Research on the Characteristics of an Integrated Thermoelectric Generation, Catalytic Conversion, and Noise Suppression System

2025-01-7062

01/31/2025

Features
Event
SAE 2024 Vehicle Powertrain Diversification Technology Forum
Authors Abstract
Content
In the context of global energy shortages and increasing environmental pollution, improving energy efficiency in automobiles has become a key area of research. Traditional internal combustion engines exhibit low energy conversion efficiency, with a significant portion of fuel energy wasted as exhaust heat. To address this issue, this paper proposes an integrated thermoelectric generation, catalytic conversion, and noise suppression system (ITGCMS) aimed at recovering waste heat from vehicle exhaust, while optimizing emissions and noise reduction through the combination of a catalytic converter and a muffler. A three-dimensional model was established using COMSOL software to thoroughly analyze the system's thermoelectric generation, catalytic conversion, and acoustic performance. The study found that Model B demonstrated the best thermoelectric performance, with an average surface temperature of 300.2°C and a more uniform temperature distribution across the thermoelectric modules. Additionally, Model B exhibited the highest catalytic conversion efficiency, with a flow velocity uniformity coefficient of 0.78 at the catalyst inlet, significantly outperforming the other models. Moreover, all three models showed effective noise reduction, particularly in the high-frequency range, and achieved better transmission loss across the entire frequency spectrum compared to traditional mufflers. Exhaust pressure loss increased with intake speed, but the differences between the models were minimal. Overall, Model B demonstrated the most comprehensive improvement in energy efficiency, emissions reduction, and noise optimization. This study provides a valuable theoretical basis and technical support for enhancing energy efficiency in the automotive industry, offering new directions for the future application of thermoelectric generation technology in vehicle exhaust systems.
Meta TagsDetails
DOI
https://doi.org/10.4271/2025-01-7062
Pages
9
Citation
Wu, J., Su, C., Wang, Y., Yuan, X. et al., "Research on the Characteristics of an Integrated Thermoelectric Generation, Catalytic Conversion, and Noise Suppression System," SAE Technical Paper 2025-01-7062, 2025, https://doi.org/10.4271/2025-01-7062.
Additional Details
Publisher
Published
Jan 31
Product Code
2025-01-7062
Content Type
Technical Paper
Language
English