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B7: Device and system performance
Recent advances in thermoelectric technologies have made vehicle exhaust power generation system promising to commercial application. As vehicle exhaust power generation system works in a service environment with coupled thermal-mechanical-electrical conditions for the long term, the reliability of its mechanical strength and heat transfer efficiency, thermoelectric conversion efficiency are important issues. In terms of the heat exchanger inner structure and thermoelectric modules (TEMs), a vehicle exhaust power generation system is simulated by using the multi-field coupling analysis. Two cooling methods, i.e., an independent and shared water tank, are adopted on the cold side according to experimental measurements. Compared with the heat exchanger, the effect of TEMs on fluid field, interface temperature and thermal uniformity for the heat exchanger is discussed in detail. The heat transfer efficiency, thermoelectric conversion efficiency and thermal stress in the generation system are obtained. Following the numerical results, the influences of the TEM’s geometry and properties on the heat transfer efficiency, thermoelectric conversion efficiency and mechanical properties of the system is revealed, which is practically helpful to provide guidance for further improvement of efficiency and reliability of the generation system.
Key words: Heat exchanger, thermoelectric module (TEM), heat transfer efficiency, conversion efficiency, thermal stress