Modeling and simulation of thermoelectric generator (TEG) performance parameters evaluation

Abstract

Nowadays, thermoelectric module is widely used for industrial application to produce electricity energy from wasted heat energy. This paper discusses thermoelectric generator (TEG) modeling and simulation to attain improvement. There are several methods to model the thermoelectric generator: finite element method (FEM) model, circuit equivalent model and mathematical/computer model. In order to perform FEM modeling analysis, any engineer should acquire high level of knowledge in material engineering. Circuit equivalent model is using electrical circuit analogy to describe heat transfer and electrical behavior in TEG. In this work, mathematical derivation from circuit equivalent model is used in computer model by using Simulink (Matlab). The result from computer model is an alternative model for electrical or electronics engineers to study and doing future improvements on TEG performance.