Novel Hybrid Material Thermoelectric Generator Integrating Thermal Regions on the Hot Side

In this work, we develop a three-dimensional thermoelectric (TE) numerical model of a commercial 127-thermocouple TEG, incorporating the temperature-dependent Seebeck coefficient, electrical resistivity, and thermal conductivity. The model is validated against manufacturer data, achieving average errors below 5% in internal resistance, voltage, current, and power output. Using this validated model, we propose a hybrid TEG composed of Bi2Te3, PbTe, and skutterudite legs electrically connected in series. This multi-material configuration enables each leg to operate near its optimal hot-side temperature, extending the usable temperature range beyond that of conventional Bi2Te3 modules. Multiple uniform and non-uniform hot-side thermal boundary configurations are examined, including diagonal, rectangular, and cavity-inspired arched thermal regions. Under uniform hot-side temperatures (200 °C and 230 °C), the commercial Bi2Te3 module outperforms the hybrid material design. However, when non-uniform hot-side boundary conditions align with the material-specific optimal temperature ranges, the hybrid TEG delivers up to 17.37 W (Case F), representing a 135.3% increase in power relative to the commercial module. The highest-temperature cases exceed the thermal operating limits of Bi2Te3 modules, demonstrating the advantage of hybrid material TEGs.