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Study on the performance of TEG with heat transfer enhancement using graphene-water nanofluid for a TEG cooling system

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Abstract

Improvement of the heat transfer effect of cold side of a thermoelectric generator (TEG) is one of the approaches to enhance the performance of the TEG systems. As a new type of heat transfer media, nanofluids can enhance the heat transfer performance of working liquid significantly. In this study, the performance of a commercial TEG with graphene-water (GW) nanofluid as coolants in a minichannel heat exchanger is investigated experimentally at low temperatures. The results show that the output power of TEG increases with the flow rate under 950 mL/min. However, the fluid flow rate has no influence on the output power of TEG with higher flow rate (larger than 950 mL/min) when the heat transfer dynamic balance state of the system is reached. The optimal concentration and flow rate of nanofluid are 0.1 wt% and 950 mL/min, respectively. At the optimal conditions, the improved voltage, output power and conversion efficiency with GW nanofluid applied in the cooling system are increased by 11.29%, 21.55% and 3.5% in comparison with those with only water applied, respectively.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Environmental and Materials Engineering, College of Engineering, Shanghai Polytechnic University, Shanghai, 201209, China

    YiHuai Li, ZiHua Wu, HuaQing Xie, JiaoJiao Xing, JianHui Mao & YuanYuan Wang

  2. School of Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai University, Shanghai, 200444, China

    YiHuai Li & Zhen Li

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  1. YiHuai Li
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  2. ZiHua Wu
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  3. HuaQing Xie
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  4. JiaoJiao Xing
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  7. Zhen Li
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Correspondence to ZiHua Wu.

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Li, Y., Wu, Z., Xie, H. et al. Study on the performance of TEG with heat transfer enhancement using graphene-water nanofluid for a TEG cooling system. Sci. China Technol. Sci. 60, 1168–1174 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11431-017-9079-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11431-017-9079-6

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