Thermoelectric Generators: A Review of Present and Future Applications

In the last centuries, men have mainly looked into increasing their production of energy in order to develop their industry, their means of transport and their quality of life. Since the recent energy crisis, researchers and industrials have mainly been looking into managing energy in a better way, especially by increasing the efficiency of energy systems. This context explains the growing interest for thermoelectric generators (TEG). Today, TEGs allow us to collect lost thermal energies, to produce energy in extreme environment, to produce electric power generation in remote areas and to produce micro production for sensors. Direct solar thermal energy can also be used to produce electricity. This review begins with the basic principles of thermoelectricity and with a presentation of existing and future materials. The design and optimisation of generators are tackled. Many recent applications are presented as well as the future applications which are being studied in laboratories or in industry.