Segmented thermoelectric generator: exponential area variation in leg

The innovative design of segmented thermoelectric generator with exponential area variation is introduced. Thermal efficiency and power output are assessed for various values of the design parameter (a = (L/x) lnA_a/A(x)], where A_a is constant, and a is the dimensionless geometric parameter, L is the pin length, and A(x) is the pin cross‐sectional area), external load parameter (R_L/R₀, ratio of external electrical resistance to reference electrical resistance), and temperature parameter (θ = T_low/T_high, ratio of cold junction temperature to high junction temperature). The device efficiency obtained is validated through the previous experimental data for various hot and cold junction temperature differences. The findings reveal that thermal efficiency resulted from the current study agrees well with the experimental data. The innovative design of the segmented thermoelectric generator with exponentially decaying pin configuration enhances the thermal efficiency and output power as compared with the device having a single material pin configuration. Increasing temperature ratio results in the reduction in the thermal efficiency and the output power of thermoelectric generator. In addition, lowering the external load parameter improves the thermal efficiency and the output power of the thermoelectric device. The design parameter that maximizes the thermal efficiency of the thermoelectric generator does not maximize the device output power.