碲化铋温差发电模块输出功率的计算与性能测试

Output Power Calculations and Tests of a BiTe-based Thermoelectric Module

温差发电器可广泛用于汽车发动机尾气废热的回收。为优化温差发电模块构型和优选热电材料以获得高输出功率,发展完善的热电耦合物理模型十分必要。本文针对工作在特定热源和热沉温度下的温差发电模块,建立了包含基本热电效应的温差发电器工作过程一维物理模型。物理模型中考虑了热电元件与热源和热沉之间的热阻的影响,并从基本理论出发,分析了包含汤姆逊热的输出功率表达式。通过建立的测量系统测试了碲化铋基(BiTe-based)温差发电模块的输出功率,利用热像仪检测了热电元件温度分布,并将输出功率计算结果与实验测试结果和ANSYS三维仿真结果做了对比。对比结果验证了物理模型的准确性。

Using thermoelectric generation（TEG）to recover waste heat from the automotive engine has aroused scientific activities in which some successful cases have been reported.Output power calculation for the TEGs is very valuable for TEG system optimizations,material selections and structure designs.Indeed,a sophisticated thermoelectric physical model is necessary.A one-dimension model containing basic thermal and electrical effects was built at specified heat source and heat sink temperatures.The thermal resistances between the thermoelements,the heat source and heat sink were taken into considered.An output power expression carrying the Thomson heat term was analyzed.Then a BiTe-based thermoelectric module was tested under vacuum environment and IR thermal images is captured to testify the thermal homogeneity of the thermoelements.At last,output powers of the calculations,the tests and the ANSYS model were compared with each other.The results demonstrated the accuracy of the physical model.