Simulating Utilization of Waste Heat of Motor Vehicles-Based On Thermoelectric Generator

Abstract

The main power source of motor vehicle is combustion engines which use fossil fuels (diesel, gasoline, pertamax etc.) as fuel. The total heat supplied to the engine in the form of fuel, 30-40% of fuel is converted into mechanical work, heat remaining is released through the exhaust pipe and the engine cooling system. The unused heat source in motor vehicles could potentially be used to generate electricity as a supplier of electricity needs in a vehicle. The technology used to convert the heat energy into electrical energy known as the thermoelectric generator, which uses the Seebeck theory as the basis of the principle works. This study uses a cylinder with a heating element inside (heater) as a heat source such as the exhaust pipes designed in a motor vehicle. Cylinder temperature is simulated as the temperature of the exhaust pipes of motor vehicles by varying the input voltage supplied to the heater (150V, 175V, 200V and 225V). This study also uses sub-sonic wind tunnel as a source of wind to vary the speed of exhaled air to test equipment to simulate the vehicle speed (20 km/h, 30 km/h, 40 km/h, 50 km/h and 60 km/h). By using 8 thermoelectric modules arranged in series electrical, power (P) generated a maximum of 0.88 Watt with voltage difference (ΔV) 11:13V and a maximum temperature difference (ΔT) 47.61°C. This condition is obtained on the input voltage at 225V heater with air velocity 20 km/h.