Multiparameter optimization of the thermoelectric module under the constant heat flux condition

Thermoelectric (TE) technology enables direct heat-to-electricity conversion and offers an alternative way to carbon neutralization. Conventional TE device design is usually conducted under the constant temperature difference (CTD) condition. However, the constant heat flux (CHF) condition dominates in realistic applications. Here, using finite element simulation, we investigate the relationship between the geometric parameter and the TE performance under the CHF condition. Our results reveal that the thermal properties are the governing factors under the CHF condition. The simulations suggest that both the maximum output power and conversion efficiency increase with the height, decrease with the fill factor, and share a parabolic tendency as the cross-sectional area ratio changes. Instead of using the module parameters optimized under the CTD condition, the TE performance can be enhanced by 43% after geometric optimization under the CHF condition, suggesting that the optimization under the CHF condition is of significance for realistic applications.