MODELING THE USE OF THERMOELECTRIC GENERATOR ON A CATERPILLER C7 ENGINE

The interest over the past few years in thermoelectric [TE] materials to increase the overall efficiency of engines has determined a dramatic increase in potential applications research. In order to define the feasibility of using a TE device on a real engine, a simulation has been done by using Caterpillar C7 Engine distinctive parameters and a set of state of the art materials for the determination of the maximal power that could be drawn from the device itself. The exhaust pipe of the engine, around which the TE device hot side is going to be placed, can reach up to 580°C while the cold side of the device is kept at 90°C thanks to a water cooling system. The engine gross power is about 200[KW], from which approximately 30% is dissipated by the exhaust pipe as wasted heat. The TE device has been able to achieve up to 14% efficiency by means of state of the art p-type Bi₂Te₃ doped Ge_0.87Pb_0.13Te and functionally graded PbI₂ doped PbTe material. Combining the two mentioned results, the engine system should be able to supply about 50[KW] of power to the TE device, which, in turn, can generate about 5[KW] of electricity: fuel conservation and increased overall efficiency of the service unit is, thus, attained. This Caterpillar system serves multiple kinds of armored military vehicles all over the world and the amount of heat emitted from it can provide energy for a wide variety of support systems such as weapons, navigation tools and air conditioning. The obtained results are promising both in economic terms, reducing fuel related costs, and troops safety, decreasing the exposure time of military personnel on the battlefield while waiting for refueling.