Published Paper Details:

The increasing demand for energy and the improper disposal of waste engine oil have become major environmental and economic concerns. This research presents the design, development, and performance evaluation of a waste oil powered thermoelectric power generation system intended for rural and off-grid applications. The proposed system uses waste engine oil as the primary heat source and converts thermal energy into electrical energy using TEC1-12706 thermoelectric modules based on the Seebeck effect. A water cooling arrangement is employed to maintain the required temperature difference across the modules for efficient power generation. The generated voltage is regulated using a DC-DC step-up boost converter to provide a stable 13V output suitable for operating LED lighting systems. The project demonstrates a low-cost, eco-friendly, and self-sustaining energy recovery system that simultaneously addresses waste oil management and decentralized power generation. Experimental observations confirm that the developed prototype successfully powers low-voltage lighting loads and can be scaled for broader applications