6. Conclusion

The development of thermoelectric generators is booming. The potential applications presented in this article show that as soon as there is heat moving from a hot source to a cold source, it's worth considering the use of a thermoelectric generator. These generators have reached maturity in high value-added fields such as space research, or in hard-to-reach areas requiring extremely high-reliability systems. Mass applications in the automotive sector, as well as in decentralized power generation and micro-production, are the focus of a great deal of academic and industrial research. Thermoelectric generators are particularly interesting when used in cogeneration, to recover lost energy and for decentralized micro-production. The imminent development of large-scale industrial production of new materials and modules should help bring down the cost of thermoelectric generators. Generator design...