Testing of an automobile exhaust thermoelectric generator in a light truck
01 Jan 2007-Vol. 221, Iss: 1, pp 95-107
TL;DR: In this paper, a prototype automobile exhaust thermoelectric generator (AETEG) installed in a 1999 GMC Sierra pick-up truck was tested in a dynamometer-equipped wind tunnel at Delphi Corporation's Harrison Thermal Systems Division in Lockport, New York.
Abstract: Testing was conducted on a prototype automobile exhaust thermoelectric generator (AETEG) installed in a 1999 GMC Sierra pick-up truck. The system consisted of the generator, its power conditioning unit, and the interfaces to the test truck's engine coolant and exhaust systems. The objective of the test was to measure the AETEG's performance and its effect on the truck systems as well as to determine which factors are important for optimizing an AETEG design. Testing was performed in a dynamometer-equipped wind tunnel at Delphi Corporation's Harrison Thermal Systems Division in Lockport, New York. The first tests established the benchmark data set. Then the prototype AETEG was installed and three configurations of the system were tested in succession: the AETEG alone, the AETEG with portions of the exhaust pipes leading to it insulated, and the AETEG with insulated upstream exhaust pipes and with a pre-cooling heat exchanger operating to lower the inlet coolant temperature to the generator. Some of the important outcomes of the tests were: insulating the exhaust and lowering the coolant temperature had a significant positive effect on the power, parasitic losses resulting from the AETEG weight and the coolant pumping power were significant but manageable, and the increased exhaust flow resistance and the additional heat load from the AETEG were not significant effects.
Citations
More filters
TL;DR: In this paper, a review of the history of internal combustion engine exhaust waste heat recovery focusing on organic Rankine cycles is presented, with a focus on the selection of the cycle expander and working fluid, since they are regarded as having the largest impact on system performance.
404 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, a system to recover waste heat comprised 24 thermoelectric generators (TEG) to convert heat from the exhaust pipe of an automobile to electrical energy has been constructed.
352 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, a thermoelectric module composed of TEGs and a cooling system is developed to improve the efficiency of an IC engine, and two potential positions on an automobile are chosen to apply this module, e.g. exhaust pipe and radiator, to examine the feasibility.
323 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors present an overview of past, present and future emissions from land transport, of their impacts on the atmospheric composition and air quality, on human health and climate change and on options for mitigation.
315 citations
Cites background from "Testing of an automobile exhaust th..."
...through thermal electric generators (Thacher et al., 2007), fuel economy improvements of up to 5% are projected (Friedrich et al....
[...]
TL;DR: Based on Fourier's law and the Seebeck effect, the authors in this article presented a mathematical model of a TEG device using the exhaust gas of vehicles as heat source, and the results showed that the output power and efficiency increase significantly by changing the convection heat transfer coefficient of the high temperature side than that of low temperature side.
227 citations
References
More filters
10 Aug 1994
TL;DR: Hi•Z Technology, Inc. as mentioned in this paper developed a 1 kW thermoelectric generator for class eight diesel truck engines under U.S. Department of Energy and California Energy Commission funding since 1992.
Abstract: Hi‐Z Technology, Inc. (Hi‐Z) has been developing a 1 kW thermoelectric generator for class eight Diesel truck engines under U.S. Department of Energy and California Energy Commission funding since 1992. The purpose of this generator is to replace the currently used shaft‐driven alternator by converting part of the waste heat in the engine’s exhaust directly to electricity. The preliminary design of this generator was reported at the 1992 meeting of the XI‐ICT in Arlington, Texas. This paper will report on the final mechanical, thermal and thermoelectric design of this generator. The generator uses seventy‐two of Hi‐Z’s 13 Watt bismuth‐telluride thermoelectric modules for energy conversion. The number of modules and their arrangement has remained constant through the program. The 1 kW generator was tested on several engines during the development process. Many of the design features were changed during this development as more information was obtained. We have only recently reached our design goal of 1 kW output. The output parameters of the generator are reported.
168 citations
05 Aug 2001
TL;DR: In this article, an improved thermoelectric generator (TEG) for the heavy duty class eight diesel trucks is under development at Hi-Z Technology, which is comprised of 72 TE modules, which are capable of producing 1 kW of electrical power at 30 V DC during nominal engine operation.
Abstract: An improved thermoelectric generator (TEG) for the heavy duty class eight diesel trucks is under development at Hi-Z Technology. The current TEG is equipped with the improved HZ-14 thermoelectric module, which features better mechanical properties as well as higher electric power output. Also, the modules are held in place more securely. The TEG is comprised of 72 TE modules, which are capable of producing 1 kW of electrical power at 30 V DC during nominal engine operation. Currently the upgraded generator has completed testing in a test cell and starting from August 2001 will be tested on a diesel truck under typical road and environmental conditions. It is expected that the TEG will be able to supplement the existing shaft driven alternator, resulting in significant fuel saving, generating additional power required by the truck's accessories. The electronic and thermal properties of bulk materials are altered when they are incorporated into quantum wells. Two-dimensional quantum wells have been synthesized by alternating layers of B/sub 4/C and B/sub 9/C in one system and alternating layers of Si and Si/sub 0.8/Ge/sub 0.2/ in another system. Such nanostructures are being investigated as candidate thermoelectric materials with high figures of merit (Z). The predicted enhancement is attributed to the confined motion of charge carriers and phonons in the two dimensions and separating them from the ion scattering centers. Multilayer quantum well materials development continues with the fabrication of thicker films, evaluation of various substrates to minimize bypass heat loss, and bonding techniques to minimize high contact resistance quantum well thermoelectric devices with N-type Si/Si/sub 0.8/Ge/sub 0.2/ and P-type B/sub 4/C/B/sub 9/C have been fabricated from these films. The test results generated continue to indicate that much higher thermoelectric efficiencies can be achieved in the quantum wells compared to the bulk materials.
68 citations
05 Mar 2001
60 citations
01 Apr 1991
TL;DR: In this article, a thermoelectric energy conversion has been evaluated as a method for utilizing a portion of the waste heat stream from a heavy duty diesel engine and the intent is to improve overall propulsion system efficiency and provide a reasonable payback to the user of a large truck.
Abstract: Thermoelectric energy conversion has been evaluated as a method for utilizing a portion of the waste heat stream from a heavy duty diesel engine. The intent is to improve overall propulsion system efficiency and provide a reasonable payback to the user of a large truck. Several types of 14 V thermoelectric converters have been evaluated. These include liquid and air cooled versions operating in conjunction with the normal alternator powered electrical system of the truck. It appears feasible to design a convertor that can be installed in the exhaust system downstream of the turbocharger and operate over a full range of truck conditions (idle, city, cruise, uphill). The economic results of installing the converter depend upon a number of complex design tradeoffs. Using the cruise condition as the primary design point for a 1000 W thermoelectric convertor, its price is projected to be in the range of $0.65 to $0.85 per watt output. The use of advanced thermoelectric materials will enable improvements to be realized in both weight and size. (A) For the covering abstract of the proceedings see IRRD 853538.
18 citations