Thermal energy recovery in automotive exhaust systems: a potential analysis of thermoelectric generators. Modelling and experimental assessment

• Autores: Pablo Fernández Yáñez Luján
• Directores de la Tesis: Octavio Armas Vergel (dir. tes.), Arantzazu Gómez Esteban (codir. tes.)
• Lectura: En la Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha ( España ) en 2018
• Idioma: español
• Tribunal Calificador de la Tesis: José Manuel Luján Martínez (presid.), Publio Pintado Sanjuán (secret.), John R. Agudelo Santamaría (voc.)
• Programa de doctorado: Programa de Doctorado en Ciencias y Tecnologías aplicadas a la Ingeniería Industrial por la Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha
• Materias:
  • Ciencias tecnológicas
    • Tecnología e ingeniería mecánicas
      • Motores de combustión interna (general)
• Enlaces
  • Tesis en acceso abierto en: RUIdeRA
• Resumen

  • The main objective of this doctoral thesis is the development of a methodology based on experimental and modelling techniques to evaluate the potential of thermoelectricgenerators in automotive exhaust systems. Thermal energy is a by-product in all power generation and industrial processes. For any heat engine, the laws of thermodynamics place fundamental constraints on the amount of useful power which can be extracted, leading to large amounts of heat being rejected to the ambient. Thermoelectric materials, usually employed in the form of solid state devices (thermoelectric modules) convert temperature gradients provided by any heat source directly into electrical energy.

    Due to the strict environmental regulations and the huge share in fossil fuel consumption of road transportation, the automotive sector strikes as an excellent candidate to implement thermoelectric generators, specially in exhaust systems, in which a third of the energy provided by the fuel is wasted as heat. The results presented here were developed for a light-duty diesel engine working at common driving conditions and cover several stages: theoretical assessment, modelling of the exhaust system, computer-aided design of a thermoelectric generator and engine tests with a thermoelectric generator prototype. Each one of this steps involved new findings and meant one step further in the implementation of thermoelectric generators in engines. Later, achievable thermoelectric production for the diesel engine was compared with that of a gasoline engine. Additionally, a comparison with a turbine-based, energy recovery technology is provided.