Waste Heat Harvesting using Thermoelectric Generator

The thermoelectric generator is one of the solutions to harvest the waste heat and convert it into electricity. Our main objective project is to design and make a prototype of the thermoelectric generator to make waste energy useful. This project is a physical deliverable. It consists of a steel bas

Project Title

Waste Heat Harvesting using Thermoelectric Generator

Project Area of Specialization

Electrical/Electronic Engineering

Project Summary

The thermoelectric generator is one of the solutions to harvest the waste heat and convert it into electricity. Our main objective project is to design and make a prototype of the thermoelectric generator to make waste energy useful. This project is a physical deliverable. It consists of a steel base, coolant tank, controller of the heat sink process, TEGs modules as generators, and a converter. It can be used in industries (automation, energy, etc) where energy is wasted in the form of heat ranging from 0 to 300 C0 to provide power to the sensor. It provides clean, noiseless, static, and 24/7 electrical energy while harvesting the waste heat.

Project Objectives

   Our long-term objective with this project is to design and implement a waste heat harvesting system using a Thermoelectric generator. We will accomplish this aim by meeting the following objectives:

• • To conduct the research survey related to the projects.
  • To do a basic experiment with the TEG module to analyze its characteristics.
  • Design a proper heat sink that can absorb the calculated heat coefficient on the cold side.       
  • To design and implement a prototype of waste heat harvesting using a thermoelectric generator.
  • To convert the output power of the TEG to the desirable range.
  • To compare the results with desired outputs
  • To make the project application-oriented i.e to power up sensors in the automation industries which are in the range of 0 to 150 watts.

Project Implementation Method

We have started our project with a detailed review of the related research. For that purpose, research of some articles or papers has been conducted. By following it we decided on a range of output power that is generated and the heat source that is used as a waste heat source. After that, we followed the following tasks to implement our project.

Task#1: First of all we designed the architecture of the project.

Task#2: Purchasing the devices, components, and equipment that we are used in the project.

Task#3:   The base of steel for the project has been made by a welder. He made it according to the architecture of the project.

Task#4:  After that, we arranged (solder) the TEGs modules in series and parallel to get the desired output. One side of TEGs is fixed onto the tower and the other side onto the heat sink.

Task#5: Arrangement of the gas supply is done.

Task#6: The converter (Buck-boost) was designed and made.

Task#7: We will compare the results to the assented outputs. If the results will positive then our project will be ready.

Benefits of the Project

    Our Thermoelectric power generator is a prototype, that is a promising alternative green project due to its potential to directly convert waste-heat energy into electrical power. The application of the project in converting waste-heat energy into electrical power can improve the overall efficiencies of energy conversion systems. Our project has the following benefits:

1. Reliability – Our thermoelectric generator is a solid-state device. Having no moving parts to break or wear out makes them very reliable.
2. Noiseless – Our project is designed to be completely silent. 
3. No Greenhouse Gases – Our project converts the waste heat into electricity directly. It s eco-friendly and it is sustainable too.
4. Have high scalability- which means it can be applied to waste heat sources of range 0 to 300 C0.
5. Availability: If there is a heat source is available our TEG will generate power 24 hours a day.

Technical Details of Final Deliverable

   Our final deliverable of the project will be a physical system which is consists of the following:

1. Steel Infrastructure:  The project has four portions of the Iron  1) Base, 2) liquid(Coolant) tank, Tower for Modules, and Frame of controller and converter. The base is of length 24 inches, a width of 12 inches, and a height of 2 inches. The liquid tank is 5*5*5 inches attached to the base at the right in which coolant is filled. 19 inches tall, 4 inches in length and the 2.5-inch tower with two pillars of 4 inches welded to the base. The TEG modules and Heat sinks are attached to the tower.

1. TEG Modules: We have used 30 SP 1848 SA 27145 thermoelectric modules. Its hot side temperature range is 0 to 300 C0 and the cold side maximum temperature is 150 C0. Maximum output current and voltages are 669 mA and 4.8 volts respectively. The hot side of the modules is attached to the tower and the heat sink is attached to the cold side.

1. Heat Sink: We have used an Aluminum heat sink to absorb the heat on the cold side of the modules. The height of the heat sink is the same as that of the tower. The coolant is regulated through heat sinks using a water pump.

1. Heat Source:  We have used a gas cylinder to heat the tower. The gas fire is used as a waste heat source that can be any waste heat in the industries.  

1. Controller and Converter:  We have used Arduino UNO as the controller. A converter is designed to get the desired output.

Working:

 When the valve of the gas is opened and fired up the iron tower gets to heat up. As the temperature on the hot side reaches 100 C0 and power is generated the pump will begin to regulate coolant through a heat sink. A temperature difference on both sides of the modules will be created. As a result, maximum power will be generated. The generated power will be converted to get the desired output.

Final Deliverable of the Project

Hardware System

Core Industry

Energy

Other Industries

Core Technology

Others

Other Technologies

Clean Tech

Sustainable Development Goals

Affordable and Clean Energy, Climate Action

Required Resources

If you need this project, please contact me on contact@adikhanofficial.com