A Scoping Review of the Thermoelectric Generator Systems Designs (Heat Exchangers and Coolers) with Locations of Application to Recover Energy from Internal Combustion Engines

Abstract

Currently, a significant number of automobiles are equipped with internal combustion engines. In urban areas, a ‎significant number of transportation methods have detrimental environmental effects through the release of ‎pollutants resulting from the combustion of fossil fuels. In addition to the emission of toxic pollutants, internal ‎combustion engines experience significant energy losses through exhaust emissions. Advanced technological ‎applications have the potential to recover of a portion of the waste heat from exhaust ducts. Evaluations ‎conducted by scholars across several disciplines highlight diverse perspectives on the recycling of thermal ‎energy from exhaust gases as a means of mitigating pollution sources. However, this review focuses on the ‎utilization of thermoelectric generators for harvesting a fraction of the aforementioned dissipated energy. The ‎energy harvesting system is comprised of three components: the heat exchanger, which serves as the heat ‎source; the cooler, which functions as the heat sink; and the thermoelectric generators, which act as the heat ‎engine sandwiched between the heat exchanger and the cooler. This review examines the diverse exterior ‎designs of heat exchangers and coolers and categorizes them accordingly. Additionally, it identifies the optimal ‎installation locations for harvesting systems and explores the impact of design variations, choice of metals for ‎manufacturing, and internal topography on the generation of electrical power. The primary findings of this ‎review emphasize the significance of prioritizing the design of heat exchangers over coolers. This is because ‎the uniformity of the temperature distribution within the heat exchanger plays a crucial role in governing the ‎overall performance. Moreover, the installation of the system on petrol engines was seen as more cost-‎effective in comparison to its installation on diesel engines, primarily due to the higher magnitude of energy ‎emitted from the exhaust gases of the former as opposed to the latter. ‎ To the best of the author's knowledge, ‎this review classification has never been performed before. This can be considered a brief path map and ‎ a ‎starting point for future work by researchers and investigators in designing heat exchangers and coolers and ‎choosing ‎the locations of TEG system installations. Then profitable investment from the data that has been ‎prepared and ‎summarized.‎

Keywords

• engine
• heat
• recycling