Small scale electricity generation from waste-heat energy for developing countries

Abstract

More than half of the Sub-Saharan African population have limited or no access to electricity. Sub-Saharan Africa suffers from an almost non-existent power grid and where there is a grid there are many failing and outdated power plants. Many incentives have been made through off-grid solar panel technology and renewable technology, but it has proven to be too costly and complex for the local population. However, one option that is regularly overlooked is the thermoelectricity generation. Thermoelectric generators (TEGs) convert the thermal energy flowing through them into DC electrical energy with a conversion of typically 5%. Nonetheless, they can be successfully employed to recover energy from waste heat of cooking stoves. Thermoelectric devices could rectify many of the characteristics associated with the African energy crisis providing electricity that permits the satisfaction of basic needs: light, phones and other electronic devices. The performance of TEGs, subject to thermal and electrical effects, can vary considerably depending on the operating conditions; therefore the first part of this project involves the characterisation of their performance in an experimental rig designed in Trinity College. The analysis of this characterisation could maximise the power generated by the TEG and increase the overall efficiency of the system. The second part of this project presents the design, construction and evaluation of a low-cost thermoelectric generator prototype that could use heat from cook stoves to generate small amounts of off-grid electricity.