Passively Cooled BiTe Thermoelectric Generator for Operation in Harsh
Environments
Abstract
Energy harvesting from waste heat is becoming more prevalent as energy
conservation efforts continue to increase worldwide. Thermoelectric
Generators (TEGs) are devices that can harvest such waste heat and
convert it into useful electrical power. Traditionally, active cooling
methods are used to maximize the thermal gradient across a TEG module in
order to optimize the energy conversion process. However, active cooling
is impractical for a significant number of industrial harsh-environment
applications. To examine the feasibility of using passively cooled TEG
devices for producing useful electrical power, a Bismuth Telluride
(BiTe) TEG device was fabricated and tested from 200°C to 290°C on the
hot side, without active cooling on the cold side. As such, the
temperature difference across the TEG device remained consistent at
approximately 50°C over the range of hot-side temperatures tested. Under
these conditions, the BiTe TEG device produced a single-couple average
voltage of 8 mV over the range of test temperatures, and single-couple
powers up to 0.10 mW at 290°C, despite the lack of active cooling. These
results show the capability of TEG module integration to power
electrical circuits for high-temperature harsh-environment applications
operating under passive cooling.