HIGH TEMPERATURE THERMOELECTRIC HEAT EXCHANGER AND OPTIMIZATION OF DISSIPATIVE SYSTEMS APPLIED IN AUTOMOTIVE

Pasadena CA3rd August 2017

Fabio PugliaC. Fanciulli, V. Ottolina, F. Riva and A. Mari

Zeus: how it works

Truck: Boat:

To charge the batteries of camper, trucks and boats when they are exhausted

Camper:

First Prototype : 6 modules

First prototype: Results

150

175

200

225

250

275

0.00.00 0.08.38 0.17.17 0.25.55 0.34.34 0.43.12

T [°

C]

time [hh:mm:ss]

Hot side temperature (corner)

Temperature

Power increase

25

30

35

40

45

50

0.00.00 0.14.24 0.28.48 0.43.12

T [

°C]

time [hh:mm:ss]

Water temperature

Inletwatertemperature

40

50

60

70

0.15.50 0.23.02 0.30.14 0.37.26 0.44.38

Po

we

r [W

]

Time [hh:mm:ss]

Output Power

Power output

Power increase

First Prototype: CFD + Heat Transfer Simulation

Combustion chamber: Cooling system:

CFD model was created and verified on experiment dataAt steady state

Temperature hot side TEG 231 °C Temperature cold side TEG 54 °C

Experiment Simulation

T gas outlet 280/300 °C 302 °C

T corner TEG

257 °C 252 °C

Experiment Simulation

T water outlet

45,3 °C 45,5 °C

T external 47,8 °C 48,4°C

Laminar flow

DeltaT=177°C

First Prototype: Output Power and Electrical Consumption

Auxiliary devices Consumption [W]

Water pump 12,6

Airfan 18

Total 30,6

Maximum output power [W]

Prototype (6 TEGs) 64

Net power output: 33,4 W

First Prototype: Conclusions

▪ Maximum Net Output Power < 55 W

Not enough for a commercial product

▪ Cannot be commercialized: weight, gas supply, dimensions…

Needs to be engineered

✓The Prototype produces electric power using LGP in a silent and reliable way

What needs to be improve?

What did we achieve?

Second prototype

Specifications:

✓ Gasoline/Diesel supply (burner)

✓ Silent ( 32 dB)

✓ Net output power: 100/150 W

✓ Maximum height: 260 mm

✓ Maximum weight: 40 Kg

✓ Competitive price: <3.000,00 $

✓ Compatible for automotive application (vibrations…)

Second prototype: geometry

• 12 TEG (modules with maximum output power 28W)

• Increased the inlet power: burner 5 kWCombustion chamber:

Inlet burner

Outlet burner

Water cooling system

Second prototype: characteristics

Materials:• Combustion chamber: cast iron• Cooling system: aluminum

Dimensions: 450 x 390 x 260 mm

Weight: 40 kg

Pressing force: 1 MPa

Thermocouples to check temperatures

Power: 150 W

Heat Exchanger Optimization

2 lines of thermoelectric modules: 6 each

Medium flux for first line: 16 W/cmq

Medium flux for second line: 11 W/cmq

24 We output

16 We output

Second prototype: issues and challanges

• Combustion chamber cannot be made using shell molding technology

adapted the geometry

• Auxiliary device consumption

Auxiliary devices Consumption [W]

Burner eletronics 30

Water pump 12,6

Airfan 60

Total 102,6

Optimization of the air fan

Fan shape opt.:

1 prototype: 85 W - 75 dB 1m

2 prototype: 50 W - 52 dB 1m

Optimitazion of the cold side exchanger

0

5

10

15

20

25

10 15 20

W IN FUNZIONE DELLA PORTATA

Temperature opt. On the cold faceElectrical output vs. Water flux l/min

Conclusions and Future Work

✓ Designed a silent prototype with diesel supply, compact, compatible to automotive application.

✓ Increase the net power output reduce the consumption of auxiliary devices

✓ Adapt the system to burners of different sizes (campers and trucks)✓ Adapt the system to work with sea water as cooling system (boats)

THANK YOU FOR YOUR KIND ATTENTION

Pasadena CA3rd August 2017

Fabio PugliaC. Fanciulli, V. Ottolina, F. Riva and A. Mari