AN INVESTIGATIVE METHODOLOGY THROUGH SOLID MODELLING an‎d NUMERICAL ANALYSIS FOR DESIGNING A THERMO-ELECTRIC GENERATOR SYSTEM

This product development research project proposes a simplified novel methodology to design a thermoelectric generation (TEG) system. The iterative designs of complete assembly were prepared with the aid of Solidworks and the subsequent FEM analysis was aided by ANSYS fluent and transient thermal workbenches. The combustion chamber was subjected to a computational fluid dynamic study to generate flame profiles and to establish the temperature gradient distribution along the vertical length of inner surface of cylindrical chamber. The results of CFD analysis were then transported to the transient thermal workbench to calculate the charging time of whole system, which indeed founds the issues related to starting fuel efficiency of the system. A section model of the assembly was used to conduct the transient heat transfer analysis. The final results showed that after formation of a steady temperature gradient at the inner surface, the time required to completely charge up the system to achieve steady state came to be 30 minutes, which was found to be in good agreement with the operational constraints. Also, the temperature differences obtained between the hot and cold sides of TEG MARS modules were well within the safe limits. NOx emissions were also plotted and analysed.