Development of Thermoelectric Self-Powered Heating Equipment

In this work, a self-powered residential heating system was developed using thermoelectric generation technology. A full-size prototype was designed, constructed, and tested, in which Bi₂Te₃-based thermoelectric modules were incorporated into a gas-fired heating boiler. Up to 161 W of electricity is generated by the thermoelectric modules. This is sufficient to power all the electrical components of the residential heating equipment including pump, fan, blower, valves, and control panel. In this way, the heating system can operate entirely on fuel combustion and does not need externally generated electricity. The performance of the thermoelectric devices has been investigated in the integrated heating system under various operating conditions. The energy system’s advantages include simplicity, low noise, clean operation, and low maintenance. The thermoelectric self-powered heating system could provide the consumer with heating system reliability and a reduction in electric power consumption.