Thermoelectric energy extraction in motion scenarios: Self-powered temperature and pressure detector in an automobile tire

Worldwide, there's a push for carbon reduction through energy conservation. Yet, the potential of employing thermoelectric technology to recover waste heat from moving vehicles remains largely unexplored. This study employs precise simulations to analyze temperature distribution in car tires, unveiling possibilities for energy recovery. At 20 ℃ and 120 km/h, tire temperature peaks at 91.2 ℃ due to friction and rubber deformation. A micro thermoelectric generator (micro-TEG) on the wheel hub, serving as a heat sink, reveals a 3.9 ℃ effective temperature difference. A roadmap, considering factors like ambient temperature, speed, and TE leg size, guides exploration of micro-TEG's maximum power. This leads to a designed module with 8 micro-TEG units (weight: 5.3 g, area: 16 × 4 mm2, fill factor: 20 %, TE leg: 0.4 × 0.4 × 1.2 mm3) in series. Exposed to a 20 ℃ temperature difference, it shows open circuit voltage and maximum power of 1.47 V/1.41 V and 12.06 mW/11.58 mW in flat and curved states. Rigorous testing confirms stability. The 8.96 g module integrates with energy management and Bluetooth circuits. During simulated driving, mobile software records signals with over 94 % consistency. This advances dynamic waste heat recovery, enabling passive tire sensing and innovative links to the Internet of Things (IoT), contributing to field progress.