Waste Thermal Energy Harvesting (I): Thermoelectric Effect

Waste thermal energy (heat) is the second type of energy to be discussed. Usually, it is generated in a process by way of fuel combustion or chemical reaction, and then “dumped” into the environment even though it could still be reused for some useful and economic purpose. The essential quality of heat is not the amount but rather its “value.” The strategy of how to recover this heat depends in part on the temperature of the waste heat gases and the economics involved.