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Study on heat pipe assisted thermoelectric power generation system from exhaust gas

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Abstract

Currently, most fuel consumed by vehicles is released to the environment as thermal energy through the exhaust pipe. Environmentally friendly vehicle technology needs new methods to increase the recycling efficiency of waste exhaust thermal energy. The present study investigated how to improve the maximum power output of a TEG (Thermoelectric generator) system assisted with a heat pipe. Conventionally, the driving energy efficiency of an internal combustion engine is approximately less than 35%. TEG with Seebeck elements is a new idea for recycling waste exhaust heat energy. The TEG system can efficiently utilize low temperature waste heat, such as industrial waste heat and solar energy. In addition, the heat pipe can transfer heat from the automobile’s exhaust gas to a TEG. To improve the efficiency of the thermal power generation system with a heat pipe, effects of various parameters, such as inclination angle, charged amount of the heat pipe, condenser temperature, and size of the TEM (thermoelectric element), were investigated. Experimental studies, CFD simulation, and the theoretical approach to thermoelectric modules were carried out, and the TEG system with heat pipe (15–20% charged, 20°–30° inclined configuration) showed the best performance.

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Abbreviations

A:

Cross-sectional area of semiconductor (m2)

A:

Area (m2)

\(Cp_{1}\) :

Specific heat of liquid (J/kg K)

\(Cp_{\text{nano}}\) :

Specific heat of nano-fluid (J/kg K)

\(Cp_{\text{f}}\) :

Specific heat of main fluid (J/kg K)

\(Cp_{p}\) :

Specific heat of nanoparticles (J/kg K)

D :

Diameter (m)

G :

Gravitational constant (N/kg)

h :

Thickness of semiconductor (m)

h c :

Condensation heat transfer coefficient (W/m2 K)

h conv :

Convective heat transfer coefficients (W/m2 K)

h e :

Boiling heat transfer coefficient (W/m2 K)

I :

Electric current (A)

k f :

Thermal conductivity of main fluid (W/m K)

k p :

Thermal conductivity of nanoparticles (W/m K)

n :

Number of semiconductor

P a :

Pressure of heat pipe inside (Pa)

P o :

Output power (W)

P sat :

Saturation pressure (Pa)

Q c :

Condensation heat transfer (W)

q e :

Boiling heat flux (W/m2)

r :

Resistance of thermoelectric element (Ohm)

R :

Resistance (ohm)

R conduction :

Thermal resistance of conduction (K/W)

R convecction :

Thermal resistance of convection (K/W)

T h :

Gas inlet temperature (°C)

T c :

Gas outlet temperature (°C)

U o :

Utput voltage (V)

U t :

Total voltage (V)

V v :

Kinematic viscosity of vapor (Ns/m2)

V + e :

Dimensionless volume [(Volume of charged amount)/(Volume of heating section)]

\(\alpha_{c}\) :

Concentration

\(\alpha_{\text{n}}\) :

Seebeck coefficient of N-type semiconductor (V/K)

\(\alpha_{\text{p}}\) :

Seebeck coefficient of P-type semiconductor (V/K)

\(\mu_{\text{l}}\) :

Viscosity of liquid (Ns/m2)

\(\mu_{\text{v}}\) :

Viscosity of vapor (Ns/m2)

\(\mu_{\text{nano}}\) :

Viscosity of nano-fluid (Ns/m2)

\(\rho_{\text{l}}\) :

Density of liquid (kg/m3)

\(\rho_{\text{v}}\) :

Density of vapor (kg/m3)

\(\rho_{\text{nano}}\) :

Density of nano-particles (kg/m3)

\(\lambda_{l}\) :

Thermal conductivity (W/m_K)

\(\Delta T\) :

Temperature difference (K)

\(\Delta X\) :

Thickness (m)

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Applied Thermal Engineering Lab, School of Mechanical Engineering, Chungbuk National University, ChungDae-ro, SeoWon-gu, Cheongju, Chungbuk, Korea

    Ri-Guang Chi, Jong-Chan Park & Seok-Ho Rhi

  2. Fluid Engineering Lab, Graduate School of Mechanical Engineering, Chungbuk National University, 1 ChungDae-ro, SeoWon-gu, Cheongju, Chungbuk, Korea

    Kye-Bock Lee

Authors
  1. Ri-Guang Chi
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  2. Jong-Chan Park
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  3. Seok-Ho Rhi
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  4. Kye-Bock Lee
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Seok-Ho Rhi.

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Chi, RG., Park, JC., Rhi, SH. et al. Study on heat pipe assisted thermoelectric power generation system from exhaust gas. Heat Mass Transfer 53, 3295–3304 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00231-017-2046-z

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