Exhaust Waste Heat Recovery of I. C. Engine by Thermoelectric Generator

Abstract

A major part of the heat supplied in an internal combustion engine is not realized as work output, but dumped into the atmosphere as waste heat.If this waste heat energy is tapped and converted into usable energy, the overall efficiency of an engine can be improved.The percentage of energy rejected to the environment through exhaust gas which can be potentially recovered is approximately 30-40% of the energy supplied by the fuel depending on engine load.Thermoelectric modules which are used as thermoelectric generators are solid state devices that are used to convert thermal energy from a temperature gradient to electrical energy and it works on basic principle of Seebeck effect.This paper demonstrates the potential of thermoelectric generation.Also, studied the performance factors of engine with and without thermoelectric generator.The conversion efficiency of thermoelectric generator is about 8%.Also, several main characteristics of the different structures proposed for the thermoelectric generators (TEGs) will be compared.In the review included in this paper, it would be useful to update the potential of thermoelectric generation in the automobile industry nowadays.The results presented can be considered as references of the minimum goals to be reached.