ABSTRACT
In connection with environmental problems, a thermoelectric application to vehicles is currently of
interest in the automobile industry for power generation from exhaust heat. The thermoelectric
generator can be used for converting waste exhaust heat energy directly to electrical power, thereby
decreasing fuel consumption. The specific characteristic of the thermoelectric generator is its ability to
produce a large output current (5 to 10 A), which is adequate to charge a car battery. The generator,
therefore, can replace the currently used shaft-driven alternator by converting a part of the waste heat
energy in the engine’s exhaust gas directly to electricity.
