A Thermoelectric Generator Model validated by Different Thermal Patterns

The focused study on Energy Harvesting, which refers to the use of ambient energy and its conversion into electrical energy, has been intensified in order to provide a greater energy autonomy for electronic devices. Among the most varied forms of energy available in the environment, thermal energy has stood out as a source in the conversion into electrical energy, particularly by using Thermoelectric Generators (TEGs). A TEG’s generation potential in different thermal energy harvesting scenarios can be determined from a thermal emulation platform (actual scenario) or through TEG models based on electrical circuits. This work presents a comparison between the generated voltage of the TEG obtained by a proposed TEG Model and by the thermal emulation platform when the TEG is submitted to different thermal patterns. From the Mean Absolute Percentage Error metric, it was noticed — for any thermal pattern — a good and precise predictability. In fact, it demonstrated a desirable agreement between the TEG Model and the behavior observed in the thermal emulation platform.