JP6149407B2 - Thermoelectric power generation system - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a thermoelectric power generation system using a thermoelectric power generation module that generates power using the Seebeck effect.

  In recent years, a technique for effectively utilizing waste heat by using this type of thermoelectric power generation module has attracted attention. For example, this type of thermoelectric power module is attached to the wall of a pipe through which a high-temperature fluid flows in a factory or plant, and a heat exchange member such as a heat sink is attached to the other surface of the thermoelectric power module to dissipate heat. The heat is converted into electric power and used. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for constructing a thermoelectric power generation system by arranging a plurality of thermoelectric power generation modules along the circumferential direction of a pipe and further mounting a heat exchange member such as a heat sink for each thermoelectric power generation module. Has been.

Special table 2010-532577 gazette

  However, the thermoelectric power generation system disclosed in Patent Document 1 has a problem that the heat exchange member is easily dropped from the thermoelectric power generation module due to contact of a person or an object. Further, when a large impact is applied to the heat exchange member due to contact of a person or an object, the impact is directly transmitted to the thermoelectric power generation module, and the thermoelectric power generation module may be damaged. That is, the thermoelectric power generation system disclosed in Patent Document 1 has a problem that durability when an impact is applied to the heat exchange member is low.

  This invention is made | formed in view of the said subject, and it aims at providing the thermoelectric power generation system with high durability with respect to the impact added to a heat exchange member.

  In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides a plurality of thermoelectric power generation units, each of which includes a bottom plate that exchanges heat with a first heat source, and a second heat source that is different from the first heat source. A plurality of thermoelectric power generation units having a heat exchange member that exchanges heat between them, and a thermoelectric power generation module sandwiched between the bottom plate and the heat exchange member, and heat exchange members of thermoelectric power generation units adjacent to each other There is provided a thermoelectric power generation system including a connecting member to be connected. In the thermoelectric power generation system of the present invention, the heat exchange members that are adjacent to each other are connected by the connecting member, and therefore do not easily fall off due to the contact of a person or an object. Moreover, even if an impact is applied to any of the heat exchange members, a part of the impact escapes to other heat exchange members connected to the impacted heat exchange member, and the impact applied to the heat exchange member Transmission to the thermoelectric power generation module sandwiched between the heat exchange member and the bottom plate is avoided. That is, according to the thermoelectric power generation system of the present invention, durability against an impact applied to the heat exchange member is higher than before.

  Various materials can be considered as to what kind of material the connecting member is formed of. If the connecting member is made of a material that easily conducts heat (for example, a metal such as copper or aluminum, hereinafter referred to as a heat conductor), the heat exchange members connected to each other can function as a single heat exchange member. it can. In addition, if the connecting member is made of an elastic material such as rubber, when the impact is transmitted from the heat exchange member to which the impact is applied to the heat exchange member connected to the heat exchange member via the connection member, the impact is transmitted. It is considered that a part of can be absorbed by the elasticity of the connecting member, and durability against an impact applied to the heat exchange member can be further increased.

  As a more preferable aspect, an aspect in which a circuit driven by electric power obtained by a plurality of thermoelectric power generation units is included in the thermoelectric power generation system can be considered. Here, various modes can be considered as to what kind of circuit is included in the thermoelectric power generation system. For example, a temperature sensor for measuring the temperature of the first heat source (or the second heat source, or both the first and second heat sources), a wireless communication unit that wirelessly transmits an output signal of the temperature sensor, A thermoelectric power generation system includes a control unit such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) that controls the operation of the wireless communication circuit and a booster circuit that boosts the electric power obtained by each thermoelectric power generation module and supplies the boosted power to these units. And so on. According to such an aspect, it is possible to grasp the operating environment of the thermoelectric power generation system based on the data transmitted from the wireless communication unit.

  As another preferred mode, a mode in which the surface of the bottom plate of each of the plurality of thermoelectric power generation units in contact with the first heat source is brought into contact with the surface of the first heat source as a whole is conceivable. For example, the surface in contact with the first heat source of the bottom plate of each of the plurality of thermoelectric power generation units is formed in a curved shape having the same curvature as the surface of the first heat source. According to such an aspect, each thermoelectric element can be used even when the first heat source is an object having a curved surface such as a pipe that is laid in a factory and flows a fluid having a temperature higher (or lower) than room temperature. The bottom plate of the power generation unit can be brought into close contact with the surface of the first heat source, and a decrease in power generation efficiency due to the separation between the first heat source and the bottom plate can be avoided.

It is a figure which shows the structural example of the thermoelectric power generation system of one Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure for demonstrating the connection method of each thermoelectric power generation unit 1-n in the thermoelectric power generation system. It is a figure which shows the structural example of the conventional thermoelectric power generation system used as the comparison object with the same thermoelectric power generation system. It is a figure which shows the structural example of the thermoelectric power generation system of a modification (1). It is a figure which shows the structural example of the thermoelectric power generation system of a modification (1). It is a figure which shows the structural example of the thermoelectric power generation unit of the modification (2). It is a figure which shows the structural example of the thermoelectric power generation system of the modification (3).

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1A is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of a thermoelectric power generation system according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1 (A), the thermoelectric power generation system of the present embodiment is configured by connecting thermoelectric power generation units 1-n (n = 1 to 6) in an annular shape, and has a temperature higher than the temperature (or It is attached to the pipe 2 through which the fluid (low temperature) flows. In this thermoelectric power generation system, the pipe 2 is used as a first heat source, the air around the pipe 2 is used as a second heat source, and a temperature difference between the first and second heat sources is taken out as electric energy. .

  FIG. 1B is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of the thermoelectric power generation unit 1-n. As shown in FIG. 1B, the thermoelectric power generation unit 1-n includes a bottom plate 10 and a heat exchange member 20 each formed of a thermal conductor, and a bottom plate 10 in the same manner as a conventional general thermoelectric generation unit. And a thermoelectric power generation module 30 sandwiched between the heat exchange members 20. The bottom plate 10 is for exchanging heat with the first heat source (in this embodiment, the pipe 2), and the bottom surface of the bottom plate 10 extends over the entire surface of the first heat source (the main plate). In the embodiment, it is formed in a curved surface shape corresponding to the shape of the surface of the first heat source so as to contact the wall surface of the pipe 2. In addition, a gel-like agent having a high thermal conductivity such as silicon grease is applied to the bottom surface of the bottom plate 10 so that heat exchange between the bottom surface of the bottom plate 10 and the surface of the first heat source can be performed smoothly. Of course, the bottom plate 10 may be attached to the first heat source.

  The heat exchange member 20 is, for example, a heat sink having a large number of pin-shaped fins, and is for exchanging heat with the second heat source. In this embodiment, a heat sink having a large number of pin-shaped fins is used as the heat exchange member 20, but a heat sink having a large number of wing-shaped fins may be used. In the thermoelectric power generation system of the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1A, the heat exchange member 20 of the thermoelectric power generation unit 1-1 and the heat exchange member 20 of the thermoelectric power generation unit 1-2 are connected by the connecting member 3-1. The heat exchange member 20 of the thermoelectric generation unit 1-2 and the heat exchange member 20 of the thermoelectric generation unit 1-3 are connected by the connection member 3-2, and the thermoelectric generation unit 1-3 is connected by the connection member 3-3. The heat exchange member 20 and the heat exchange member 20 of the thermoelectric power generation unit 1-4 are connected, and the heat exchange member 20 of the thermoelectric power generation unit 1-4 and the heat exchange member 20 of the thermoelectric power generation unit 1-5 are connected by the connection member 3-4. Are connected, the heat exchange member 20 of the thermoelectric power generation unit 1-5 and the heat exchange member 20 of the thermoelectric power generation unit 1-6 are connected by the connection member 3-5, and the thermoelectric power generation unit is connected by the connection member 3-6. -6 and the heat exchange member 20 of the heat exchange member 20 and the thermoelectric power generation unit 1-1 is connected to. That is, in the thermoelectric power generation system of this embodiment, the heat exchange members of the thermoelectric power generation units adjacent to each other are connected by the connection member. The connection member 3-n (n = 1 to 6) is formed of a heat conductor in the same manner as the heat exchange member 20.

  Various modes are conceivable for the method of connecting the heat exchange member 20 by the connecting member 3-n. For example, as shown in FIGS. 2 (A) and 2 (B), a fin-side connecting part 200 having a through hole is provided at the end of the heat exchange member 20, while a connecting member 3-n having bolts 300B at both ends. And fixing the bolt 300B of the connecting member 3-n with the nut 300N through the through hole, and connecting the heat exchanging members 20 of the thermoelectric generator modules adjacent to each other can be considered. Further, as shown in FIGS. 2 (C) and 2 (D), a fin-side connecting portion 210 having a bolt 212 is provided at the end of the heat exchange member 20, and a connecting member 3-n having through holes at both ends is provided. A mode in which the nut 212 is passed through the bolt 212 to the through hole may be used.

  The feature of this embodiment is that the heat exchange members 20 of the thermoelectric power generation units 1-n adjacent to each other are connected using the connection members 3-n. Even if a person or an object contacts the heat exchange member 20 of any one of the thermoelectric power generation units 1-n (n = 1 to 6) constituting the thermoelectric power generation system, the shock is applied. This is to prevent the heat exchange member 20 from falling off or the thermoelectric power generation module 30 sandwiched between the heat exchange member 20 and the bottom plate 10 from being damaged. Here, the damage of the thermoelectric power generation module 30 sandwiched between the heat exchange member 20 subjected to the impact and the bottom plate 10 is avoided because of the other connected to the heat exchange member 20 subjected to the impact. This is because a part of the impact escapes to the heat exchange member 20 and it is avoided that the impact is directly transmitted to the thermoelectric power generation module 30 sandwiched between the heat exchange member 20 and the bottom plate 10 to which the impact is applied. is there. Hereinafter, as shown in FIG. 3, the effect of the present embodiment will be described in comparison with the case where the bottom plates of adjacent thermoelectric power generation units are connected by a connecting member formed of a heat conductor.

  In order to compare the durability against the impact of the thermoelectric power generation system of the present embodiment with the durability of the configuration shown in FIG. 3, the inventor of the present application conducted the following experiment. In the following experiment, as the heat exchange member 20 of the thermoelectric power generation unit 1-n, the planar size of the plate-like portion is 30 mm × 30 mm, the overall height of the heat exchange member 20 is 30 mm, and the height of the pin-shaped fins is A 20 mm module was used, and a thermoelectric power generation module having a planar size of 15 mm × 15 mm and a thickness of 2 mm was used. Further, in order to make the experimental conditions the same, the same heat exchange member and thermoelectric power generation module were used in the thermoelectric power generation system having the configuration shown in FIG.

  First, the inventor of the present application prepared five pipes each having a diameter of 100 mm and a length of 100 mm around which the thermoelectric power generation system of the present embodiment was wound, and repeated the operation of dropping each from a height of 30 cm 10 times. Later, the amount of power generation was measured, and the ratio of the amount of power generation decreased by 5% or more compared to before the fall was determined. The ratio for the thermoelectric power generation system of this embodiment was 7%. Similarly, five pipes each having a diameter of 100 mm and a length of 100 mm wrapped with a thermoelectric power generation system having the configuration shown in FIG. 3 are prepared, and after each operation of dropping from a height of 30 cm is repeated 10 times, power generation is performed. The amount was measured, and the ratio of the amount of power generation decreased by 5% or more compared to before dropping was determined. The ratio for the thermoelectric power generation system having the configuration shown in FIG. 3 was 27%. As described above, it was confirmed by experiments that the thermoelectric power generation system of this embodiment has higher durability against impacts than the thermoelectric power generation system having the configuration shown in FIG.

  In addition, the thermoelectric power generation system of the present embodiment is an entire system when the temperature of the first heat source is not uniform (for example, when the flow rate of fluid flowing through the pipe is small compared to the inner diameter of the pipe 2). From the viewpoint of securing the amount of power generation, it is superior to the thermoelectric power generation system having the configuration shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 3, in the aspect of connecting the bottom plates of the thermoelectric power generation units adjacent to each other, when the temperature of the first heat source is not uniform, the temperature of the bottom plate of each thermoelectric power generation unit decreases to the average temperature. If the temperature difference between the average temperature and the temperature of the second heat source is not sufficient, all thermoelectric power generation units may not contribute to power generation, and the power generation amount of the entire system may become zero. On the other hand, in the thermoelectric power generation system of the present embodiment, the bottom plates 10 of the thermoelectric power generation units 1-n are thermally separated from each other. For this reason, although the thermoelectric power generation unit 1-n attached to the low temperature portion does not contribute to power generation, the thermoelectric power generation unit 1-n attached to the high temperature portion contributes to power generation, and the power generation amount of the entire system is reduced. It will never be zero. In addition, in this embodiment, since the connection member 3-n is formed of a heat conductor like the heat exchange member 20, the entire heat exchange member 20 connected by the connection member 3-n is combined with one heat sink. Can be considered. For this reason, even if it is the thermoelectric power generation unit 1-n that does not contribute to power generation because it is attached to a portion having a low temperature, the heat exchange member 20 included in the thermoelectric power generation unit 1-n is replaced with the thermoelectric power generation system. There is also an effect that it is possible to contribute to heat exchange with the second heat source as a whole. In order to efficiently exchange heat between the heat exchanging members on both sides of the connecting member 3-n, the connecting member 3-n may have a plate shape or a block shape. Although the contact area of the connection part of the connection member 3-n and the heat exchange member does not change, the heat conduction path in the connection member 3-n becomes wider, and the amount of heat transfer through the connection member 3-n increases. is there.

  Thus, according to the present embodiment, durability against impact of the thermoelectric power generation system can be enhanced as compared with the conventional case. In addition, according to the present embodiment, even if the temperature of the first heat source that exchanges heat with the bottom plate 10 of the thermoelectric power generation unit 1-n is not uniform, the power generation amount of the entire thermoelectric power generation system It is also possible to avoid the occurrence of a situation where the value drops to zero.

Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described above, this embodiment may of course be modified as follows.
(1) In the above embodiment, the thermoelectric power generation system is configured using six thermoelectric power generation units. However, the number of thermoelectric power generation units is not limited to six, and in short, includes a plurality of thermoelectric power generation units. It only has to be. For example, when a thermoelectric power generation system is constituted by three thermoelectric power generation units, these three thermoelectric power generation units may be arranged as shown in FIG. Moreover, the arrangement | positioning aspect of each thermoelectric power generation unit is not limited to the symmetrical arrangement | positioning aspect shown to FIG. 1 (A) or FIG. 4, The aspect as shown in FIG. 5 may be sufficient. In particular, as shown in FIG. 5, when the flow rate of the fluid flowing through the pipe 2 is small, it is preferable to arrange the thermoelectric power generation unit on the fluid flowing side. In addition, if the connection member 3-n contacts the pipe 2, the heat | fever which moves a thermoelectric power generation module will reduce. For this reason, when the arrangement interval of the thermoelectric power generation units is wide and it is difficult to connect the heat exchange members of the respective thermoelectric power generation units without bringing the connection member 3-n into contact with the pipe 2 (for example, in the example shown in FIG. The member 3-3 may come into contact with the pipe 2), and the dummy unit (the thermoelectric power generation module 30 of the thermoelectric power generation unit 1-n is more conductive than the heat insulating material or the heat conductor between the plurality of thermoelectric power generation units. A unit replaced with a low-rate material) is arranged, and the heat exchange member 20 of the thermoelectric power generation unit and the heat exchange member 20 of the dummy unit adjacent to each other may be connected by the connection member 3-n. In the dummy unit, the heat exchanging member 20 is insulated from the bottom plate 10 and further connected to the heat exchanging member 20 of the adjacent thermoelectric power generation unit by the connecting member 3-n, so that the whole acts as one heat sink. Meanwhile, the connecting member 3-n can be prevented from coming into contact with the pipe 2.

(2) In the above embodiment, the bottom surface of the bottom plate 10 of the thermoelectric generator unit 1-n has the same curvature as the surface of the first heat source so that the bottom surface of the thermoelectric generator unit 1-n contacts the surface of the first heat source over the entire surface. However, it is a matter of course that the bottom surface of the bottom plate 10 may be formed in a planar shape as in the thermoelectric power generation unit 1′-n shown in FIG. For example, when the outer shape of the pipe 2 serving as the first heat source is sufficiently larger than the planar size of the bottom plate 10, the surface of the first heat source is a flat surface at the mounting location of each thermoelectric power generation unit 1 ′ -n. This is because even if the bottom surface of the bottom plate 10 is formed in a flat shape, the bottom surface of the bottom plate 10 can be brought into contact with the surface of the first heat source over the entire surface.

(3) A circuit driven by electric power obtained by each thermoelectric power generation unit may be included in the thermoelectric power generation system. For example, as shown in FIG. 7, a plate-like heat insulating material 50 is used as a sensor 60A such as a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, a carbon dioxide sensor, or a gas sensor for detecting the temperature of the first heat source (or the second heat source). Via the pipe 2 and further boosting the output voltage of the wireless communication unit 60B that wirelessly transmits the output signal of the sensor 60A to a predetermined destination and the output voltage of each thermoelectric power generation unit 1-n and supplying the boosted voltage to the wireless communication unit 60B If the circuit 60C is attached to the pipe 2 via the plate-like heat insulating material 50, it is possible to construct a sensor system that monitors the temperature of the first heat source without an external power source.

(4) In the above embodiment, a plurality of thermoelectric power generation units are arranged in a line in the circumferential direction of the pipe 2 serving as the first heat source, and the heat exchange members of the thermoelectric power generation units adjacent to each other are formed of a heat conductor. The thermoelectric power generation system was configured by connecting using connecting members. However, a plurality of thermoelectric power generation units are arranged in a plurality of rows in the circumferential direction of the pipe 2 serving as the first heat source, and the heat exchange members of the thermoelectric power generation units adjacent to each other in each row are connected using a connecting member, The thermoelectric power generation system may be configured by connecting the heat exchange members of the thermoelectric power generation units adjacent to each other in the direction orthogonal to the columns using a connection member. Of course, a thermoelectric power generation system may be configured by arranging a plurality of thermoelectric power generation units in a plane and connecting the heat exchange members of adjacent thermoelectric power generation units using a connection member formed of a heat conductor. In short, a plurality of thermoelectric power generation units may be arranged in a manner corresponding to the size and shape of the first heat source.

(5) In the above embodiment, one thermoelectric power generation module 30 is sandwiched between the bottom plate 10 and the heat exchange member 20, but a plurality of thermoelectric generation units 1-n are configured. A thermoelectric power generation unit may be configured with the thermoelectric power generation module 30 interposed therebetween. Moreover, in the said embodiment, although the connection member 3-n was comprised with the heat conductor, you may comprise the connection member 3-n with heat insulating materials (insulator), such as resin and rubber | gum. In the aspect which comprises the connection member 3-n with an insulator, although the heat exchange member 20 mutually connected by the connection member 3-n cannot be functioned as one heat exchange member, with respect to the impact applied to the heat exchange member 20 This is because there is no change in the durability of the thermoelectric power generation system. Further, if the connecting member 3-n is made of an elastic material such as rubber, the impact applied to the heat exchange member 20 can be absorbed by the connection member 3-n, and the thermoelectric power against the impact applied to the heat exchange member 20 can be absorbed. It is considered that the durability of the power generation system can be further increased.

(6) In the above embodiment, the connecting member 3-n has a role of connecting the heat exchange members 20 of the thermoelectric power generation units adjacent to each other, but the connecting member 3-n also has a role of the heat exchange member. It is thought that there is. Therefore, the surface area of the connection member 3-n is increased, the surface area of the connection member 3-n is increased by forming irregularities, forming holes, or providing pin-shaped fins, and the function as a heat exchange member is enhanced. But of course. In the above embodiment, it is assumed that the thermoelectric power generation unit is fixed in an annular shape on the outer periphery of the pipe 2, but the thermoelectric power generation units are arranged in a plane and the heat exchange member 20 is connected to improve the heat exchange efficiency. It can also be used to

1-n, 1'-n (n = 1-6) ... thermoelectric power generation unit, 2 ... pipe, 3-n (n = 1-6) ... connecting member, 10 ... bottom plate, 20 ... heat exchange member, 30 ... Thermoelectric power generation module.

Claims (4)

A plurality of thermoelectric generation units, each of which exchanges heat with a first heat source, and a heat exchange member that exchanges heat with a second heat source different from the first heat source; A plurality of thermoelectric power generation units having a thermoelectric power generation module sandwiched between the bottom plate and the heat exchange member;
A connecting member that connects heat exchange members of adjacent thermoelectric power generation units,
The first heat source is a high-temperature heat source;
The bottom plate of each of the plurality of thermoelectric power generation units is thermally separated from the bottom plate of an adjacent thermoelectric power generation unit.   The thermoelectric power generation system according to claim 1, wherein the connecting member is formed of a heat conductor. The thermoelectric power generation unit side adjacent the heat exchange member is consolidated portion is provided, the connecting member thermoelectric according to claim 1 or claim 2, characterized in that it is connected to the connecting portion Power generation system. A plurality of thermoelectric generation units, each of which exchanges heat with a first heat source, and a heat exchange member that exchanges heat with a second heat source different from the first heat source; A plurality of thermoelectric power generation units having a thermoelectric power generation module sandwiched between the bottom plate and the heat exchange member;
A connecting member that connects heat exchange members of adjacent thermoelectric power generation units,
The bottom plate of each of the plurality of thermoelectric power generation units is thermally separated from the bottom plate of an adjacent thermoelectric power generation unit;
It the thermoelectric generator unit side adjacent the heat exchange member is consolidated unit is provided, the connecting member is connected to the connecting portion, and a relative angle between the thermoelectric power generation unit adjacent variable to each other Thermoelectric power generation system characterized by

Images