Experimental analysis on the thermoelectric effect of various solid-state devices used for direct conversion of thermal energy into electrical energy

In this present investigation, the performance of thermoelectric generators (TEGs) was determined for the TEGs made of lead telluride (PbTe 3 ), bismuth telluride (Bi 2 Te 3 ), silicon germanium (SiGe), and aluminum oxide (Al 2 O 3 ). In response to variations in the heat input rate and water flow rate, the electric power generated by the TEG was recorded and studied for the aforementioned TEG materials. During the investigation, the water flow rate to the TEG's cold side was chosen to be 0.5 lpm to 2 lpm in the step of 0.5 lpm, and the thermal energy input rate to the hot side was set at 30 W–120 W in the step of 30 W. Among all the TEGs Bi 2 Te 3 was superior in terms of power generation potential in comparison to other TEGs in all the test conditions. The investigation also reveals that all TEGs appear to have a high-power generation when the cooling water flow rate was 2 lpm and the heat input rate was 120 W. At a water flow rate of 2 lpm for the case of Bi 2 Te 3, the power generation potential was elevated by about 20.3 %, 14.4 %, and 6.5 % in comparison to Al 2 O 3 , PbTe 3 , and SiGe respectively. • Thermoelectric generator performance accessed with varying environmental conditions. • Electric energy was generated from waste heat flux. • Four different TEGs such as PbTe 3 , Bi 2 Te 3 , SiGe, and Al 2 O 3 were comparatively studied to find the optimum one. • Bi 2 Te 3 is best among all other TEGs in terms of electrical power generation potential.