Net thermoelectric power generation improvement through heat transfer optimization

The results are conclusive, the installation of more TEMs does not always imply higher thermoelectric generation, so the occupancy ratio (δ) has to be optimized. The optimal generation has been achieved covering the 42% of the surface of the chimney of the tile furnace with TEMs and using heat pipes on the cold side, which present smaller thermal resistances than the finned dissipators for similar consumptions of their fans. Moreover, the high influence of the consumption of the auxiliary equipment shows the importance of considering it to obtain realistic usable electric energy from real applications.