Skip to main content

Advertisement

Log in

TEG On-Vehicle Performance and Model Validation and What It Means for Further TEG Development

  • Published:
Journal of Electronic Materials Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

A high-temperature thermoelectric generator (TEG) was recently integrated into two passenger vehicles: a BMW X6 and a Lincoln MKT. This effort was the culmination of a recently completed Department of Energy (DOE)-sponsored thermoelectric (TE) waste heat recovery program for vehicles (award #DE-FC26-04NT42279). During this 7-year program, several generations of thermoelectric generators were modeled, designed, built, and tested at the couple, engine, and full-device level, as well as being modeled and integrated at the vehicle level. In this paper, we summarize the history of the development efforts and results achieved during the project, which is a motivation for ongoing research in this field. Results are presented and discussed for bench, engine dynamometer, and on-vehicle tests conducted on the current-generation TEG. On the test bench, over 700 W of power was produced. Over 600 W was produced in on-vehicle tests. Both steady-state and transient models were validated against the measured performance of these TEGs. The success of this work has led to a follow-on DOE-sponsored TE waste heat recovery program for passenger vehicles focused on addressing key technical and business-related topics that are meant to enable TEGs to be considered as a viable automotive product in the future.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. BSST LLC Project Phase 1 Report: High Efficiency Thermoelectric Waste Energy Recovery System for Passenger Vehicle Applications, 2005, U.S, Department of Energy Freedom Car Program.

  2. Crane, D.T. and L.E. Bell. Progress Towards Maximizing the Performance of a Thermoelectric Power Generator. In 25th International Conference on Thermoelectrics. (Vienna, Austria: IEEE, 2006).

  3. D.T. Crane, D. Kossakovski, and L.E. Bell, J. Electron. Mater. 38, 1382 (2009).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. D.T. Crane, et al., J. Electron. Mater. 38, 1375 (2009).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. D.T. Crane, J.W. LaGrandeur, and L.E. Bell, J. Electron. Mater. 39, 2142–2148 (2010).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Bell, L.E. and D.T. Crane. Vehicle Waste Heat Recovery System Design and Characterization. In International Thermoelectric Conference. (Freiburg, Germany, 2009).

  7. Bell, L.E., J.W. LaGrandeur, and D.T. Crane. Progress Report on Vehicular Waste Heat Recovery using a Cylindrical Thermoelectric Generator. In Thermoelectrics Goes Automotive. (Berlin, Germany, 2010).

  8. D.T. Crane, J. Electron. Mater. 40, 561–569 (2011).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Crane, D.T., V. Jovovic, and C.R. Koripella. Validating Steady-State and Transient Modeling Tools for High Power Density Thermoelectric Generators. in International Conference on Thermoelectrics. (Traverse City, Michigan, 2011).

  10. Q.E. Hussain, D.R. Brigham, and C.W. Maranville, SAE Int. J. Engines 2, 1132 (2009).

    Google Scholar 

  11. Liebl, J., et al., The Thermoelectric Generator from BMW is Making Use of Waste Heat. In MTZ (2009). pp. 4–11.

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Doug Crane.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Crane, D., LaGrandeur, J., Jovovic, V. et al. TEG On-Vehicle Performance and Model Validation and What It Means for Further TEG Development. J. Electron. Mater. 42, 1582–1591 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11664-012-2327-8

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11664-012-2327-8

Keywords

Navigation