Thermoelectric Devices for Automotive Waste Heat Recovery: A Review

Thermoelectric power generation by recovering waste heat from automobile has become a promising approach. The basic principle of this technology is to directly convert the heat energy from automotive waste heat to electrical energy using Thermoelectric Generators (TEGs) the output of which, after the necessary power conditioning, will charge a battery. This study reviews today's state of the art both in TEGs and the necessary electronic interfaces for delivering maximum power to a vehicle battery either conventional or hybrid for both passenger cars as well as commercial Vehicles. The importance of the use of TEGs in the automotive industry becomes of even greater importance especially in light of the new regulatory targets and measures set by the European Commission for fuel savings and CO2 emissions reduction.