Abstract
The HZ-14 is a thermoelectric module that
converts low grade, waste heat into electricity. To
obtain optimum performance from the HZ-14 it is
important to address several key points when
using the module in an application. These key
points in the use of the module are discussed, and
methods of identifying the causes of inferior
performance are addressed. The performance
characteristics of the module are also described.
1.0 Introduction
The HZ-14 is a thermoelectric module that is
intended to target the waste heat market. The
module uses bismuth telluride based alloys and
consists of 98 couples as shown in Figure 1.
When applied to any heat source, the module
requires a heat flux of about 8 watts per cm2
. With
a temperature difference of 200C the module
converts 5% of the thermal energy that passes
through it into electricity, generating a minimum
of 14 watts of electrical power. When properly
installed, it will run for tens of thousands of hours.