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Updated: Jun 20, 2025

Asymmetric Thermoelectrochemical Cell for Harvesting Low-grade Heat under Isothermal Operation
Published on: February 5, 2020
Demonstration of a thermoelectric generator system for low-temperature heat harvesting in fuel cell
Silong Zhang1, Laiming Luo2, Xinru Zhang3
1School of Transportation Science and Engineering, Beihang University, Beijing 100191, China.
Abstract:
During the operation of proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC), about half of the energy is dissipated as heat. To enhance the energy efficiency of fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV), we hereby propose a waste heat recovery system for low-temperature energy harvesting of FCEV. A comprehensive fluid-thermal-electrical multiphysics model is established to predict the performance of the proposed thermoelectric generator (TEG) system. Subsequently, a practical prototype of TEG system is developed. Transient and steady-state experimental results from the prototype validated the feasibility and power generation efficiency of the TEG system. At a temperature difference of 40°C, the highest open circuit voltage and power output of each TEG are 6.2V and 0.33W respectively, the results affirmatively demonstrate that the TEG system can recover the low temperature waste heat from PEMFC, thus providing valuable guidance for the design of the future PEMFC thermal management system in FCEV.
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