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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.
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Test Rig Overview
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Gas Supply
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Data Acquistion System
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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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