The power output of a thermoelectric generator (TEG) was investigated under engine partial-load operation based on measured exhaust gas temperatures and mass flow rates. Materials with properties required for highend temperature TE couples (>500°C) were evaluated. Various possible material combinations for p- and n-legs of these couples as well as the conflicting targets of high efficiency and low cost as required for automotive mass production are discussed. New skutterudite materials for both p- and n-legs as identified during a joint research project are presented, which can help to overcome this conflict. Efficiencies >10% were achieved with these new materials, which have potentially twofold lower production costs than telluride-based materials due to the price of their elements. Some potential for improvement in efficiency and costs has been identified by developing highly integrated TEG units, specifically designed for automotive applications. These initial results of the material development and the evaluation of different integration concepts will be applied in a subsequent step for the fabrication of a pilot number of TEG modules/units.
[1]
R. K. Williams,et al.
Filled Skutterudite Antimonides: A New Class of Thermoelectric Materials
,
1996,
Science.
[2]
C. Uher,et al.
Anomalous barium filling fraction and n-type thermoelectric performance of BayCo4Sb12
,
2001
.
[3]
A. Borshchevsky,et al.
High figure of merit in Ce-filled skutterudites
,
1996,
Fifteenth International Conference on Thermoelectrics. Proceedings ICT '96.
[4]
D. Rowe.
CRC Handbook of Thermoelectrics
,
1995
.
[5]
C. Uher,et al.
Low thermal conductivity and high thermoelectric figure of merit in n-type BaxYbyCo4Sb12 double-filled skutterudites
,
2008
.