This presentation is about my academic project on generating electricity using thermoelectric generator (TEG), to harvest the thermal energy dissipated by combustion gases. The current project discusses the optimal design of the thermoelectric generator (TEG) and the design is conducted analytically based on the idea of air cooled TEG system using fins and an experimental system is fabricated and tested by attaching to exhaust pipe of a two wheeler IC engine for the heat source to verify the validity of the proposed system.

1. Design and fabrication
of
AUTOMOTIVE EXHAUST
THERMO-ELECTRIC GENERATOR
Presented by
T.Kumar 16815A0339

2. A consumption of energy continues to
increase at an exponential rate, especially in terms of
automotive vehicles. About 40% of the applied fuel
into a vehicle is lost as waste exhaust to the
environment.
The sole objective of this project is to
generate electricity using thermoelectric generator
(TEG), to harvest the thermal energy dissipated by
combustion gases. The current project discusses the
optimal design of the thermoelectric generator (TEG)
and the design is conducted analytically based on the
idea of air cooled TEG system using fins and an
experimental system is fabricated and tested by
attaching to exhaust pipe of a two wheeler IC engine for
the heat source to verify the validity of the proposed
system.
ABSTRACT

3. OVERVIEW
Principle
Thermo Electric Generator
Introduction
Design and Simulation
Fabrication
Advantages
Results
conclusion

4. THERMO ELECTRIC GENERATOR
• Thermo Electric Generator is a solid
state device that converts heat flux
(temperature differences) directly into
electrical energy through a phenomenon
called the Seebeck effect (a form
of thermoelectric effect).
• The temperature difference can be
provided by placing the TEG unit between
hot side (exhaust pipe) and cold
side(ambient surroundings or by
external cooling) with help of two heat
exchangers.

5. When the junctions of
two different metals are
maintained at different
temperature the EMF is
produced in the circuit. This is
known as SEEBACK EFFECT.
THERMO ELECTRIC EFFECT

6. PREVIOUS EFORTS ON AETEG

9. DESIGN AND SIMULATION
Physical Modeling:
First build the components with respect to design
criteria and variables using solid modeling module
in fusion 360.
Following steps shows the sequence of procedure
followed to build the components:
1) Create a rough two-dimensional sketch of the
basic shape of the base feature of the design.
2) Apply/modify constraints and dimensions to the
two-dimensional sketch.
3) Extrude, revolve, or sweep the physical two-
dimensional sketch to create the base solid
feature of the design.
4) Add additional parametric features by
identifying feature relations and complete the
design.
5) Perform analyses on the computer model and
refine the design as needed.
6) Create the desired drawing views to document
the design.
Temperature At Cold Side (Tc) 150°C
Temperature At Hot Side (Th) 40°C
Width of fins (wf) 150mm
Thickness of fins (tf) 5mm
Breadth of fins (bf) 50mm
Length of fins (lf) 300mm
Gap between the fins (xf) 5mm
Width of Heat sink base (wb) 50mm
Breadth of Heat sink base (bb) 25mm
length of Heat sink base (lb) 300mm
number of fins (n) 12
Design parameters:

10. Design of components :

12. DESIGN- Solid Modeling :

13. Simulation :

14. EXPERIMENTAL SETUP
Experimental model :
 The experimental setup is fabricated by
undergoing various operations by considering
geometric dimensions as design.
 Each component is fabricated individually and
assembled together by means of fasteners.
 This experimental setup consists of various parts.
These are the real time pictures taken before
experimentation:
Components of Experimental model (Thermo-
Electric Generator) :
1. Thermoelectric module
2. Fins (cold heat exchanger)
3. Heat sink (hot heat exchanger)
4. Thermal grease,
5. Clamp and bolts.

15. FABRICATION PROCESS
Sequence of operations :
1. Formation of FINS from aluminum plates.
2. Formation HEAT SINK (hot side heat
exchanger) by drilling and boring from a mild
steel square block.
3. Connecting TEG modules in series to increase
voltage output.
4. Mounting of TEG modules on heat sink using
thermal grease.
5. Fixing FINS on TEG modules with the help of
bolts.
6. Mounting of TEG model on exhaust pipe of bike
with the help of clamp and bolts.

16. RESULTS
Performance test :
The experimental model installed on an IC engine and run for a certain period of time at
different speeds to alter the temperature of the exhaust gases.
Temperature
(°C)
20 40 60 80 100
Open circuit
voltage
(V)
0.97 1.8 2.4 3.6 4.8
Current
(mA)
225 368 469 558 669
s.no Temperature
difference
TD= (TG-TA) °C
Open circuit voltage
(V)
Current
(mA)
1 20 0.65 166
2 40 1.6 321
3 65 2.3 412
4 81 3.3 550
Therefore the average output open circuit voltage (V) obtained practically by the
multi meter readings for a single thermo electric generator module (TEG) is 1.962 V.
Multi meter readings :
Theoretical data from data sheet of model number TEC-12706 :

17. ADVANTAGES
• Convert waste heat into electricity.
• No external power require to generate electricity.
• ECO FRIENDLY:
mechanical or chemical process
zero emission
silent (no vibrations).
• Robust and durable nearly no maintenance (>250000 hours for TEG).
• It can be used with any fuel or heat source.
• Compact and less weight

18. APPLICATIONS
various applications for TEG are:
1) Low power remote applications.
2) Remote and off grid power generator.
3) Hybrid solar – TEG solution.
4) Aerospace.
5) Industrial waste heat processes (outdoor boilers, oil and gas fields,
pipelines, and remote communication towers ).
6) Living waste heat (wood stoves , cooking)
7) Ocean thermal electricity conversion of solar power generation.

19. CONCLUSION
Finally validation of experimental data is done, results found
are good and there are showing that once temperature difference
increases output also increase, the generated electrical power
changes with change in temperature differences and comparing the
results obtained by previous work for different temperature
difference and types of cooling used and it is found that data
obtained by experimental setup is comparable and reliable.
Therefore from the above experiment we conclude that the
proposed idea of generating electricity using heat energy of exhaust
gases using a thermo electric generator is functioning successfully
by the experimental model which is fabricated as per design able to
generate electricity and results obtained are approximately equal to
the predetermined values.