Open AccessEffect of core flow heat transfer enhancement on power generation characteristics of thermoelectric generators with different performances
Author(s) -
Yanzhe Li,
Shixue Wang,
Yunchi Fu,
Yulong Zhao,
Like Yue
Publication year - 2022
Publication title -
thermal science/thermal science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.339
H-Index - 43
eISSN - 2334-7163
pISSN - 0354-9836
DOI - 10.2298/tsci210309184l
Subject(s) - thermoelectric generator , materials science , thermoelectric effect , figure of merit , heat transfer , heat transfer enhancement , electricity generation , seebeck coefficient , generator (circuit theory) , thermoelectric materials , heat exchanger , core (optical fiber) , power (physics) , nuclear engineering , heat transfer coefficient , optoelectronics , composite material , mechanical engineering , mechanics , thermodynamics , thermal conductivity , engineering , physics
In this study, the effect of enhancing the core flow heat transfer with metal foam on the performance of thermoelectric generators with different power generation characteristics is studied experimentally. Filling the core flow area of the gas channel in a thermoelectric generator with metal foam can greatly improve the heat transfer capacity of the gas channel with a small pressure loss, thereby improving the power generation efficiency. The results show that, first, the heat transfer enhancement achieved by partially filling the core area of the gas channel with metal foam can significantly improve the performance of thermoelectric generators, the maximum output power is about 1.5 times higher than that of the unfilled channel. Second, for a thermoelectric generator with different modules, the friction coefficient for different filling ratios increases by about 16 times at most, while the Nu value increases by only three times at most, and according to the PEC of the gas channel, metal foam with high filling rate and low pore density is more suitable for the thermoelectric generator. Third, it is more appropriate to use the thermoelectric module with a high figure of merit as the selection criterion for deciding whether to adopt the technique of enhancing heat exchange through the gas channel. The maximum output power and efficiency of the thermoelectric generator using the high figure of merit module are 300% and 160% higher than those of the thermoelectric generator using the low figure of merit module, respectively.