EVALUATION OF THERMOELECTRIC MODULES FOR POWER-GENERATION

A procedure is developed to assess the potential of thermoelectric mod ules when used for electrical power generation. The generating perform ance of a thermoelectric module is evaluated in terms of its power out put, conversion efficiency and reliability, while the potential for im proving its performance is investigated based upon the power-per-area, cost-per-watt and manufacture quality factor. The methods employed in determining these parameters are described and used to evaluate sever al commercially available modules. The results show that a thermoelect ric module is a promising device for low temperature waste heat recove ry. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science S.A. All rights reserved.