Improving the efficiency of thermal-to-electricity conversion using integrated heat exchange technologies in small systems
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.65204/djes.v3i1.411Abstract
This research aims to investigate the enhancement of thermal-to-electricity conversion efficiency using integrated heat exchange technologies in small-scale systems, in light of the growing global interest in sustainable energy sources and their role in powering Internet of Things (IoT) devices and self-sustained systems. The study reviews the theoretical foundations of thermal energy conversion through thermoelectric and pyroelectric nanogenerators, while analyzing the contribution of integrated heat exchangers in improving system efficiency and reducing thermal losses. Furthermore, it highlights recent models of miniaturized heat exchangers and performance optimization strategies based on advanced materials and innovative structural designs. The findings suggest that combining nanotechnology with integrated heat exchange significantly enhances thermal-to-electric conversion efficiency, paving the way for practical applications in smart sensing, wearable devices, and low-power embedded systems.
References
Zhang, T. (2020). Methods of improving the efficiency of thermal power plants. In Journal of Physics: Conference Series (Vol. 1449, No. 1, p. 012001). IOP Publishing.
Rosen, M. A., & Bulucea, C. A. (2009). Using exergy to understand and improve the efficiency of electrical power technologies. Entropy, 11(4), 820-835.
Trinh, A. K., González, I., Fournier, L., Pelletier, R., & Lesage, F. J. (2014). Solar thermal energy conversion to electrical power. Applied thermal engineering, 70(1), 675-686.
Murehwa, G., Zimwara, D., Tumbudzuku, W., & Mhlanga, S. (2012). Energy efficiency improvement in thermal power plants. International Journal of Innovative Technology and Exploring Engineering (IJITEE), 2(1), 20-25.
Li, Y., Samad, Y. A., Polychronopoulou, K., Alhassan, S. M., & Liao, K. (2014). From biomass to high performance solar–thermal and electric–thermal energy conversion and storage materials. Journal of Materials Chemistry A, 2(21), 7759-7765.
Soto, R., & Vergara, J. (2014). Thermal power plant efficiency enhancement with Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion. Applied thermal engineering, 62(1), 105-112.
Ryu, H., & Kim, S. W. (2021). Emerging pyroelectric nanogenerators to convert thermal energy into electrical energy. Small, 17(9), 1903469.
Cullen, J. M., & Allwood, J. M. (2010). Theoretical efficiency limits for energy conversion devices. Energy, 35(5), 2059-2069.
Maglogianni, M. E., Danoglidis, P. A., & Konsta-Gdoutos, M. S. (2023). Electrical-to-thermal energy conversion efficiency of conductive concrete. Cement and Concrete Composites, 139, 104992.
Lu, S., & Huang, Y. (2023). Graphene thermionic energy converter combined with an absorption heat transformer for electricity generation and thermal upgrading. Applied Thermal Engineering, 219, 119640.
Shen, Z. H., Ni, H., Ding, C., Sui, G. R., Jia, H. Z., Gao, X. M., & Wang, N. (2021). Improving the Energy-Conversion Efficiency of a PV–TE System With an Intelligent Power-Track Switching Technique and Efficient Thermal-Management Scheme. IEEE Transactions on Components, Packaging and Manufacturing Technology, 11(6), 963-973.
POPESCU, A., PANAITE, C. E., & STADOLEANU, O. V. (2013). Combined photovoltaic and thermal solar panels-enhanced energy conversion and heat transfer. Termotehnica Supliment, 1.
Zhang, E., Xu, C., Gao, Y., Zhu, X., Xie, Y., Xu, M., & Zhang, Y. (2025). An efficient ordered conversion system for hydrogen and electricity cogeneration driven by concentrated solar energy. Applied Energy, 377, 124609.
Virili, M., Georgiadis, A., Collado, A., Niotaki, K., Mezzanotte, P., Roselli, L., ... & Carvalho, N. B. (2015). Performance improvement of rectifiers for WPT exploiting thermal energy harvesting. Wireless Power Transfer, 2(1), 22-31.
Jiménez-Arreola, M., Pili, R., Dal Magro, F., Wieland, C., Rajoo, S., & Romagnoli, A. (2018). Thermal power fluctuations in waste heat to power systems: An overview on the challenges and current solutions. Applied Thermal Engineering, 134, 576-584.
Ma, Z., Mehos, M., Glatzmaier, G., & Sakadjian, B. B. (2015). Development of a concentrating solar power system using fluidized-bed technology for thermal energy conversion and solid particles for thermal energy storage. Energy Procedia, 69, 1349-1359.