Grey relational based Taguchi analysis on thermal and electrical performances of thermoelectric generator system with inclined fins hot heat exchanger

• Published in: Applied thermal engineering Vol. 184; p. 116279
• Main Authors: Seo, Jae-Hyeong, Garud, Kunal Sandip, Lee, Moo-Yeon
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 05.02.2021; Elsevier BV
• Subjects: Energy conversion efficiency; Exergy; Fins; Generators; Grey relational based Taguchi analysis (GTA); Heat exchangers; Inlet temperature; Mass flow rate; Maximum power; Net energy efficiency; Net exergy efficiency; Optimization; Orthogonal arrays; Power; Power management; Pressure drop; Studies; Temperature difference; Temperature gradients; Thermoelectric generators; Thermoelectricity; Temperature difference; Net exergy efficiency; Grey relational based Taguchi analysis (GTA); Net energy efficiency; Pressure drop; Power
• ISSN: 1359-4311; 1873-5606
• DOI: 10.1016/j.applthermaleng.2020.116279

•Grey relational based Taguchi Analysis (GTA) is proposed for thermoelectric generator system.•The coupled numerical analysis used for GTA is validated within 6% error with experiments.•Three L16 orthogonal arrays are formulated to optimize thermal and electrical performances.•The influence orders of various factors are evaluated for thermal and electrical performances.•GTA shows optimum net energy efficiency of 2.316% and net exergy efficiency of 2.418%. In the present study, the grey relational based Taguchi analysis (GTA) to optimize the thermal and electrical performances of the thermoelectric generator system with inclined fins hot heat exchanger is carried out. The coupled numerical approach used for GTA of the thermoelectric generator system with inclined fins hot heat exchanger is firstly validated with the experimental data for thermal and electrical performances of the thermoelectric generator system with the straight fins hot heat exchanger within 6%. Three L16 orthogonal arrays with the hot gas inlet mass flow rate (M), hot gas inlet temperature (T), design (D) and gap between the fins (G) are considered as the influencing factors for the GTA of the thermoelectric generator system with inclined fins hot heat exchanger. The GTA optimizes the thermal performances namely temperature difference and pressure drop with the first orthogonal array, the electrical performances namely power and conversion efficiency with the second orthogonal array and the combined thermal-electrical performances namely net energy efficiency and net exergy efficiency with the third orthogonal array. As the results, the decreasing orders of influence of various factors are M > G > T > D for the thermal performances and T > M > G > D for the electrical and the combined thermal-electrical performances. The optimum combination of four factors with the GTA shows the highest temperature difference of 99.72 °C, lowest pressure drop of 0.175 kPa, highest maximum power of 45.65 W, highest maximum conversion efficiency of 4.543%, highest net energy efficiency of 2.316% and highest net exergy efficiency of 2.418%, respectively.