Abstract
•Analytical modeling on how to calculate optimum load resistance of thermoelectric generator.•The optimum load resistance ratio for TEG system for maximum power occurs away from the unity.•The analytical model gives the ability to obtain the optimum TEG parameters for different ZT.•The accuracy of model is validated experimentally.•Generalized chart as guide to find the optimum load resistance ratio for maximum power.
The current work focuses on finding the optimum electrical load resistance of thermoelectric generator system. The optimum load resistance and optimum geometric ratio of athermoelectric moduleare obtained simultaneously by using an analytical method based on dimensional analysis. These parameters are optimized to provide the maximum possible output power of a thermoelectric module attached to two heat sinks. Subsequently, an experiment has been conducted in order to validate the accuracy of the analytical model where good agreement is observed. Moreover, by using thespecificationsof the thermoelectric module that are provided by manufacturer, the effective thermoelectric material properties can be obtained; these properties help estimate the impact of contact resistance and Thomson effect. Furthermore, generalized charts are presented in this study which can help designers to determine the optimumload resistance and geometry for maximum output power.