Static Reconfiguration of Modular Thermoelectric Generation Arrays under Nonuniform Temperature Distribution

In this article, we propose a static reconfiguration method for thermoelectric generation (TEG) arrays to improve reliability and power output. Based on a series–parallel and series–parallel (SP&SP) configuration, a modular diagonal switching (MDS) technique is presented for a 6 × 6 TEG array. By strategically repositioning specific TEG modules within a fixed array, power loss can be minimized and output efficiency can be optimized. Under six varied hot‐side nonuniform temperature distribution (HNTD) conditions, simulation experiments are performed and compared with the output performance of six various TEG array configurations. The proposed MDS method can obtain a maximum enhancement in output power by 13.33% while simultaneously reducing the power loss rate from 13.64% to 2.13%. Under three HNTD conditions, validation tests on five TEG array structures demonstrated that the proposed MDS method can increases power output up to 14.29% and reduce power loss from 21.76% to 4.72%. Therefore, the proposed MDS method can effectively suppress power loss and improve efficiency of waste heat recovery.