Analysis of an automotive thermoelectric generator on a gasoline engine

Abstract

This study determined the heat, flow, and electrical power values of and automotive thermoelectric generation system integrated in the exhaust system of an internal combustion gasoline engine. The combustion analyses of the engine integrated with and without automotive thermoelectric generation were carried out. The 20 thermoelectric modules were placed on the rectangular structure which was made of the aluminum 6061 material. The thermoelectric modules were electrically connected to each other in series. The gasoline engine was operated at full load at 1250, 1750, and 2250 rpm, and the electrical energy generated by the automotive thermoelectric generation system was calculated. At the same time, the heat and flow analyses of the automotive thermoelectric generation system were performed using the ANSYS FLUENT commercial software.