摘要

A thermoelectric generator (TEG), also known as a Seebeck device, converts a heat flux into electricity as a function of temperature difference between both sides. Its ability to utilize heat flux and convert it directly into electricity has attracted the attention of many researchers worldwide for its use as a potential waste heat recovery unit. Moreover, its small size, high reliability, no moving parts, and silent operation make it extremely versatile in wide variety of waste heat recovery scenarios. But, even with these many advantages, its primary requirement for maintaining a temperature difference across its surfaces has restricted its use in practical applications. This study focuses on identifying the bottlenecks which critically affect the performance of the device and on proposing a method to eliminate them. The study showed that the gap between the cells could act as a pathway through which the heat could leak and reach the other side, which eventually reduces the temperature difference across its faces. Early experiments highlighted that some of the heat supplied to the hot side of the device was indeed leaking towards the cold side, which reduces the amount of heat being converted into electricity and reduces its final efficiency. To conform this, the testing of two different positions of the TEG system was used; in the first position the hot side was facing downwards and in the second position it was exactly opposite with the hot side facing upwards. The results obtained indicated the change in the heat transfer rate, with the hot side down having a higher heat transfer rate, better voltage, and power output than the hot side up. This change in output does prove leakage of heat and also its negative effect on efficiency.