based on a nanoporous graphene electrode immersed in low-concentration saline solution, for use as thermo-charging supercapacitors to convert LGH to electricity via thermally induced voltage. Because of a large specific area and a large number of micropores of nanoporous graphene films, the effective thermoelectric coefficient of the thermoelectric cell containing 0.01 M KCl solution can reach as high as 4.73 mV/°C. However, many factors, such as electrode materials, electrolyte solutions, and energy conversion device components, determine the efficiency of a thermoelectric conversion device. In summary, the device has a lower internal resistance and higher output voltage when the concentration of KCl solution is 0.05 M, and demonstrates higher thermoelectric conversion efficiency. Moreover, improving the conductivity of the electrolyte solution without affecting the device output voltage is also a way to reduce the internal power consumption of the device. The specific power and thermoelectric conversion efficiency of the device are increased by several orders of magnitude when uniformly dispersed silver nanoparticles are added to the potassium chloride solution to enhance the conductivity of the solution. The specific power underwent an increase from 0.50 mW g−1 to 42.37 mW g−1, and the thermoelectric conversion efficiency also increased from 0.0022% to 0.1358%.

Device level assessment of Ni and Ni45Cu55 as electrodes in Mg2(Si,Sn)-based thermoelectric generators

Owing to efficient thermoelectric conversion, non-toxicity, low density and cost, Mg2(Si,Sn)-based solid solutions hold potential for mid-to-high temperature waste heat recovery. Yet, challenges arise from n-Mg2(Si,Sn) degradation at ≥400 °C caused by Mg loss and charge carrier reduction, particularly in Sn-rich compositions. To build a thermoelectric generator (TEG) stable up to 400 °C, we propose binary Mg2Si as the n-type leg. Using Ni45Cu55and Ni yields low electrical contact resistance (<5 µΩ.cm2) without altering the thermoelectric properties of n-Mg2Si. We fabricated two 2×2 leg TE modules with the same electrode/TE combination for the p-type legs and with Ni or Ni45Cu55 for their n-type legs and tested up to 400 °C, allowing for a direct comparison between these twoelectrodes for n-Mg2Si at the device level. Ni45Cu55 outperformed Ni, resulting in a peak power density of 0.79 W/cm2 at ΔT ∼375 K and an efficiency competitive to Mg2(Si,Sn)-only TEG.Comparative simulations using a constant property model revealed a strong reduction of internal losses when using Ni45Cu55as the electrode for n-Mg2Si as the main reason for the high performance. The presented design overcame challenges such as Mg sublimation at targeted application temperature or electrode induced defect formation, resulting in a stable TEG.

Efficiency Enhancement in Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion: A Comparative Study of Heat Exchanger Designs for Bi2Te3-Based Thermoelectric Generators.

This research focuses on enhancing the efficiency of Bi2Te3-based thermoelectric generators (TEGs) in ocean thermal energy conversion (OTEC) systems through innovative heat exchanger designs. Our comparative study uses computer simulations to evaluate three types of heat exchangers: cavity, plate-fins, and longitudinal vortex generators (LVGs). We analyze their impact on thermoelectric conversion performance, considering the thermal energy transfer from warm surface seawater to TEGs. The results demonstrate that heat exchangers with plate-fins and LVGs significantly outperform the cavity heat exchanger regarding thermal energy transfer efficiency. Specifically, plate-fins increase TEG output power by approximately 22.92% and enhance thermoelectric conversion efficiency by 38.20%. Similarly, LVGs lead to a 13.02% increase in output power and a 16.83% improvement in conversion efficiency. These advancements are contingent upon specific conditions such as seawater flow rates, fin heights, LVG tilt angles, and locations. The study underscores the importance of optimizing heat exchanger designs in OTEC systems, balancing enhanced heat transfer against the required pump power. Our findings contribute to a broader understanding of materials science in sustainable energy technologies.

Influence of the Anderson Transition on Thermoelectric Energy Conversion in Disordered Electronic Systems

So far, the efficiency of thermoelectric energy conversion remains low compared to traditional technologies, such as coal or nuclear. This low efficiency can be explained by connecting the thermoelastic properties of the electronic working fluid to its transport properties. Such connection also shows that operating close to electronic phase transitions can be an efficient way to boost the thermoelectric energy conversion. In this paper, we analyze themoelectric efficiency close to the metal-insulator Anderson transition. Our results reveal the direct link between the thermoelectric and thermoelastic properties of Anderson-type systems. Moreover, the role of the conductivity critical exponent in the thermoelectric energy conversion is analysed. Finally, we show that relatively large values of the thermolectric figure of merit may be obtained in the vicinity of the Anderson transition.

Enhancing Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion Performance: Optimized Thermoelectric Generator-Integrated Heat Exchangers with Longitudinal Vortex Generators

The effective utilization of renewable energy has become critical to technological advancement for the energetic transition from fossil fuels to clean and sustainable sources. Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) technology, which generates electricity by leveraging the temperature differential between surface and deep ocean waters, enables stable power generation around the clock. In this domain, the combination of thermoelectric generators (TEGs) and heat exchangers has exhibited immense potential for ameliorating the deficiencies of conventional OTEC. This study uses finite element numerical simulation of the COMSOL5.5 software to investigate the fluid dynamics characteristics of heat exchangers with flat fins and different types of longitudinal vortex generators (LVGs) under the same number of fins. This research encompasses heat exchangers with rectangular, triangular, and trapezoidal LVGs. Concurrently, the analysis examines how the vortices generated by the LVGs influence the thermoelectric performance of the TEGs. The results demonstrate that heat exchangers integrating flat fins and LVGs can enhance the power generation efficiency of TEGs. However, the pumping power required by the LVGs constrains the thermoelectric conversion efficiency. Compared to rectangular and triangular LVGs, trapezoidal LVGs achieve a superior balance between output and pumping power. Heat exchangers utilizing trapezoidal LVGs can attain the highest TEG thermoelectric conversion efficiency with a specific seawater flow velocity. Overall, these findings provide valuable reference information for applying TEGs and heat exchangers in OTEC design.