Modeling of an Automotive ThermoElectric Generator (ATEG)

This paper studies an ATEG system which works on the temperature difference between the exhaust gases (hot side) and circulating engine coolant liquid (cold side) of an Internal Combustion (IC) engine. The approach taken in this paper is theoretical analysis by understanding the basic physics (mathematical equations) of the ATEG system. These mathematical equations are modeled in MATLAB/Simulink environment for computer simulation. The inputs to this model, for simulation, are given from the IC engine test bench data. The results indicate that the ATEG system is suitable to drive all the electrical loads in a small (less than 1.4 liter engine) and midsized (between 1.4 liter and 2 liter engine) IC engine driven Automobiles. Therefore, ATEG system forms a great candidate to replace the alternator for small and midsized Automobiles. Replacing the alternator by the ATEG eliminates the load of the alternator on the IC engine and increases the overall fuel efficiency of the automobile greatly (about 4-7 % depending on the IC engine and electrical demand of the car).