Thermal Management Systems and Waste Heat Recycling by Thermoelectric Generators—An Overview
With the fast evolution in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions (e.g., <inline-formula><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><semantics><mrow><msub><mrow><mi>CO</mi></mrow><mn>2</mn></msub&...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2021-09-01
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| Series: | Energies |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/14/18/5646 |
| _version_ | 1797519510854434816 |
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| author | Sadeq Hooshmand Zaferani Mehdi Jafarian Daryoosh Vashaee Reza Ghomashchi |
| author_facet | Sadeq Hooshmand Zaferani Mehdi Jafarian Daryoosh Vashaee Reza Ghomashchi |
| author_sort | Sadeq Hooshmand Zaferani |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | With the fast evolution in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions (e.g., <inline-formula><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><semantics><mrow><msub><mrow><mi>CO</mi></mrow><mn>2</mn></msub></mrow></semantics></math></inline-formula>,<inline-formula><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><semantics><mrow><mo> </mo><msub><mi mathvariant="normal">N</mi><mn>2</mn></msub><mi mathvariant="normal">O</mi></mrow></semantics></math></inline-formula>) caused by fossil fuel combustion and global warming, climate change has been identified as a critical threat to the sustainable development of human society, public health, and the environment. To reduce GHG emissions, besides minimizing waste heat production at the source, an integrated approach should be adopted for waste heat management, namely, waste heat collection and recycling. One solution to enable waste heat capture and conversion into useful energy forms (e.g., electricity) is employing solid-state energy converters, such as thermoelectric generators (TEGs). The simplicity of thermoelectric generators enables them to be applied in various industries, specifically those that generate heat as the primary waste product at a temperature of several hundred degrees. Nevertheless, thermoelectric generators can be used over a broad range of temperatures for various applications; for example, at low temperatures for human body heat harvesting, at mid-temperature for automobile exhaust recovery systems, and at high temperatures for cement industries, concentrated solar heat exchangers, or NASA exploration rovers. We present the trends in the development of thermoelectric devices used for thermal management and waste heat recovery. In addition, a brief account is presented on the scientific development of TE materials with the various approaches implemented to improve the conversion efficiency of thermoelectric compounds through manipulation of Figure of Merit, a unitless factor indicative of TE conversion efficiency. Finally, as a case study, work on waste heat recovery from rotary cement kiln reactors is evaluated and discussed. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T07:43:49Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-b756c41822504accb8dbca55c484009b |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1996-1073 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T07:43:49Z |
| publishDate | 2021-09-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Energies |
| spelling | doaj.art-b756c41822504accb8dbca55c484009b2023-11-22T12:50:53ZengMDPI AGEnergies1996-10732021-09-011418564610.3390/en14185646Thermal Management Systems and Waste Heat Recycling by Thermoelectric Generators—An OverviewSadeq Hooshmand Zaferani0Mehdi Jafarian1Daryoosh Vashaee2Reza Ghomashchi3School of Mechanical Engineering, University of Adelaide, Adelaide 5005, AustraliaCentre for Energy Technology, School of Mechanical Engineering, University of Adelaide, Adelaide 5005, AustraliaDepartment of Electrical and Computer Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27606, USASchool of Mechanical Engineering, University of Adelaide, Adelaide 5005, AustraliaWith the fast evolution in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions (e.g., <inline-formula><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><semantics><mrow><msub><mrow><mi>CO</mi></mrow><mn>2</mn></msub></mrow></semantics></math></inline-formula>,<inline-formula><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><semantics><mrow><mo> </mo><msub><mi mathvariant="normal">N</mi><mn>2</mn></msub><mi mathvariant="normal">O</mi></mrow></semantics></math></inline-formula>) caused by fossil fuel combustion and global warming, climate change has been identified as a critical threat to the sustainable development of human society, public health, and the environment. To reduce GHG emissions, besides minimizing waste heat production at the source, an integrated approach should be adopted for waste heat management, namely, waste heat collection and recycling. One solution to enable waste heat capture and conversion into useful energy forms (e.g., electricity) is employing solid-state energy converters, such as thermoelectric generators (TEGs). The simplicity of thermoelectric generators enables them to be applied in various industries, specifically those that generate heat as the primary waste product at a temperature of several hundred degrees. Nevertheless, thermoelectric generators can be used over a broad range of temperatures for various applications; for example, at low temperatures for human body heat harvesting, at mid-temperature for automobile exhaust recovery systems, and at high temperatures for cement industries, concentrated solar heat exchangers, or NASA exploration rovers. We present the trends in the development of thermoelectric devices used for thermal management and waste heat recovery. In addition, a brief account is presented on the scientific development of TE materials with the various approaches implemented to improve the conversion efficiency of thermoelectric compounds through manipulation of Figure of Merit, a unitless factor indicative of TE conversion efficiency. Finally, as a case study, work on waste heat recovery from rotary cement kiln reactors is evaluated and discussed.https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/14/18/5646energy conversionwaste heat recoverythermoelectric generatorsthermal management |
| spellingShingle | Sadeq Hooshmand Zaferani Mehdi Jafarian Daryoosh Vashaee Reza Ghomashchi Thermal Management Systems and Waste Heat Recycling by Thermoelectric Generators—An Overview Energies energy conversion waste heat recovery thermoelectric generators thermal management |
| title | Thermal Management Systems and Waste Heat Recycling by Thermoelectric Generators—An Overview |
| title_full | Thermal Management Systems and Waste Heat Recycling by Thermoelectric Generators—An Overview |
| title_fullStr | Thermal Management Systems and Waste Heat Recycling by Thermoelectric Generators—An Overview |
| title_full_unstemmed | Thermal Management Systems and Waste Heat Recycling by Thermoelectric Generators—An Overview |
| title_short | Thermal Management Systems and Waste Heat Recycling by Thermoelectric Generators—An Overview |
| title_sort | thermal management systems and waste heat recycling by thermoelectric generators an overview |
| topic | energy conversion waste heat recovery thermoelectric generators thermal management |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/14/18/5646 |
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