Power generation of a thermoelectric generator with phase change materials

In this paper, a thermoelectric generator that embeds phase change materials for wasted heat energy harvesting is proposed. The proposed thermoelectric generator embeds phase change materials in its device structure. The phase change materials store large amounts of heat energy using the latent heat of fusion. When the heat source contacts the thermoelectric generator, dissipated heat from the heat source is stored in the phase change materials. When the heat source is removed from the thermoelectric generator, the output power of the thermoelectric generator slowly decreases, while the output power of conventional thermoelectric generators decreases rapidly without the heat source. The additional air layer in the proposed thermoelectric generator disturbs the heat dissipation from the phase change materials, so the thermoelectric generator can maintain the power generation for longer without a heat source. The experimental results for the thermoelectric generator fabricated clearly show the latent heat effect of the phase change materials and the embedded air layer.