Research of in-plane thermoelectric generator driven by thermal gas flow

In order to convert the exhaust gas heat into the electric energy, a novel in-plane thermoelectric generator (TEG) of carbon nanotube (CNT) membrane has been designed in this paper. When the thermal gas flows over the CNT membrane at a low velocity, the thermoelectric force is produced, which can be applied to power the micro electromechanical system (MEMS) in some special environments. Based on the basic principles of the fluid dynamics and finite element analysis, the physical and mathematical model of TEG system have been established. The output voltage dependence of the velocity and temperature of the gas flow has been simulated in the multi-physical field. The analyzing results show that the thermoelectric coefficient of the CNT membrane and TEG structure can greatly influence the output voltage. Several suggestions for improving the electrical properties have been proposed, which can guide the optimization and modification of the TEG structure in the future.