Enhanced Thermoelectric Generator Power Output Based on Electrodeposited Bi2Te3 Nanocomposites with Pt NPs-CNTs Through Multiphysics Simulation

Abstract

Thermoelectric generators (TEG) possess the potential to transform unused heat into electrical energy, making thermoelectricity a viable alternative for addressing the energy issue. This study provides insight into the enhanced power density of a TEG device when embedded with bismuth telluride (Bi₂Te₃) nanocomposite. The TEG power density has been analysed under the fluid flow simulation condition by utilizing several Bi₂Te₃ nanocomposite materials with Pt NPs-CNTs inclusion. The impact of static and steady air flow conditions has been studied using a detailed computational fluid dynamics (CFD) parameter, with flow velocities of 0.01 m/s and 1 m/s. As a main part of the work, the power density of nanocomposites embedded as N-type legs was compared to that of pure material. The Bi₂Te₃ with hybrid nanocomposite produces the highest power density, precisely combining Bi₂Te₃ with platinum nanoparticles (Pt Nps) and single-wall carbon nanotube (SWCNT) materials (Bi₂Te₃/Pt-SWCNTs). At velocity of 1 m/s, the power density was calculated to be 156.85μW/cm2, which increased to 158.86 μW/cm² at a fluid velocity of 1 m/s, marking an 88% increment compared to the TEG model using pristine Bi₂Te₃ and higher than that of the previous work about 4 times of increment.