Effects of Installing Different Types of Cooling Fins on the Cold Side of a Thermoelectric Power Generation Device on the Thermal Efficiency and Exergy Efficiency of Power Cable Surface Waste Heat Recovery

Abstract

This study investigates the thermal efficiency and exergy efficiency of a thermoelectric power generation device for recovering power cable surface waste heat. Numerical simulations are conducted to analyze the impact of different types of cooling fins on the system’s performance. The results demonstrate that the installation of cooling fins improves heat transfer efficiency and enhances the thermoelectric power generation device’s output power. Among the various fin designs, the system equipped with cooling fins with 17 teeth exhibits the highest performance. These findings highlight the importance of fin design in optimizing the system’s thermal efficiency and exergy efficiency. This study provides valuable insights for the development and improvement of thermoelectric power generation systems for power cable surface waste heat recovery applications.