A marine waste incinerator has been evaluated for waste heat harvesting using thermoelectric generators (TEG). The application has been evaluated using mathematical modeling to optimize the heat exchanger and some vital design parameters of the TEG. The calculation shows that it is possible to

Thermoelectric materials such as Skutterudites and Magnesium Silicides are being investigated as promising alternatives for medium to high temperature waste heat recovery in the transport sector and industry. A critical success factor for the thermoelectric material is its stability over time when exposed to rapid heating and cooling during its lifetime. In this work the different degradation issues at high temperature are examined for these thermoelectric materials, and several means of enhancing durability have been evaluated. Initial thermal durability studies have been performed with Skutterudites and Magnesium Silicides with candidate coatings for protecting the materials from oxidation and sublimation during thermal cycles in air for up to 500 hours and up to 873K. The samples were then characterized by SEM and EDS. The results showed that it is possible to decrease degradation of the thermoelectric material without compromising the overall thermoelectric efficiency.

The useful waste heat potential for a bulk carrier has been evaluated as a preliminary step towards developing a thermoelectric generator (TEG) waste heat recovery system for ships. A medium-sized bulk carrier produces 6.2 MW of waste heat, and the most promising usable sources for the TEG are shown herein to be the exhausts from the main engine and the sludge oil incinerator.