Experimental investigation of a thermoelectric generator assisted with heat pipe sinks for pickup car exhaust waste heat recovery
Main Article Content
Abstract
In internal combustion engine vehicles (ICEV), about 40% of the heat is discharged into the environment as waste heat. This study proposed to develop an energy recovery device to utilize exhaust heat as electrical energy using a thermoelectric generator (TEG) assisted with a heat pipe sink. Six TEG units were installed on the stainless-steel heat block in an exhaust pipe where each TEG unit varied with one-stage TEG and two-stage TEG modules. The results showed that the maximum power generated and TEG efficiency of 1.4 W and 1.14% were obtained under 180oC of exhaust pipe temperature, with a two-stage TEG with a heat pipe sink under forced convection. The use of a heat pipe sink and under-forced convection improves the TEG system's performance by increasing the temperature difference between both sides of the TEG module, which impacts the electric power generated. This research provides some practical guidance for increasing the power and efficiency of TEGs by improving heat transfer performance through heat pipes.
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Sukarno, R., Indasyach Moreno, Z., Rio Budi Syaka, D., Gunawan, Y., Gama Yoga, N., Fariz Adzani, R., Putra Mustafit, A., & Kurniawati, D. (2025). Experimental investigation of a thermoelectric generator assisted with heat pipe sinks for pickup car exhaust waste heat recovery. Communications in Science and Technology, 10(1), 106-116. https://doi.org/10.21924/cst.10.1.2025.1661
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References
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Q. Cao, W. Luan, and T. Wang, Performance enhancement of heat pipes assisted thermoelectric generator for automobile exhaust heat recovery, Appl. Therm. Eng. 130 (2018) 1472-1479.
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M. Khaled, Enhancing diesel generators power and fuel consumption using thermoelectric generators and exhaust air of HVAC systems, Int. J. Thermofluids 24 (2024) 100969.
F. Alshammari, M. Alharbi, and S. Alharbi, Enhanced Thermal Efficiency in off-Highway Vehicles Using a Reheat Organic Rankine Cycle with a Two-Stage Radial Turbine and wet fluids, Case Stud. Therm. Eng. (2025) 106223.
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A. Ramkumar and M. Ramakrishnan, Performance improvement of thermoelectric generator by drooping the cool side temperature with thermacool 0.3 M coating, Case Stud. Therm. Eng. 39 (2022) 102418
X. Liu, Y. Deng, Z. Li, and C. Su, Performance analysis of a waste heat recovery thermoelectric generation system for automotive application, Energy Convers. Manag. 90 (2015) 121-127
B. Abderezzak and S. Randi, Experimental investigation of waste heat recovery potential from car radiator with thermoelectric generator, Therm. Sci. Eng. Prog. 20 (2020) 100686
Y. Zhao et al., Energy and exergy analysis of a thermoelectric generator system for automotive exhaust waste heat recovery, Appl. Therm. Eng. 239 (2024) 122180
S. Asaadi, S. Khalilarya, and S. Jafarmadar, A thermodynamic and exergoeconomic numerical study of two-stage annular thermoelectric generator, Appl. Therm. Eng. 156 (2019) 371-381
M. W. Hadi, N. Putra, T. Trisnadewi, R. Sukarno, A. M. Fathoni, and N. A. Bhaskara, Innovative thermal management system for electric vehicle batteries: phase change material, heat pipe and heat sink box integration, Heat Transf. Eng. 46 (2025) 503-513
R. Sukarno, N. Putra, I. I. Hakim, F. F. Rachman, and T. M. I. Mahlia, Utilizing heat pipe heat exchanger to reduce the energy consumption of airborne infection isolation hospital room HVAC system, J. Build. Eng. 35 (2021) 102116
I. I. Hakim, R. Sukarno, and N. Putra, Utilization of U-shaped finned heat pipe heat exchanger in energy-efficient HVAC systems, Therm. Sci. Eng. Prog. 25 (2021) 100984
D. Astrain et al., Enhanced behaviour of a passive thermoelectric generator with phase change heat exchangers and radiative cooling, Appl. Therm. Eng. 225 (2023) 120162
X. Liang, X. Sun, H. Tian, G. Shu, Y. Wang, and X. Wang, Comparison and parameter optimization of a two-stage thermoelectric generator using high temperature exhaust of internal combustion engine, Appl. Energy 130 (2014) 190-199
P. Fernández-Yáñez, V. Romero, O. Armas, and G. Cerretti, Thermal management of thermoelectric generators for waste energy recovery, Appl. Therm. Eng. 196 (2021) 117291
J.-H. Meng, X.-D. Wang, and W.-H. Chen, Performance investigation and design optimization of a thermoelectric generator applied in automobile exhaust waste heat recovery, Energy Convers. Manage. 120 (2016) 71-80
Y.-R. Lin and T.-Y. Wen, On investigation of capillary and pressure involved working constrains for water-driven and sintered-powder heat pipes using a semi-empirical model, Case Stud. Therm. Eng. 64 (2024) 105526
K. Baraya, J. A. Weibel, and S. V. Garimella, Heat pipe dryout and temperature hysteresis in response to transient heat pulses exceeding the capillary limit, Int. J. Heat Mass Transf. 148 (2020) 119135
R. Sukarno, N. Putra, and I. I. Hakim, Non-dimensional analysis for heat pipe characteristics in the heat pipe heat exchanger as energy recovery device in the HVAC systems, Therm. Sci. Eng. Prog. 26 (2021) 101122
Y. Wang, J. Wang, X. He, and J. Duan, Experimental investigation of the thermal performance of a heat sink with U-shaped heat pipes, Appl. Therm. Eng. 186 (2021) 116387
H. Lin et al., Design and optimization of two stage annular thermoelectric generator coupling with high temperature heat pipe application, Appl. Therm. Eng. 261 (2025) 125089
W.-H. Chen, M. Carrera Uribe, D. Luo, L. Jin, L. Huat Saw, and R. Lamba, Taguchi optimization and analysis of variance for thermoelectric generators with forced convection air cooling, Appl. Therm. Eng. 231 (2023) 120878
M. F. Laborde, V. E. Capdevila, J. M. Ponce Ortega, M. C. Gely, and A. M. Pagano, Techno-economic analysis of the process in obtaining bioethanol from rice husks and whey, Commun. Sci. Technol. (2022)
I. I. Hakim, N. Putra, R. Sukarno, M. R. Audi, and F. F. Rachman, Experimental study on utilization of heat pipe heat exchanger for energy conservation of air conditioning system in a hospitals and its techno-economic feasibility, AIP Conf. Proc. 2255 (2020).
H. Jouhara and R. Meskimmon, An investigation into the use of water as a working fluid in wraparound loop heat pipe heat exchanger for applications in energy efficient HVAC systems, Energy 156 (2018) 597-605.
A. C. Adi et al., Handbook of Energy & Economic Statistics of Indonesia Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, Republic of Indonesia, 2020.
K. Wijaya et al., Dual metal NiMo dispersed on silica derived from rice husk ash as a catalyst for hydrocracking of used palm cooking oil into liquid biofuels, Commun. Sci. Technol. 9 (2024) 219-226.
B. H. Shame et al., The renewable energy research contribution of Tanzania: A review, Commun. Sci. Technol. 9 (2024) 65-86.
R. Sukarno, A. Maldini, R. Musyaffa, N. Yoga, and D. Syaka, Preliminary study of the thermoelectric cooler and heat pipe application for the cooling system in cabin pickup car, J. Phys. Conf. Ser. 2866 (2024)012090.
D. Luo, Z. Sun, and R. Wang, Performance investigation of a thermoelectric generator system applied in automobile exhaust waste heat recovery, Energy 238 (2022) 121816.
Z.-G. Shen, L.-L. Tian, and X. Liu, Automotive exhaust thermoelectric generators: Current status, challenges and future prospects, Energy Convers. Manage. 195 (2019) 1138-1173.
D. Luo, R. Wang, W. Yu, Z. Sun, and X. Meng, Modelling and simulation study of a converging thermoelectric generator for engine waste heat recovery, Appl. Therm. Eng. 153 (2019) 837-847.
R. Quan, C. Wang, F. Wu, Y. Chang, and Y. Deng, Parameter matching and optimization of an isg mild hybrid powertrain based on an automobile exhaust thermoelectric generator, J. Electron. Mater. 49 (2020) 2734-2746.
Q. Cao, W. Luan, and T. Wang, Performance enhancement of heat pipes assisted thermoelectric generator for automobile exhaust heat recovery, Appl. Therm. Eng. 130 (2018) 1472-1479.
H. Jouhara et al., Thermoelectric generator (TEG) technologies and applications, Int. J. Thermofluids 9 (2021) 100063.
M. Khaled, Enhancing diesel generators power and fuel consumption using thermoelectric generators and exhaust air of HVAC systems, Int. J. Thermofluids 24 (2024) 100969.
F. Alshammari, M. Alharbi, and S. Alharbi, Enhanced Thermal Efficiency in off-Highway Vehicles Using a Reheat Organic Rankine Cycle with a Two-Stage Radial Turbine and wet fluids, Case Stud. Therm. Eng. (2025) 106223.
H. Boodaghi, M. M. Etghani, and K. Sedighi, Advanced Exergy Scrutiny of a Dual-loop Organic Rankine Cycle for Waste Heat Recovery of a Heavy-duty Stationary Diesel Engine, Int. J. Eng. 35 (2022) 644-656.
P. Vanaei, B. Jalili, M. Hosseinzadeh, and P. Jalili, Efficiency optimization thermal analysis and power output of a modified incinerator plant using organic Rankine cycle, Int. J. Eng. 36 (2023) 1300-9.
M. Ge et al., Experimental study on enhancing thermoelectric performance of exhaust thermoelectric generator using multi-orifice plate, J. Clean. Prod. 486 (2025) 144446.
R. Quan, Y. Zhou, S. Yao, Z. Feng, and J. Liu, Structure optimization of a polygonal automobile exhaust thermoelectric generator considering in-vehicle compatibility, Case Stud. Therm. Eng. 66 (2025) 105724.
M. Ge et al., Experimental study on thermoelectric power generation based on cryogenic liquid cold energy, Energy 220 (2021) 119746.
K. Li, J. Ru, S. Salahshour, O. A. Akbari, S. Baghaei, and A. Brahmia, In-depth analysis of the effects of turbo-expander and condenser pressures on the performance of an Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) waste heat recovery system, Case Stud. Therm. Eng. 69 (2025) 105957.
H. D. Tessemo et al., Techno-economic analysis of viability of two stand-alone water pumping systems for rural areas of Kanem oasis: Case studies of solar photovoltaic (PV) and solar organic Rankine cycle (ORC) systems, Results Eng. 25 (2025) 104391.
S. M. Penumala, A. Karmel, G. Kanimozhi, and J. Khanwalkar, Thermoelectric generator powered timepiece circuit for rechargeable battery operation, Sci. Rep. 14 (2024) 8668.
E. Kanimba and Z. Tian, A new dimensionless number for thermoelectric generator performance, Appl. Therm. Eng. 152 (2019) 858-864.
L. Huang, Y. Zheng, L. Xing, and B. Hou, Recent progress of thermoelectric applications for cooling/heating, power generation, heat flux sensor and potential prospect of their integrated applications, Therm. Sci. Eng. Prog. 45 (2023) 102064.
R. Sukarno, A. Premono, Y. Gunawan, and A. Wiyono, Experimental study of thermoelectric cooling system for a parked car with solar energy, J. Phys. Conf. Ser. 2596 (2023)012052.
R. Sukarno, A. Premono, Y. Gunawan, A. Wiyono, and A. Lubi, Experimental Investigation of Using Thermoelectric Coolers under Different Cooling Methods as An Alternative Air Conditioning System for Car Cabin, Automot. Exp 7 (2024) 284-298.
M. Asaduzzaman, M. H. Ali, N. A. Pratik, and N. Lubaba, Exhaust heat harvesting of automotive engine using thermoelectric generation technology, Energy Convers. Manag.: X 19 (2023) 100398
A. Ramkumar and M. Ramakrishnan, Performance improvement of thermoelectric generator by drooping the cool side temperature with thermacool 0.3 M coating, Case Stud. Therm. Eng. 39 (2022) 102418
X. Liu, Y. Deng, Z. Li, and C. Su, Performance analysis of a waste heat recovery thermoelectric generation system for automotive application, Energy Convers. Manag. 90 (2015) 121-127
B. Abderezzak and S. Randi, Experimental investigation of waste heat recovery potential from car radiator with thermoelectric generator, Therm. Sci. Eng. Prog. 20 (2020) 100686
Y. Zhao et al., Energy and exergy analysis of a thermoelectric generator system for automotive exhaust waste heat recovery, Appl. Therm. Eng. 239 (2024) 122180
S. Asaadi, S. Khalilarya, and S. Jafarmadar, A thermodynamic and exergoeconomic numerical study of two-stage annular thermoelectric generator, Appl. Therm. Eng. 156 (2019) 371-381
M. W. Hadi, N. Putra, T. Trisnadewi, R. Sukarno, A. M. Fathoni, and N. A. Bhaskara, Innovative thermal management system for electric vehicle batteries: phase change material, heat pipe and heat sink box integration, Heat Transf. Eng. 46 (2025) 503-513
R. Sukarno, N. Putra, I. I. Hakim, F. F. Rachman, and T. M. I. Mahlia, Utilizing heat pipe heat exchanger to reduce the energy consumption of airborne infection isolation hospital room HVAC system, J. Build. Eng. 35 (2021) 102116
I. I. Hakim, R. Sukarno, and N. Putra, Utilization of U-shaped finned heat pipe heat exchanger in energy-efficient HVAC systems, Therm. Sci. Eng. Prog. 25 (2021) 100984
D. Astrain et al., Enhanced behaviour of a passive thermoelectric generator with phase change heat exchangers and radiative cooling, Appl. Therm. Eng. 225 (2023) 120162
X. Liang, X. Sun, H. Tian, G. Shu, Y. Wang, and X. Wang, Comparison and parameter optimization of a two-stage thermoelectric generator using high temperature exhaust of internal combustion engine, Appl. Energy 130 (2014) 190-199
P. Fernández-Yáñez, V. Romero, O. Armas, and G. Cerretti, Thermal management of thermoelectric generators for waste energy recovery, Appl. Therm. Eng. 196 (2021) 117291
J.-H. Meng, X.-D. Wang, and W.-H. Chen, Performance investigation and design optimization of a thermoelectric generator applied in automobile exhaust waste heat recovery, Energy Convers. Manage. 120 (2016) 71-80
Y.-R. Lin and T.-Y. Wen, On investigation of capillary and pressure involved working constrains for water-driven and sintered-powder heat pipes using a semi-empirical model, Case Stud. Therm. Eng. 64 (2024) 105526
K. Baraya, J. A. Weibel, and S. V. Garimella, Heat pipe dryout and temperature hysteresis in response to transient heat pulses exceeding the capillary limit, Int. J. Heat Mass Transf. 148 (2020) 119135
R. Sukarno, N. Putra, and I. I. Hakim, Non-dimensional analysis for heat pipe characteristics in the heat pipe heat exchanger as energy recovery device in the HVAC systems, Therm. Sci. Eng. Prog. 26 (2021) 101122
Y. Wang, J. Wang, X. He, and J. Duan, Experimental investigation of the thermal performance of a heat sink with U-shaped heat pipes, Appl. Therm. Eng. 186 (2021) 116387
H. Lin et al., Design and optimization of two stage annular thermoelectric generator coupling with high temperature heat pipe application, Appl. Therm. Eng. 261 (2025) 125089
W.-H. Chen, M. Carrera Uribe, D. Luo, L. Jin, L. Huat Saw, and R. Lamba, Taguchi optimization and analysis of variance for thermoelectric generators with forced convection air cooling, Appl. Therm. Eng. 231 (2023) 120878
M. F. Laborde, V. E. Capdevila, J. M. Ponce Ortega, M. C. Gely, and A. M. Pagano, Techno-economic analysis of the process in obtaining bioethanol from rice husks and whey, Commun. Sci. Technol. (2022)
I. I. Hakim, N. Putra, R. Sukarno, M. R. Audi, and F. F. Rachman, Experimental study on utilization of heat pipe heat exchanger for energy conservation of air conditioning system in a hospitals and its techno-economic feasibility, AIP Conf. Proc. 2255 (2020).
H. Jouhara and R. Meskimmon, An investigation into the use of water as a working fluid in wraparound loop heat pipe heat exchanger for applications in energy efficient HVAC systems, Energy 156 (2018) 597-605.