A New Maximum Power Point Tracking Technique for Thermoelectric Generator Modules

Abstract

Thermoelectric generators (TEGs) are devices that convert heat into electricity. This paper is about the design of a Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) technique for a TEG module. The module is built using 204 TEGs connected in series. It is connected to the load through a DC/DC boost converter. The MPPT technique used in this work is the Interval Type 2 Fuzzy Logic Controller (IT2FLC). To verify its performance, the IT2FLC is compared with a traditional Perturb and Observe (P&O) MPPT algorithm in the case of power and voltage response at steady state, load switching, and through various ranges of temperature differences (∆T). The TEG module is modeled and the whole system is simulated successfully using MATLAB SIMULINK R2017a. © 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.