Evaluation of the potential recovery of compressor heat losses to enhance the efficiency of refrigeration systems by means of thermoelectric generation

Abstract

The present study evaluates the possibilities of increasing efficiency in refrigeration and heat pump systems based on compression cycles by means of using compressor heat losses. In order to do this, the work been divided into the following parts: presentation of the used model of a thermoelectric device in order to estimate the amount of energy recovery from the heat source, an experimental test under several contour conditions to estimate the real temperature difference maintained in a thermoelectric module in contact with the compressor wall and, based on this information, an estimation of the potential amount of energy that can be recovered by this kind of system. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.