Heat loss and thermoelectric generator design

With the object of evaluating its importance to thermoelectric generator design, heat loss is introduced into the standard thermoelectric generator design theory. The theory for both the constant hot and cold junction temperatures model and the constant heat input model are so modified. The modification is first order and, therefore, is limited to small leg heat-transfer coefficients. Numerical results using representative properties show that significant differences can exist between the optimum geometry and performance of a generator idealized as lossless and those of a generator designed by the modified theory. The largest differences occur with the constant heat input model.