Influence of the Inner Surface in Thermoelectric Waste Heat Recovery Ducts

Abstract

Increasing fuel prices and future carbon issue limits are initiating a improved interest in methods to boost the thermal performance of machines. One auspicious appliance that succeed in both porpouse is the regeneration of dissipation heat to a advantageous mechanical or electrical form of energy. The Seebeck modules have been exposed the sustainable yield of electricity regeneration. However, the global conversion performance of thermal energy into electric is around 5%, discouraging high embedded costs. The target of this project is to search increased performance in thermal-electrical conversion indeed by Seebeck modules, origin from a geometry duct optimization of inner surface in thermoelectric dissipation heat ducts. Various internal duct finishes were simulated in finite elements and the results were scaled depending on the heat transfer surface and the pressure drop. The results allow to manufacture high performance capturing ducts to heat recovery process.