Analysis of the fins geometry of a hot-side heat exchanger on the performance parameters of a thermoelectric generation system

Abstract This paper presents the influence of hot-side heat exchanger (HHX) design on the operational parameters of a thermoelectric generator (TEG). The approach is comprehensive, power needs due to pressure losses in the device are accounted for the analysis. The TEG used in the installation always requires additional power to overcome pressure drops. This directly influences the net generated power of the device – which is the main benefit of using a TEG – and should always be taken into account in TEG analyses. The study shows that the power expenditure of the flow arrangement providing the most uniform temperature can be higher than the potential benefit, so the temperature distribution on the HHX casing may not be the only determinant of its quality. Only a detailed analysis of all crucial parameters for the operating conditions of a TEG can provide guidelines for selecting an HHX geometry for specific uses. Among the cases analyzed, the non-uniform temperature distribution generated by an HHX with equal fins provides the highest net generated power.

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