Effects of fuel cell vehicle waste heat temperatures and cruising speeds on the outputs of a thermoelectric generator energy recovery module

Effects of fuel cell vehicle waste heat temperatures and cruising speeds on the outputs of a thermoelectric generator energy recovery module

A thermoelectric generator (TEG) module is designed to harvest low grade waste heat from a 2 kW fuel cell vehicle and improve its energy utilization. The module integrates a TEG cell with a heat pipe and a finned heat sink. A numerical model is developed based on an experiment setup where the fuel c...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:International journal of hydrogen energy Vol. 46; no. 50; pp. 25634 - 25649
Main Authors: Mohamed, W.A.N.W., Singh, B., Mohamed, M.F., Aizuwan, A.M., Zubair, A.B.M.
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier Ltd 21-07-2021
Subjects:
CFD
FCV
Fuel cell
Low grade waste heat
Thermoelectric generator
CFD
FCV
Low grade waste heat
Thermoelectric generator
Fuel cell
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Summary:A thermoelectric generator (TEG) module is designed to harvest low grade waste heat from a 2 kW fuel cell vehicle and improve its energy utilization. The module integrates a TEG cell with a heat pipe and a finned heat sink. A numerical model is developed based on an experiment setup where the fuel cell temperature is 45–60 °C while the cruise speed is 25 kmh−1. The numerical model is validated with less than 5% deviation. Extended cases are simulated for series and parallel power train configuration under changes to the waste heat temperature and vehicle speeds to evaluate the power and heat recovery ratio. A single TEG cell output between 2 and 3 W is achievable even at low grade heat. The parallel drive generates 50% more power than the series drive at 100 kmh−1 speed. A 2% heat recovery is theoretically achievable for a 16 cell module assembly. •Energy recovery for low grade waste heat from a FCV studied experimentally and numerically.•CFD model of a TEG module were validated with experiments.•Energy recovery under parallel and series FCV power train configurations were simulated.•Power train in series allows greater waste heat recovery ratio at low FCV speeds.•Parallel power train configuration gives better recovery ratio at high speeds.
ISSN:0360-3199
1879-3487
DOI:10.1016/j.ijhydene.2021.05.084