This document describes the design and development of a low-cost thermoelectric generator module that converts waste heat into electricity. The module uses the Seebeck effect to induce electricity from a temperature difference between aluminum and graphite strips. Several iterations were tested with improvements like clearer contact points between materials, more couples per slide to produce more power, and variations in strip widths and heights. Testing in an oil bath showed increased voltage output with greater temperature differences applied across the couples. The results demonstrate this simple module's potential as an efficient, renewable energy source from normally wasted heat.

1. Aluminum – Graphite
Thermo-electric module
Charith S Suriyakula
AS/07/08/077
Index # 2001

2. Objective
• To design and develop a low-cost and low-tech
thermo-electric generator module.

3. The problem…
• Fossil fuel is a limited resource of Earth. Fossil fuels are non-
renewable and is a finite resource.
• To meet the power demand of the world, people have to
discover renewable energy sources.
• This is a solution for the expensive and environmentally
damaging fossil fuels.

4. Renewable energy sources
• Main source is sunlight. Also known as Solar energy
o Can directly use to light, heat homes and other buildings.
o Can be used to generate electricity
o Hot water heating
• Wind energy is captured by wind turbines to generate
electricity
• Hydro power is used to rotate turbines and generate
electricity

5. Waste Heat
• In many cases, the efficiency of a process is limited due to
the energy loss as heat.
• We have to design the process to minimize the heat loss or
to make use of the heat loss.
• Mechanical engines, computers generate heat which is
wasted to air.
• The challenge is to convert the waste heat into a applicable
energy form

6. Heat  Electricity ?
• Seebeck effect is the phenomenon of
inducing electricity from heat
• It was first discovered by Thomas
Seebeck in 1821
• Modern technology use semiconductor
materials to design TEG devices
• TEGs are reliable efficient source of
electricity

7. Objective
• To design and develop a low-cost and low-tech
thermo-electric generator module.
Glass slides
Copper wires
plastic
wood
aluminum
adhesives
paper

8. Basic design

10. Improvements
• The following cases were considered when designing the
TEG module
o Heat conductivity from “hot” junction to “cold” junction needs to
be minimized.
o The temperature difference between “hot” and “cold” junctions
needs to be maximized to induce higher energy from the module
o The contact points of two materials needs to be clearly specified.
o More couples = more power

11. • More couples in a single glass slide.
• Still the contact points were not clearly visible.

12. • The aluminum and graphite strips are
connected using “L” shaped contact area.

15. Results

18. Discussion
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percouplevoltage(µV)
temperature difference (0C)
Graph of ‘per couple voltage’ vs. ‘temperature difference when heated using an oil bath (Cell 5 vs. Cell 13)
Cell 5
Cell 13
Expon. (Cell 5)
Expon. (Cell 13)
Strip width comparison

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0.50
1.00
1.50
2.00
2.50
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70
percouplevoltage(µV)
temperature difference (0C)
Graph of ‘per couple voltage’ vs. ‘temperature difference when heated using an oil bath (Cell 01 vs. Cell 07)
Cell 01
Cell 07
Expon. (Cell 01)
Expon. (Cell 07)
Strip height comparison