Document Type

Student Presentation

Presentation Date

4-21-2014

Faculty Sponsor

Eric Booth

Abstract

Thermoelectric generators (TEGs) are solid-state devices that convert temperature gradients into electrical energy. TEGs are desirable sources of energy as they require low maintenance and have high reliability with potential for use in low power and remote applications. To date, no simple and affordable, common test platform for evaluating the performance of TEGs in their associated environment exists. This project is aimed at providing such a platform to deliver performance data that is crucial in power budgeting and viability studies of TEG-powered applications. The design utilizes the common LTC3109 converter chip and an off-the-shelf micro-controller for temperature and load current measurements. The setup automatically regulates the electronic load to achieve maximum power transfer and measurement data can either be observed in real-time through a USB-serial host communication port or logged at a user adjustable rate.

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