Chapter 9. Automotive Power Harvesting/Thermoelectric Applications

Legislative CO2 emission penalties and the desire to increase overall efficiency using the least expensive technology for automotive vehicles has led manufacturers to research and develop thermoelectric generators (TEGs). TEGs will play an important role in achieving a large-scale, sustainable energy solution. However, the conflicting material characteristics needed for TEGs pose a formidable challenge. The suitability and opportunities for thermoelectric devices in automotive applications are discussed, with particular emphasis on systems for electrical energy generation from exhaust gases. The significant challenges for integrating thermoelectric devices into a device for wide scale automotive deployment are outlined, including the balancing of the many different requirements for the system such as thermal management, thermoelectric materials, design and packaging constraints, etc. Some of the failure modes of thermoelectric modules in such a system are also reviewed.