A Scoping Review of the Thermoelectric Generator Systems Designs (Heat Exchangers and Coolers) with Locations of Application to Recover Energy from Internal Combustion Engines

Currently, a significant number of automobiles are equipped with internal combustion engines. In urban areas, a significant number of transportation methods have detrimental environmental effects through the release of pollutants resulting from the combustion of fossil fuels. In addition to the emission of toxic pollutants, internal combustion engines experience significant energy losses through exhaust emissions. Advanced technological applications have the potential to recover of a portion of the waste heat from exhaust ducts. Evaluations conducted by scholars across several disciplines highlight diverse perspectives on the recycling of thermal energy from exhaust gases as a means of mitigating pollution sources. However, this review focuses on the utilization of thermoelectric generators for harvesting a fraction of the aforementioned dissipated energy. The energy harvesting system is comprised of three components: the heat exchanger, which serves as the heat source; the cooler, which functions as the heat sink; and the thermoelectric generators, which act as the heat engine sandwiched between the heat exchanger and the cooler. This review examines the diverse exterior designs of heat exchangers and coolers and categorizes them accordingly. Additionally, it identifies the optimal installation locations for harvesting systems and explores the impact of design variations, choice of metals for manufacturing, and internal topography on the generation of electrical power. The primary findings of this review emphasize the significance of prioritizing the design of heat exchangers over coolers. This is because the uniformity of the temperature distribution within the heat exchanger plays a crucial role in governing the overall performance. Moreover, the installation of the system on petrol engines was seen as more cost-effective in comparison to its installation on diesel engines, primarily due to the higher magnitude of energy emitted from the exhaust gases of the former as opposed to the latter. To the best of the author's knowledge, this review classification has never been performed before. This can be considered a brief path map and a starting point for future work by researchers and investigators in designing heat exchangers and coolers and choosing the locations of TEG system installations. Then profitable investment from the data that has been prepared and summarized.