To provide a thermoelectric generator in which a thermoelectric element can be prevented from being exposed to abnormally high temperature when a thermoelectric module generates power with heating fluid.

The thermoelectric generator has a passage 7 for conducting heating fluid 8 to heat one side of a thermoelectric module 12 where a p-type thermoelectric element 1 and an n-type thermoelectric element 2 are electrically connected in series, and a passage 10 for conducting cooling fluid 11 to cool the other side of the thermoelectric module 12 wherein a bypath 17 is connected to the passage 7 on the upstream side of the thermoelectric module 12 through a selector valve 15.

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