TEG Test Rig

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A test rig for TEG performance evaluation has been built at Purdue University. It consists of heated gas supply for simulating waste heat source, a cooling loop, and a data acquisition system. It is capable of measuring the performance (power output) of individual TE module in a TEG, as well as the overall TEG performance including the energy conversion efficiency.

 

  Test Rig Overview  
 
Test Rig Overview
 
  Gas Supply  
 
Gas Supply
 
  Data Acquistion System  
 
Data Acquistion System
 

Key capabilities:
- Heated gas supply with 24 kW heater, mass flow control units, power control units, and pressure transducers, capable of varying the gas temperature according to the actual transient temperature of, e.g., the automobile exhaust gas.
- Cooling loop with refrigerated circulating bath, heater, flow meter, and cold side heat exchanger to maintain a uniform coolant temperature under varying heat loads from the hot gas, coolant temperature maintained between -30oC and 135oC.
- Data acquisition system including precision electronic loads, each with 80 V, 60 A, 400 W capability, 10 mV, 1 mA, and 10 mW resolution, and 20 mV, 30 mA, and 80 mW minimum accuracy, 32 channel thermocouple inputs, 40 differential voltage channels, 2 analog and 24 digital output channels.
- Measurements of current-voltage and current-power curves of individual TE modules, tracking maximum power output from individual TE modules and the entire TEG by varying external loads, and measurements of hot gas and cold flow pressure drop.


 

 

 

 


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