Thermoelectric Materials Of Porous Media Heat Transfer Process In The Numerical Simulation

A new system for converting heat which came from car exhausts into electric power was proposed on basis of convection heat transfer in a thermoelectric porous medium. The elements are thermoelectric effect and character of porous medium. The thermoelectric generator by the steep temperature gradient in porous-medium exhaust pipe has several advantages: there are no moving parts and there is no noise, it can be made into micro size and it can be control easily. In exhaust pipe, a trapezoidal temperature distribution was established along y axis because of porous element and the exhaust pipe. The thermoelectric generator increased power generation as a result of this temperature gradient. In order to better research the distribution of the temperature gradient and the power generation, the flow field and temperature field in the exhaust pipe must be numerical simulated carefully.Above all, four different physical models of a car exhaust pipe were established. Second, two different three-dimensional mathematical models of a single temperature were established for two different exhaust pipes. One mathematical model is non-rotational flow model, the other one is rotational flow model. The gas flow filed of exhaust pipe has been simulated numerically with SIMPLE method. A mathematical model Updating by rotational flow used in rotational flow model. Afterwards, the velocities and temperature are compared. It is found that temperature on outlet is closer to the real situation by mathematical model updating by rotational flow. Finally, the placement of thermoelectric materials in porous medium was determined by the character of the temperature gradient. The power generation was computed. Different power generation in different area compared with each other. It is found that power generating is more appropriate by mathematical model updating by rotational flow.By the simulating method, we can simulate the heat transfer by different intake flows and the different thermoelectric generator by porous medium with different parameters. The simulate results are very helpful for optimizing the thermoelectric generator.