High-Performance Nanostructured Thermoelectric Generators for Micro Combined Heat and Power Systems

Abstract Micro combined heat and power (micro-CHP) systems are promising pathways to increase power generation efficiencies. Here a new class of micro-CHP system without moving parts is experimentally demonstrated by integrating high-temperature thermoelectric generators (TEGs) and residential gas-fired boilers, thus enabling wide applications. The TEGs fabricated using high-efficiency nanostructured bulk half-Heusler alloys generate ultrahigh power density of 2.1 W/cm2 with 5.3% electrical efficiency under 500 °C temperature differences between the hot and cold sides. The TEG system harnesses the untapped exergy between the combustion gas and water, and converts thermal energy into electric power with 4% heat-to-electricity efficiency based on the total heat input into the TEGs. The high-performance TEGs open lots of opportunities to transform power generation technologies and improve energy efficiency.

[1]  M. Newborough,et al.  Impact of micro-CHP systems on domestic sector CO2 emissions , 2005 .

[2]  Tie Li,et al.  Development and test of a Stirling engine driven by waste gases for the micro-CHP system , 2012 .

[3]  H. J. Goldsmid,et al.  Thermoelectric Refrigeration , 1964 .

[4]  K. Qiu,et al.  Development of a thermoelectric self-powered residential heating system , 2008 .

[5]  Gang Chen,et al.  Understanding of the contact of nanostructured thermoelectric n-type Bi2Te2.7Se0.3 legs for power generation applications , 2013 .

[6]  Hui Wang,et al.  Stronger phonon scattering by larger differences in atomic mass and size in p-type half-Heuslers Hf1−xTixCoSb0.8Sn0.2 , 2012 .

[7]  K. Goodson,et al.  Material and manufacturing cost considerations for thermoelectrics , 2014 .

[8]  K. Kubo,et al.  Development of a Thermoelectric Module Using the Heusler Alloy Fe2VAl , 2009 .

[9]  G. Joshi,et al.  NbFeSb-based p-type half-Heuslers for power generation applications , 2014 .

[10]  K. Bartholomé,et al.  Thermoelectric Modules Based on Half-Heusler Materials Produced in Large Quantities , 2014, Journal of Electronic Materials.

[11]  Iain Staffell,et al.  The cost of domestic fuel cell micro-CHP systems , 2013 .

[12]  D. Rowe.  Thermoelectrics Handbook , 2005 .

[13]  Jianlin Yu,et al.  Experimental study on low-temperature waste heat thermoelectric generator , 2009 .

[14]  D Mertens,et al.  Micro-CHP systems for residential applications , 2006 .

[15]  Gang Chen,et al.  High-performance flat-panel solar thermoelectric generators with high thermal concentration. , 2011, Nature materials.

[16]  M. Dresselhaus,et al.  New Directions for Low‐Dimensional Thermoelectric Materials , 2007 .

[17]  Junichiro Shiomi,et al.  Enhancement of thermoelectric figure-of-merit at low temperatures by titanium substitution for hafnium in n-type half-Heuslers Hf0.75−xTixZr0.25NiSn0.99Sb0.01 , 2013 .

[18]  Gang Chen,et al.  Enhanced thermoelectric figure of merit of p-type half-Heuslers. , 2011, Nano letters.

[19]  E. Lara‐Curzio,et al.  An in situ SEM experimental study of the thermal stability of a LAST thermoelectric material , 2011 .

[20]  Richard W Siegel,et al.  A new class of doped nanobulk high-figure-of-merit thermoelectrics by scalable bottom-up assembly. , 2012, Nature materials.

[21]  Gang Chen,et al.  Enhancement in Thermoelectric Figure‐Of‐Merit of an N‐Type Half‐Heusler Compound by the Nanocomposite Approach , 2011 .

[22]  Min Chen,et al.  Energy efficiency analysis and impact evaluation of the application of thermoelectric power cycle to today's CHP systems , 2010 .

[23]  M. Dresselhaus,et al.  High-Thermoelectric Performance of Nanostructured Bismuth Antimony Telluride Bulk Alloys , 2008, Science.

[24]  Rabah Boukhanouf,et al.  Experimental study of a domestic thermoelectric cogeneration system , 2014 .

[25]  David Infield,et al.  Design and thermal analysis of a two stage solar concentrator for combined heat and thermoelectric power generation , 2000 .

[26]  Juha Jokisalo,et al.  Analysis of a wooden pellet-fueled domestic thermoelectric cogeneration system , 2014 .

[27]  K. Qiu,et al.  Integrated thermoelectric and organic Rankine cycles for micro-CHP systems , 2012 .

[28]  Pendar Samadian,et al.  Cogeneration solar system using thermoelectric module and fresnel lens , 2014 .

[29]  Brian Vad Mathiesen,et al.  Comparative analyses of seven technologies to facilitate the integration of fluctuating renewable energy sources , 2009 .

[30]  R. Venkatasubramanian,et al.  Thin-film thermoelectric devices with high room-temperature figures of merit , 2001, Nature.

[31]  G. J. Snyder,et al.  Application of the compatibility factor to the design of segmented and cascaded thermoelectric generators , 2004 .

[32]  Gang Chen,et al.  Bulk nanostructured thermoelectric materials: current research and future prospects , 2009 .

[33]  S. Dou,et al.  Al-doped zinc oxide nanocomposites with enhanced thermoelectric properties. , 2011, Nano letters.

[34]  T. Thompson,et al.  Thermal to Electrical Energy Conversion of Skutterudite-Based Thermoelectric Modules , 2012, Journal of Electronic Materials.

[35]  J. Sharp,et al.  Practical Contact Resistance Measurement Method for Bulk Bi2Te3-Based Thermoelectric Devices , 2014, Journal of Electronic Materials.