Coupling analysis of thermoelectric characteristics of power generation module in PWR nuclear power plant

HAN Zichao; GUO Kailun; WANG Mingjun; ZHANG Jing; FENG Tangtao; TIAN Wenxi; QIU Suizheng

doi:10.3724/j.0253-3219.2025.hjs.48.240472

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Coupling analysis of thermoelectric characteristics of power generation module in PWR nuclear power plant

NUCLEAR ENERGY SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING | 更新时间：2025-11-27

- Coupling analysis of thermoelectric characteristics of power generation module in PWR nuclear power plant
- NUCLEAR TECHNIQUES Vol. 48, Issue 11, Article number: 110608(2025)
- 作者机构：
  
  1.西安交通大学核科学与技术学院西安 710049
  2.武汉第二船舶设计研究所武汉 430064
- 作者简介：
  
  HAN Zichao, male, born in 1998, graduated from Xi'an Jiaotong University in 2023, doctoral student, focusing on nuclear reactor thermal-hydraulic analysis
  GUO Kailun, E-mail: kailunguo@xjtu.edu.cn
- 基金信息：
- DOI：10.3724/j.0253-3219.2025.hjs.48.240472
  CLC： TL339
- Received：25 November 2024，
  
  Revised：2025-06-19，
  
  Published：15 November 2025
- 稿件说明：
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韩梓超,郭凯伦,王明军等.压水堆核电厂温差发电模块热电特性耦合分析[J].核技术,2025,48(11):110608.

HAN Zichao,GUO Kailun,WANG Mingjun,et al.Coupling analysis of thermoelectric characteristics of power generation module in PWR nuclear power plant[J].NUCLEAR TECHNIQUES,2025,48(11):110608.
韩梓超,郭凯伦,王明军等.压水堆核电厂温差发电模块热电特性耦合分析[J].核技术,2025,48(11):110608. DOI： 10.3724/j.0253-3219.2025.hjs.48.240472. CSTR： 32193.14.hjs.CN31-1342/TL.2025.48.240472.

HAN Zichao,GUO Kailun,WANG Mingjun,et al.Coupling analysis of thermoelectric characteristics of power generation module in PWR nuclear power plant[J].NUCLEAR TECHNIQUES,2025,48(11):110608. DOI： 10.3724/j.0253-3219.2025.hjs.48.240472. CSTR： 32193.14.hjs.CN31-1342/TL.2025.48.240472.

摘要

基于温差发电技术回收利用压水堆核电厂的余热，能够节约能源并保护周边海洋的生态环境。为开展温差发电模块热电特性的耦合分析，建立了单热电转换器件模型并开展计算，将复杂的单器件模型简化为薄片结构，计算得到多工况下简化模型的输出电功率及等效热导率，采用双线性插值法对数据进行处理；建立了温差发电模块的模型，结合单器件简化模型开展耦合计算分析。结果表明，单器件模型的计算结果与参考数据符合较好，通过耦合计算得到温差发电模块的温度分布及输出电功率，由敏感性分析得出，热侧水的入口温度越高、流速越大，器件总输出功率越高。本研究可为压水堆核电厂的余热利用及温差发电模块的设计提供借鉴。

Abstract

Background

The thermoelectric power generation technology is effective at utilizing low-grade heat. Recovery of waste heat from the Pressurized Water Reactor (PWR) nuclear power plant (NPP) using the thermoelectric generators can save energy and protect the ecological environment of the surrounding ocean.

Purpose

This study aims to propose a simplified model of the thermoelectric generator and carry out the coupling analysis of the power generator module in PWR NPP.

Methods

Firstly

based on COMSOL code

a single Thermoelectric Generator Model (TEG) model was established to carry out the 3D numerical simulation. The structured mesh generated by the sweep method was used to obtain the temperature and potential contours of the single TEG model. The complex single TEG model was reduced to a thin plate with one type of material so as to reduce the computing resources required for the multi-physics coupling calculation. The formula for calculating the equivalent thermal conductivity of the reduced model was derived. Thereafter

the numerical simulation under multiple temperature differences was carried out by using the original model for the single TEG to obtain the relation of the output power

the equivalent thermal conductivity and the temperature of the hot side and the cold side. These results in the form of discrete points were processed by the bilinear interpolation method. The reduced model was implemented in FLUENT through the user-defined function (UDF). The model of the thermoelectric generator module with typical structure consisted of hot-side water

hot channel wall

cold-side water

cold channel wall and 22 TEGs was established

and numerical simulation of this model was carried out using FLUENT. Subsequently

the computational domain included multiple regions of 2 fluid domains and 22 solid domains

and the unstructured mesh was used for the fluid domains to represent the hot-side water and cold-side water. Finally

the structured mesh was used for the solid domains with regular geometry

which was beneficial to reduce the mesh number and improve the mesh quality

and the sensitivity analysis was performed on the influence of hot-side fluid parameters on the output power.

Results

Results of thermal-electric coupling analysis of the single TEG show that the thermal-electric coupling analysis of the single TEG is carried out. The temperature drop is mainly concentrated on the semiconductor materials. When the temperature difference between the hot side and the cold side is 200 K

the calculated voltage is 3.884 8 V. The result fits well with the reference value

which validates the applicability of this model. The coupling analysis of the thermoelectric generator module is carried out. The temperature distribution and the total output power are obtained by simulation. When the temperature difference between the inlets of hot-side water and cold-side water is 173.15 K

the total output power of the 20 TEGs is 108.66 W. The output power is positively correlated with the temperature and velocity of the hot-side fluid.

Conclusions

The simplified model of the single TEG in this study is applicable to the coupling simulation for the thermoelectric generator module utilizing the heat source from the PWR NPP

providing reference for the utilization of waste heat in NPP using other type of reactor and the design of thermoelectric generator modules.

关键词

Keywords

references

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