Due to the substantial latent heat content in the saturated steam exiting steam turbines in steam power plants characterised by high mass flow rates and velocities, our mathematical model addresses a group of thermoelectric generators arranged inside a heat exchanger. The saturated steam inlet to the heat exchanger serves as the heat carrier, complemented by cooling water for efficient heat management. Calculations demonstrate that adjusting specific parameters can optimise the system's performance. Initially, calculations are based on a proposed steam mass flow rate of 20?kg/sec with inlet temperatures of 100°C and a water mass flow rate of 20?kg/sec with an inlet temperature of 10?°C. The key driver is the vapor amount with a quality of 0.97?in the hot source, providing significant latent energy depending on the convection heat transfer coefficient. The study investigates the variation of steam mass flow rate from 5 to 20?kg/sec across one heat exchanger and the distribution of steam mass flow rate across multiple heat exchangers. Results demonstrate that with water and steam mass flow rates at 20?kg/sec, the system generates 2094.141 watts using a 1254 thermoelectric generator, with an overall efficiency of 4.786%. Conversely, when the steam mass flow rate is 5?kg/sec and the water flow rate is 20?kg/sec across four heat exchangers, the system produces 2096.25 watts with an efficiency of 4.793%. This is attributed to heat transfer efficiency between hot and cold fluids in each heat exchanger, with each unit employing 313 TEGs. Additionally, variations in water inlet temperature significantly affect system performance in terms of power generation and efficiency. |
