Study of the integration of a thermoelectric generator in a pellet stove for off-grid applications

The purpose of this master’s thesis is to study the feasibility to build a low voltage pellet stove independent of the electric grid by integrating a thermoelectric generator (TEG) in the stove. A complete thermoelectric module model is presented and a simplified stove model is developed. These two models are merged to develop a complete TEG model. This master’s thesis studies three thermoelectric materials on which the modules are based (BiTe, PbTe and half-Heusler compounds) and three cooling systems (air cooling, air cooling with fins and water cooling). The fin cooling system and water cooling system are modeled. Integrating the TEG in the pellet stove influences its operation and its efficiency. A parametric study is performed to quantify this influence. A performance study and a cost study are also carried out. The electricity produced by the optimal TEG system covers the electric requirements of the stove and therefore enables the pellet stove to be grid-independent. The influence of integrating the optimal TEG system on the working of the pellet stove is moderate.