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The output power and conversion efficiency of the thermoelectric generator (TEG) are closely related to not only the materials properties but also the geometric structure. This paper developed a multi-physics, steady-state, and three-dimensional numerical TEG model to investigate the TEG performance, and then the model is compared with the classical thermal resistance model. Bismuth-telluride are used as p- and n-type materials. The comparison reveals that the assumption of constant material properties leads to underestimated inner electrical resistance, and overestimated thermal conductance and Seebeck coefficient, so that the thermal resistance model predicts unrealistically high performance than the present model. The results also indicate that when heat losses exist between the TEG and the ambient, although the output power is slightly elevated, the conversion efficiency is significantly reduced, hence …