Thermoelectric-generator with linear phenomenological heat-transfer law

The performance of multi-element thermoelectric-generators, assuming heat-transfer irreversibilities which obey the linear phenomenological heat-transfer law Q ∝ (ΔT−1), is studied in this paper by combining finite-time thermodynamics with non-equilibrium thermodynamics. The performance characteristics of the output power, efficiency and working electrical-current are described by numerical examples.