Automotive Waste Heat Recovery: A Semi-Truck Exhaust Application

The goal of this project was to determine the feasibility of using thermoelectric generation as a method of collecting waste heat from a standard semi-truck exhaust system. Prior research regarding the efficacy of thermoelectric generators to reclaim wasted energy in mechanical processes inspired this project. A device for housing thermoelectric generators on the exhaust stack of a semi-truck was designed and optimized based on its structural integrity, potential power generation, and subsequent cost savings. Results from simulation models predict that the device would improve fuel efficiency by at least 4.96%