CFD Analysis of Exhaust Heat-Exchanger in Automobile Thermoelectric Generator

Nevil Patel, Ravi Engineer

Abstract: The world is facing a historical increase in energy demand and energy consumption. Regenerating energy sources are considered a solution of both environment issue and energy demand. 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. Ideal heat exchangers recover as much heat as possible from an engine exhaust at the cost of an acceptable pressure drop. They provide primary heat for a thermoelectric generator (TEG), and their capacity and efficiency is dependent on the material, shape, and type of the heat exchanger Therefore in this work design of internal structure has been done to increase heat transfer and to reduce pressure drop.

Keywords: Thermoelectric generator, Heat exchanger, Waste heat recovery, Heat transfer