Patent ID: 8549835

Claim:
An exhaust gas system for an internal combustion engine, comprising: a first thermoelectric power generator having a first heat exchanger with a first thermal conductivity, the first thermoelectric power generator having a hot side and a cold side with the hot side being arrangeable on the exhaust gas system so as to be heatable by exhaust gas of the internal combustion engine, wherein the first heat exchanger is arranged between the hot side and the exhaust gas flow; a least a second thermoelectric power generator having a second heat exchanger with a second thermal conductivity different from the first thermal conductivity of the first heat exchanger, the second thermoelectric power generator being arrangeable on the exhaust gas system; and a first bypass and a second bypass, the first and second bypasses being arranged one after the other in an exhaust gas flow direction; at least one closure element for the exhaust gas arranged in at least one of the first bypass and the second bypass; and a controller, wherein the first thermoelectric power generator is arranged in the first bypass in the exhaust gas flow direction, and the second thermoelectric power generator is arranged in the second bypass, and the controller is configured to operate the closure element based on an indication of an energy content of the exhaust gas to optimize thermoelectric power generation while preventing overheating of the first and second thermoelectric power generators.