A Novel Thermoelectric Generation Array Reconfiguration to Reduce Mismatch Power Loss Under Nonuniform Temperature Distribution

• Published in: International journal of energy research 2024-01, Vol.2024 (1)
• Main Authors: Tang, Mingfeng, Wang, Jun, Ou, Yangqi, Tang, Ziqiao
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Arrays; Biomass burning; Configuration management; Efficiency; Electric power distribution; Electric power loss; Emissions; Exhaust emissions; Gas flow; Gases; Genetic algorithms; Heat; Heat exchange; Heat recovery systems; Internal flow; Operating costs; Optimization algorithms; Optimization techniques; Production costs; Reconfiguration; Research methodology; Semiconductors; Structural design; Structural engineering; Surface temperature; Temperature distribution; Temperature requirements; Thermoelectric power generation; Thermoelectricity
• ISSN: 0363-907X; 1099-114X
• DOI: 10.1155/2024/7820395

In practice, industrial exhaust emissions as well as emissions from automobiles, ships, biomass combustion, etc., can be potential application areas for thermoelectric generation (TEG). However, the structural design of heat exchange equipment is usually limited by the internal flow field, resulting in uneven temperature distribution on the heat exchange equipment’s surface. The resulting mismatch power loss is a major challenge for thermoelectric power generation. In this study, based on the characteristics of the surface temperature distribution of heat exchange equipment in the context of gas emissions, a static reconfiguration scheme is proposed for reconfiguring honeycomb (HC) arrays using the symmetric interval crossing (SIC) method. Based on a fixed interconnect array configuration, the solution requires only a change in the location of the modules and no change in the electrical connections, thus reducing mismatch losses while lowering manufacturing costs. Test experiments are conducted for 6 × 6 TEG arrays, mismatch losses are evaluated for four nonuniform temperature distribution cases, and the performance of seven different TEG array configurations is compared. The findings demonstrate that, in nonuniform temperature distribution scenarios, the SIC method can effectively reduce mismatch losses and has a greater output power than alternative array configurations.