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
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.