Abstract
This paper describes the development of a thermoelectric (TE) generator with a catalytic butane combustor. The TE generator is composed of a thermoelectric (TE) module, a catalytic combustor, an ejector to supply air to the combustor and an ignition heater. Liquid gases such as butane and propane are used as fuel. The combustor without a load (TE module) achieved self-sustaining combustion and electrical ignition using butane as fuel. When the TE modules were attached to the combustor, however, butane combustion was impossible and the combustion efficiency of hydrogen decreased. The generation test was performed by attaching two TE modules to the combustor and using hydrogen as fuel. The conversion efficiency reached 1.8% at an output power of 276mW. This study confirmed that the miniature TE generator is practical, if the performance of the combustor is improved.
