Application of Thermoelectric Technology in Sustainable Pavement Structures

Solar energy is undoubtedly recognized as an unlimited and environmentally friendly energy resource. Harvesting energy from road infrastructure is an emerging renewable energy technology that collects and utilizes the otherwise wasted energy of heated pavements. Solar radiation can be absorbed by asphalt pavement causing an increase in the temperature of asphalt pavements. This paper describes the operation, design, and performance of an efficient system installed within pavement that captures the heat energy from the temperature differential between the pavement surface and the subgrade soil. The designed prototype includes a thermoelectric generator, coolant module, heat collector, and conductor. Experiments and numerical simulations were conducted to evaluate the efficiency of the system in producing electrical power within different environments. The results revealed that the generated power from the tested asphalts can be used for long-term self-powered applications such as LED traffic lighting, wireless monitoring systems, and near-field data communications.