Wearable thermoelectric generator (TEG) can collect human body heat and convert it into electrical energy, achieving self-powering of the device and thus becoming a hot research topic at present. By utilization of three-dimensional spiral thin-film thermoelectric structures and passive radiation cooling methods, the heat transfer area can be increased and power generation can be enhanced. In order to study the effect of outdoor radiation cooling on the thermoelectric performance of spiral heating, as well as the TEG performance output under different external environments and circuit loads, this paper proposes a new three-dimensional coupled numerical model of the spiral thermoelectric wristband system with multiple physical fields. The model considers the three-dimensional comprehensive thermoelectric influence mechanism of the spiral thermoelectric wristband system, including the effects of seasonal changes, frictional heat, and radiation heat transfer. The model has good accuracy under various conditions. The performance output potential of wearable TEG under different human motion states and environmental climate conditions were studied by the model. The results indicate that the presence of radiative cooling (RC) promotes the power generation performance of the spiral thermoelectric wristband system, with a maximum increase of 181.8% in output power. In the winter, wearable thermoelectric wristbands have the best output performance. The maximum output power of TEG in winter is 1.92 μW, and the open-circuit voltage are 13.88 mV, which is approximately 25 and 5.2 times the output performance of TEG in summer, respectively. This study may contribute to the development of high-performance TEGs for flexible and wearable applications.
© 2025 The Authors. Published by American Chemical Society.