Modeling the Performance of and Analyzing Thermal Radiance Reduction by Water-Cooled thermoelectric Waste Heat Harvesting System and The Development of an Air-Cooled Heat Sink Replacement
Abstract
Propulsion and electrical generator systems that utilize fossil fuels experience losses in efficiencies due to waste heat. While there are a number of ways to recover some of this waste heat, this research focuses on a waste heat harvesting system that uses thermoelectric generators (TEGs). TEGs operate via the Seebeck effect, where a temperature difference generates an electric potential. This project consists of three parts. The first part details the steps taken to model the existing water-cooled thermoelectric waste heat harvesting prototype using COMSOL Multiphysics Finite Element Analysis Software. The second part analyzes how well the water-cooled prototype reduces the thermal signature of the gasoline-powered generators muffler. This application shows that it could be useful in minimizing asset visibility in the infrared spectrum for expeditionary missions. The last part discusses the design, fabrication, and performance of a passive, air-cooled variant of the thermoelectric waste heat harvesting system. When water-cooled applications are not feasible, as with expeditionary vehicles, having an air-cooled version is possible.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jun 01, 2020
- Accession Number
- AD1114710
Entities
People
- Daniel L. Sloan
Organizations
- Naval Postgraduate School