Ping Xu
Energy recovery, thermoelectric generator (TEG), internal combustion engine (ICE), cooling system, experiment
To recycle the cooling system energy of the internal combustion engine, an energy recovery system based on a thermoelectric generator (TEG) was designed. The impacts of the internal structure of the heat collector and the radiator cooling mode on the performance of the TEG were investigated using a test bed. The results indicated that the inner structure has little effect on the temperature distribution of the heat collector’s surface, and the inner hollow configuration is suitable for the heat collector. It also revealed that the radiator of the TEG system, which employs a solid-column connection, has a limited heat transfer capacity. This limitation results in a significant temperature difference across the radiator system, measuring up to 30◦C. Further experiments demonstrated that a heat pipe connection can enhance heat transfer, reducing the temperature difference to less than 10◦C, indicating that the heat pipe connection is more suitable for the radiator system. Finally, an economic analysis of the TEG system showed that recycling energy from the engine cooling system using the designed energy recovery system is feasible; however, the payback period for the system is relatively long, at nearly four years.
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