Novel Approach to Thermoelectric Generator
Modeling as Energy Harvesting System
Radek Vlach*
* Institute of Solid Mechanics, Mechatronics and Biomechanics, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Brno University of
Technology, Technická 2896/2, 616 69 Brno, Czech Republic, address, e-mail: vlach.r@fme.vutbr.cz
Abstract— This paper describes a novel approach to thermoelectric
generator modeling as complex energy harvesting system. The
thermoelectric generator model includes three main effects that are
Thomson effect, Seebeck effect and Joule heat. The influence of
heat sources and heat sinks as well as the load resistance that
significantly affect properties of thermoelectric generator is also
considered. The SimScape tool that extends Matlab/Simulink is
used as tool for physical modeling of thermoelectric generator.
Therefore, the energy harvesting model using thermoelectric
generator can be easy extended by other device for example DC/DC
converter. The energy harvesting model that uses thermoelectric
generator (TEG) for the conversion of thermal to electric energy
and DC/DC converter is presented in this paper.
Keywords- energy harvesting,thermoelectric generator,
DC/DC converter, Matlab/SimScape
I. INTRODUCTION
Autonomous systems play an increasing role in many areas.
The main problem of these systems is to ensure the power
supply. The most common solution is to use wire supply or
battery in the case of wireless systems. The lifetime of
batteries restrict most application with respecting of reliability,
financial and environmental reasons. Therefore, an essential
concept to power these systems is energy harvesting that
means the provision of the required energy from the
environment. The most common ambient energy sources are
thermal and kinetic energy that is converted using inductive,
capacitive or piezoelectric generators into electricity and the
light energy is converted by solar cells.
Thermoelectricity is direct conversion of heat into electricity
or electricity into heat. A voltage is generated when a junction
of two dissimilar materials is held at a different temperature.
Thermoelectric materials (thermal legs) began to be made with
n-type and p-type structure due to the appropriate properties of
semiconductor materials.
The thermoelectric generator (TEG) that uses Seebeck effect
converts thermal energy from a temperature gradient to
electrical energy. Whereas, thermoelectric cooler (TEC) that
uses Peltier effect converts electrical energy into a temperature
gradient. Many thermocouples are interconnected electrically
in series to increase the operating voltage and thermally in
parallel to decrease the thermal conductivity.
Thermoelectric modules have many advantageous features
such as no moving parts and low maintenance requirements.
Therefore, it can be easy designed for many specific
applications. The main disadvantage of using TEG is
prediction of value of heat energy conversion. This is reason
for a sophisticated TEG model that best reflects real behavior
of TEG and possibility of integration into complex model of
energy harvesting device.
The analytical and the numerical models have been developed
by many authors [1-3]. The basic model that takes into
account thermal resistances of source and heat sink is called
first level model. Other models take into all thermal and
electrical resistance, but the Seebeck (Peltier) and Thomson
effect are neglected. A few models [4-6] of TEG were
developed taking into account the Peltier heat. All the models
of TEG mentioned neglect the Thomson effect and assume a
concentration of Joule heat to cold and heat ends of thermal
legs. However, Joule is generated uniformly in the whole
volume of foot.
In this paper is derived circuit model that is based on
physical model for using of physical modeling in the
Matlab/SimScape. On the basis of this model can be
investigated mutual influence of individual parts of energy
harvesting systems.
II. PHYSICAL MODEL
A. TEG Model
Three basic physical phenomena can be associated with the
operation of TEG. The Seebeck effect is the voltage generated
when a temperature change is maintained between the two
sides. The Thomson effect is heating or cooling effect in a
homogeneous conductor observed when an electrical current is
passed in the direction of a temperature gradient. The Joule
effect is the heating effect observed in a conductor as an
electrical current is passed through the conductor.
TEG model was created using physical modeling in the
Matlab/SimScape. The simulation model of TEG corresponds
with commonly known of circuit diagram (fig. 1) where the
Thomson effect is neglected. The method of TEG modeling is
based on thermal-electric lumped parameters system that is
mainly targeted on the thermal phenomena. The Seebeck effect
can be modeled as heat flow that depends on temperatures of
legs ends and current that passes through legs. The Joule effect
can be also modeled as heat flow that depends on square of where RL is load resistance that depends on input impedance of
current and inner electrical resistance of legs. Whereas, the DC/DC converter as will be described below.
current depends inter alia on the load resistance. The circuit
diagram steady state solution lead to system of nonlinear This equations system consists of four equations with four
equations system that is prepared with the use of thermal unknowns, but square current complicates solution. However,
balance of hot and cold side of TEG. the solution can be obtained using numerical method as
bisection method.
Qs α.I.Th I2.RTEG_e/2 I2.RTEG_e/2
B. DC/DC converter model
DC/DC converter is a class of power converters. It converts
a DC source of a certain voltage level to another voltage level.
α.I.Tc
In modern electronic systems, DC/DC converters are needed to
Tamb convert the voltage supply from the power source to the
voltage level required by the target function block [7]. The
boost converter (fig. 2) is the most suitable for energy
harvesting system that uses TEG.
Figure 1. Circuit Diagram of TEG
D
Firstly, the thermal balance of the heat source can be
described as follow

Q
T s − Th
Qs − =0 (1)
Rso
UTEG o
where Qs is source heat flow, Rso is thermal resistance of
source that includes thermal interface between source and hot
side. Ts and Th are source and hot side temperature
respectively.
PWM
Afterwards, the thermal balance of the hot side can be
described as follow
Figure 2. Circuid Diagram of DC/DC Boost Converter

T s − Th 1 T − Tc The typical property of the boost converter is the output

+ ⋅ RTEG _ e ⋅ I 2 − α ⋅ I ⋅ Th − h =0 (2)
Rso 2 RTEG _ th
where RTEG_e, RTEG_th are inner electrical and thermal resistance
of TEG respectively that depends of dimensions and number of
leg pairs, α is Seebeck coefficient of used materials of legs
between source and TEG hot side and Tc is temperature of cold
side.
Similarly can be described the thermal balance of the cold
side
voltage is higher than the input voltage. It can be described by
the conversion ratio that defines relation between input and
output voltage.
Uo 1
= (5)
Ui 1− D
where Uo and Ui are output and input voltage respectively and
D is duty ratio of switching transistor that is defined as

1 T − Tc Tc − Tamb t on
⋅ RTEG _ e ⋅ I 2 + α ⋅ I ⋅ Tc − h − =0 (3) D= (6)
2 RTEG _ th Rhs ts

where Rhs is heat sink thermal resistance that includes thermal
interface between cold side and heat sink. Tamb is ambient
temperature.
Above mentioned equations need to be supplemented to
complete by the equation that describes electrical part of circuit
diagram.
α ⋅ (Th − Tc ) − RTEG _ e ⋅ I = RL ⋅ I (4)
where ts is switching period and ton is on-time of the switching
transistor.
The main problems of DC/DC converters used in TEG
systems is impedance matching between the internal resistance
Rteg_e of TEG and the input resistance Rin of DC/DC converter
that is described as load resistance in equation 4. Whereas, the
input resistance of the boost converter can be approximated as
Rin ≈ (1 − D ) ⋅ RL
2
(6)
where RL is load resistance that represents powered device.
Thence, an optimal duty cycle to guarantee of maximum power
of TEG can be derived as

RTEG _ e
Dmatch = 1 − (7)
RL

The inductance of the boost converter can be expressed in

terms of duty ratio, load resistance and switching frequency fs
as

Dmatch ⋅ (1 − Dmatch ) ⋅ RL
2

L= (8)
fs

Capacitances that have the same value for the boost

converter are specified by

Dmatch
C= (8) Figure 4. Matlab/SimScape model of TEG
RL ⋅ f s ⋅ r
Similarly, The DC/DC converter model was created using
where r is the desired output voltage ripple ratio of the boost electrical building block. The model corresponds to circuit
converter. model (Fig. 2) here as well.

III. SIMULATION
The complex model of energy harvesting that uses TEG
was created using physical modeling in Matlab/SimScape as
mentioned above. SimScape provides an environment for
modeling and simulating physical systems such as thermal and
electrical domains. It provides fundamental building blocks
from these domains that it can be assemble into models of
physical components, such as TEG energy harvesting.
For clarity, the complex model (Fig. 3) was composed from
two basic subsystems namely TEG model and model of
DC/DC converter that are interconnected. Moreover, input and
output interface was connected to these subsystems.
Figure 5. Matlab/SimScape model of DC/DC converter

The solver ODE15s that is recommended for simulations

physical model was set. It has proved necessary for solving so
complicated model that has difference of several orders
between thermal and electrical time constant. The long
computational time can be reduced using enabled, triggered or
atomic subsystem for DC/DC converter model.
Results from simulation of the complex model of energy
harvesting model that uses TEG are presented in the following
figures.

Figure 3. Complex model of TEG energy harvesting system

The TEG model (Fig. 4) was mainly created using thermal

building blocks to correspond with circuit diagram of TEG as
shown in figure 1.
 IV. CONCLUSION
In this paper is presented novel approach to thermoelectric
generator modeling as complex energy harvesting system.
Basic principles of TEG and DC/DC converter are also
presented. Physical modeling using Matlab/SimScape was used
to build the complex thermal-electric model of energy
harvesting that uses TEG as electric generation source.
The presented simulation model can be used for control of
DC/DC converter duty cycle to obtain maximum TEG power.
Eventually, the impedance matching module can be also
modeled and tested. It however requires further analyses of
interactions between thermal and electrical parts. It should be
solved in further time.

ACKNOWLEDGMENT
Figure 6. Temperature hot and cold side of TEG
This work is an output of cooperation between Brno
University of Technology, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering,
and NETME Centre, regional R&D centre built with the
financial support from the Operational Programme Research
and Development for Innovations within the project NETME
Centre (New Technologies for Mechanical Engineering), Reg.
No. CZ.1.05/2.1.00/01.0002 and, in the follow-up
sustainability stage, supported through NETME CENTRE
PLUS (LO1202) by financial means from the Ministry of
Education, Youth and Sports under the „National Sustainability
Programme I".

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resistance. These parameters are mainly temperatures, voltages
and currents.