Thermoelectric power generation system and control method therefor

Abstract

A thermoelectric power generation system includes a first flow path, along which a first fluid flows, a second flow path, along which a second fluid having a lower temperature than the first fluid flows, a thermoelectric module arranged between the first flow path and the second flow path, and a controller that switches between a power generation mode and a heating mode. In the power generation mode, the thermoelectric module is caused to generate electric power, based on a difference between a temperature of the first fluid and a temperature of the second fluid. In the heating mode, a first surface of the thermoelectric module is heated using the Peltier effect caused by supplying electric power to the thermoelectric module. A distance between the first surface and the first flow path is shorter than a distance between the first surface and the second flow path.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.