TITLE:
Optimal Control of a Thermoelectric Generator Attached with a Latent Heat Accumulator
AUTHORS:
Akira Tsuyoshi
KEYWORDS:
Thermoelectric Generator, Heat Accumulator, MPPT, MEPT
JOURNAL NAME:
Journal of Power and Energy Engineering,
Vol.5 No.4,
April
20,
2017
ABSTRACT: Generally MPPT control (maximum power point tracking) is adopted to control of a thermoelectric generator. However, in the case of generation by use of a heat accumulator MPPT control cannot obtain maximum whole electrical output during the operation period. This is because the amount of heat stored in a heat accumulator is limited and easy to be exhausted rapidly by MPPT. Therefore MEPT (Maximum Efficiency Point Tracking) control should be developed to obtain maximum power from limited heat stored in the heat accumulator. When thermoelectric generator is used for waste heat recovery, conversion efficiency is quite difficult to be measured. This is due to time delay between the change of temperature profile in the thermoelectric generator and the change of heat medium temperature. Decrease of output current is desired to enlarge output because decrease of current decreases Peltier heat and improves efficiency of heat recovery. The experimental results indicate that current fluctuated by MPPT control causes loss of power output. We proposed the optimal control in which current is 10% smaller than one of MPPT control and evaluated it experimentally. We call this control scheme MEPT control. In this evaluation 500 W class thermoelectric generator, latent heat accumulator and the test facilities included 30 kW electric heater are utilized. Experimental result shows MEPT control exceeds MPPT in total electricity recovered from heat accumulator.