Design of high-efficient converter for on-board Thermoelectric Generator

The efficiency of internal combustion engines in trucks and passenger cars are low (<;40%). Much work has been done to make the engines more efficient internally, by improving the mechanical and electrical components. However, there is still a large amount of fuel power, which gets converted into heat and escapes through exhaust gases as waste heat. Taking advantages of thermoelectricity, part of that heat power can be converted into electrical power. In this paper, the most suitable DC/DC converter for Thermoelectric Generator in Heavy Duty Vehicles is proposed and based on the simulation results, different aspects of designing high-efficient DC/DC converters are discussed.