Thermoelectric Generation Using Diesel Engine Exhaust Waste Heat

In the transportation industry, the need to improve powertrain efficiency and provide additional power to the many amenities has encouraged research on engine waste heat recovery. Approximately one-third of the gasoline or diesel fuel energy passes through the engine’s exhaust system as heat. With ongoing developments in thermoelectric materials and module design, thermoelectric power generation has a potential use in engine heat recovery. In this study, the capability of generating usable power by thermoelectric generation from the exhaust heat of a three-cylinder, 697 cubic centimeter diesel engine was investigated. From experimental testing, the maximum power output and maximum current for a single module and four modules connected in series was 0.49W with 0.437A, and 2.81W with 0.60A, respectively. To harvest larger power magnitude from the waste heat, the modules will be configured in a co-axial manner along the pipe. Other possible applications include stationary power generation systems in which added weight does not effect overall performance.