抄録
For utilizing waste heat effectively, a thermoelectric generation system that can directly convert heat energy into electric power has much possibility. In order to estimate the output power density and the efficiency of the system, it is needed to develop a simulation method of the thermoelectric generation mechanism and heat flow in the system.
First we made a thermal equivalent circuit in a thermoelectric generation unit as the basic unit of the thermoelectric generation system.
Second we developed a calculation program that can easily calculate the electric output power density and the efficiency. The radiation and the air conduction in the thermoelectric module also were considered. It was proved that the simulation method was appropriate, since the error by this method was in the range of 7% in electric power.
According to the above simulation, it can be made the several types of thermoelectric generator (ex. high efficiency-low power density type, high power density-low efficiency type) depending on thermal source conditions by changing the shape of module.
