Thermoelectric power generation system

A thermoelectric power generation device comprising:

• a heating unit having a heat medium passage in which a heat medium flows;
• a cooling unit having a cooling liquid passage in which a cooling liquid flows;
• and
• a thermoelectric element having the heating unit on one side of the thermoelectric element and the cooling unit on another side of the thermoelectric element, the thermoelectric element configured to generate power by utilizing a temperature difference between a condensation temperature of the heat medium that undergoes latent heat transfer in the heat medium passage and a temperature of the cooling liquid;
• and
• a heat transfer pipe distinct from the heating unit and arranged in a flow path to serve as a heat source, and communicated with the heat medium passage to form a circulation path in which the heat medium is circulated, the thermoelectric power generation device further comprising:
• a power generation output detection unit configured to detect a power generation output of the thermoelectric element;
• a heat medium temperature detection unit configured to detect a temperature of the heat medium;
• a cooling liquid temperature detecting unit configured to detect a temperature of the cooling liquid;
• a storage unit for storing, in advance, a relationship between a power generation output of the thermoelectric element and a difference between the temperature of the heat medium and the temperature of the cooling liquid, when the thermoelectric power generation device is in a normal state;
• and
• an abnormality detection unit configured to detect that an abnormality is taking place in the thermoelectric power generation device, when a relationship between the power generation output detected by the power generation output detection unit and the difference between the temperature detected by the heat medium temperature detection unit and the temperature detected by the cooling liquid temperature detecting unit is different from the relationship stored in the storage unit.