Authors report methodical studies on some novel, alternative energy technologies, and produced results of a thermoelectric power generation (TEPG) system. For the sake of evaluating critical thermoelectric (TE) features, they have invented the state-of-the-art equipment that has important specification capability. The studies cover the efficiency and many aspects of TEPG features as follows. A thermoelectric module is measured in situ that includes TE efficiency, force response curve, current-voltage (I-V) and power-voltage (P-V) characterization, and power temperature (P-T) response curve. They have improved both the higher total output power and the more efficient TEPG efficiency than their comparison TE devices and systems in their studies. In addition, authors will present a series of design, construction, and characterization of a thermal electric generation system which aims to achieve a large power output and high efficiency for the energy harvesting application. Furthermore, their studies lead to important knowledge of TEPG systems in terms of multi-stack modules and of the optimization in TEPG applications. Finally, the prototypes are built for both the tabletop and other applications with new findings. Several sets of prototype TEPG are developed for experimental investigation and data analysis, followed by the summary and conclusions based on the data.
Acoustic Emission for the Detection of Shaft-to-Seal Rubbing in Large Power Generation Turbines
