JP2015138794A - Thermoelectric power generator - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a thermoelectric conversion type power generator capable of effectively improving production of electricity by improving cooling efficiency on the cooling unit side.SOLUTION: A power generator comprises: a thermoelectric conversion module 4 which is disposed between a main plate part (plate member on the heating side) 251 of a tubular body 25 and a thin plate (plate member on the cooling side) 22 having flexibility in a closed vessel 2; and a shock-absorbing material 5 which is disposed between the thin plate 22 and the thermoelectric conversion module 4 and adheres tightly to the thermoelectric conversion module 4 by being pressed by the thin plate 22 when pressure in the closed vessel 2 is reduced. The power generator generates power when temperature difference is applied to the thermoelectric conversion module 4 by the tubular body 25 being heated by a heating fluid H and the thin plate 22 being cooled by a cooling jacket 3. Embossment is performed to increase surface area of the thin plate 22, which improves heat conductivity from the thin plate 22 to the thermoelectric conversion module through the shock-absorbing material 5 and improves cooling efficiency of the power generator.

Description

  The present invention relates to a thermoelectric power generation apparatus that converts a thermal energy into an electrical energy by giving a temperature difference to a thermoelectric conversion module.

  A power generation technique for converting thermal energy into electrical energy using a thermoelectric conversion element is known. The thermoelectric conversion element uses a Seebeck effect that causes a potential difference between a high temperature part and a low temperature part by giving a temperature difference to a separated part, and the power generation amount increases as the temperature difference increases. Such a thermoelectric conversion element is used in the form of a thermoelectric conversion element module in which a plurality are joined by electrodes. For example, by laminating a thermoelectric conversion module and a cooling part on the outer surface of the pipe body and introducing a heating fluid into the pipe body, the space between the heated pipe body (high temperature part) and the cooling part (low temperature part) 2. Description of the Related Art A thermoelectric conversion power generator having a configuration in which electricity is extracted by causing a temperature difference in a thermoelectric conversion module sandwiched between two is known (Patent Document 1).

JP 2006-217756 A

  In this type of power generation device, the larger the temperature difference between the heating fluid that heats the high-temperature part and the cooling medium that cools the low-temperature part, the more the power generation amount can be improved. Therefore, it is difficult to improve the power generation amount. Therefore, it is conceivable to improve the power generation amount by improving the thermal efficiency (heating efficiency or cooling efficiency) by devising the structure of the high temperature part or the low temperature part.

  This invention is made | formed in view of the said situation, The main subject is providing the thermoelectric conversion type generator which can raise the cooling efficiency by the side of a cooling unit, and can aim at the improvement of electric power generation effectively. .

  The thermoelectric conversion power generation apparatus of the present invention includes a heating-side plate member and a flexible cooling-side plate member that are arranged to face each other, and a sealed container whose inside is decompressed, and the heating A thermoelectric conversion module disposed in the sealed container in a state of being disposed between the cooling side plate member and the cooling side plate member, and sandwiched between the cooling side plate member and the thermoelectric conversion module. And a buffer material that is pressed against the thermoelectric conversion module by receiving pressure from the cooling-side plate member due to a pressure difference between the inside and the outside generated in the sealed container by depressurizing the inside of the sealed container. The thermoelectric conversion generator generates power by heating the plate member on the heating side and cooling the plate member on the cooling side to give a temperature difference to the thermoelectric conversion module. And the cooling side plate Characterized in that said cushioning material wood has embossing is performed on the abutting region.

  In the present invention, the heating-side plate member is heated and the cooling-side plate member is cooled, thereby generating a temperature difference in the thermoelectric conversion module between these plate members and generating electric power. The pressure difference that the pressure in the sealed container becomes lower than the outside due to the pressure inside the sealed container is reduced, and the flexible cooling side plate member pressurizes the thermoelectric conversion module via the cushioning material, and the cushioning material Is closely attached to the thermoelectric conversion module. Here, the surface area of the cooling side plate member is increased because the area of the cooling side plate member that is in contact with the cushioning material is embossed, so the cooling heat of the cooling unit is reduced by the cooling side plate member. Efficiently through the buffer material to the thermoelectric conversion module. That is, the heat transfer from the cooling side plate member to the thermoelectric conversion module is improved, the cooling efficiency on the cooling unit side is increased, and as a result, the amount of power generation is improved.

  The present invention includes a form in which the embossing has a plurality of recesses recessed on the side of the cushioning material, and fins are disposed on the outer side of the plate member on the cooling side corresponding to the recesses. In this embodiment, a space is formed between the fin and the recess, or a space between the fin and the recess is formed larger, so that the amount of the cooling medium passing between the fin and the recess is passed. As a result, the cooling capacity of the fins is promoted, the heat exchange performance is improved, and the cooling efficiency is further improved.

  Further, the present invention includes a form in which the embossing includes at least one convex portion protruding outside the plate member on the cooling side, and the fins are aligned using the convex portion. In this configuration, the fins can be easily aligned using the embossed convex portions, and the assemblability is improved.

  Advantageous Effects of Invention According to the present invention, there is an effect that a thermoelectric conversion power generation device that can increase the cooling efficiency on the cooling unit side and effectively improve the power generation amount is provided.

1 is an overall perspective view of a thermoelectric conversion power generator according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is an II directional arrow line view of FIG. FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line III-III in FIG. 2. It is IV-IV sectional drawing of FIG. It is a perspective view which shows the structure of the housing | casing of the airtight container with which the same electric power generating apparatus is provided. FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of a part of FIG. 4 (between a cooling jacket and a main plate portion of a tubular body). It is a top view of the embossed thin plate (plate member on the cooling side).

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
[1] Configuration of Thermoelectric Conversion Power Generation Device FIGS. 1 to 4 show a thermoelectric conversion power generation device (hereinafter referred to as a power generation device) 1 according to an embodiment. FIG. 1 is an overall perspective view, and FIG. II direction view, FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 are a III-III sectional view and an IV-IV sectional view of FIG. 2, respectively. This power generator 1 is formed in a flat rectangular parallelepiped shape (the X direction is the longitudinal direction in FIGS. 1, 3, and 4), and is housed in a water cooling jacket (cooling portion) 3 and the water cooling jacket 3. A sealed container 2 is provided.

  The sealed container 2 has a double tube structure in which a flat tubular tube 25 is housed in the center of the flat tubular housing 20, and the space between the housing 20 and the tubular body 25 is decompressed. The opening at both ends in the X direction of the decompression space 29 is hermetically closed by the sealing cover 26. The water-cooling jacket 3 is formed in a flat tubular shape substantially along the outer shape of the sealed container 2, and the sealed container 2 housed therein has both end portions on the opening side projecting from both end openings of the water-cooled jacket 3.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the housing 20 is composed of a rigid portion 21 as a main body and a rectangular thin plate (cooling side plate member) 22 joined to the rigid portion 21. The rigid portion 21 includes a pair of frames having a rectangular outer frame plate portion 211 and an inner frame plate portion 212 that partitions the inside of the outer frame plate portion 211 into two rectangular holes 213 divided in the longitudinal direction (X direction). The plates 210 face each other in parallel in the vertical direction (Z direction), the edges along the longitudinal direction of the outer frame plate portion 211 are connected by the side plate portions 215, and open at both ends in the longitudinal direction. It has the opening pipe part 217 which forms 218. FIG.

  The thin plate 22 is formed in a rectangular shape having a size that covers the two holes 213 of the rigid portion 21 with a flexible elastically deformable plate material. The thin plate 22 is joined to the periphery of the hole 213 on the outer surface of each frame plate 210 by a joining means such as brazing, whereby the two holes 213 are closed by the single thin plate 22. The material of the thin plate 22 is preferably a metal plate having heat resistance and oxidation resistance, such as stainless steel or aluminum such as SUS444, and the thickness thereof is, for example, about 0.1 mm.

  As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the tubular body 25 housed in the housing 20 has a pair of upper and lower flat rectangular main plate portions (on the heating side) parallel to the upper and lower frame plates 210 of the housing 20. Plate member) 251 in which the edges along the longitudinal direction are connected by side plate portions 252 parallel to side plate portion 215 of housing 20, and the outer surfaces of both end opening edges are openings of rigid portion 21 of housing 20. It is joined to the inner surface of the pipe part 217 through a sealing cover 26 that is generally U-shaped and has an oval cross section.

  The inside of the pipe body 25 is formed as a pipe line 253 through which the heating fluid H (see FIGS. 3 and 4) flows from one opening toward the other opening. The fins 7 that collect and transfer the heat to the tube body 25 are disposed. For example, the fin 7 is formed by corrugating a plate material into a corrugated plate shape. The fins 7 and the sealing cover 26 are joined to the rigid portion 21 and the flow pipe 25 by joining means such as brazing, respectively.

  The rigid portion 21, the tube body 25, and the sealing cover 26 of the casing 20 constituting the sealed container 2 are made of the same material as the thin plate 22 (a metal having heat resistance and oxidation resistance such as stainless steel such as SUS444 and aluminum). Used. A plurality of thermoelectric conversion modules 4 are respectively disposed between the thin plate 22 of the casing 20 and the main plate portion 251 of the tubular body 25 of the sealed container 2.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the thermoelectric conversion module 4 includes electrodes 42 made of a thin metal plate such as a rectangular copper plate on one side and the other side of a plurality of thermoelectric conversion elements 41 arranged in a plane. Thus, the electrode 42 on one surface side is joined to the outer surface of the main plate portion 251 of the tubular body 25 by a joining means such as brazing. The electrode 42 on the other side faces the inner surface of the thin plate 22 of the housing 20, and the buffer material 5 is held between the thin plate 22 and the electrode 42. The thin plate 22 and the buffer material 5 and the buffer material 5 and the electrode 42 are not joined, but are in contact with each other so as to be slidable. In this case, one thermoelectric conversion module 4 is incorporated in parallel with the thin plate 22 that closes one hole 213 of the housing 20, and a total of four thermoelectric conversion modules 4 are equipped.

  The buffer material 5 is preferably a flexible sheet-like material such as a thin carbon sheet. In the present embodiment, the buffer material 5 is sandwiched between the thin plate 22 and the thermoelectric conversion module 4. However, the buffer material 5 is used as necessary, and the thin plate 22 directly contacts the thermoelectric conversion module 4. Can be selected.

  As the thermoelectric conversion element 41 constituting the thermoelectric conversion module 4, a type having a high heat-resistant temperature is used. For example, a silicon-germanium system, a magnesium-silicon system, a manganese-silicon system, an iron silicide system, or the like is preferably used. The decompression space 29 of the sealed container 2 in which the thermoelectric conversion module 4 is housed is hermetically sealed by a casing 20, a tubular body 25, and a sealing cover 26 that are formed of the rigid portion 21 and the thin plate 22. As shown in FIG. 4, the fin 7 has a size corresponding to the thermoelectric conversion module 4, and the thermoelectric conversion module 4 is disposed on both sides of the fin 7.

  The sealed container 2 is stored in a water-cooled jacket 3. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the water-cooling jacket 3 has a sealing frame portion 31 that is bent inward and formed on the opening edges at both ends, on the outer surface of the outer frame plate portion 211 of the rigid portion 21 in the sealed container 2. And airtightly joined by means such as brazing. A space in the water cooling jacket 3, that is, a space formed between the rigid portion 21 and the water cooling jacket 3 is a cooling space 32 for cooling the thin plate 22 by supplying cooling water (cooling medium). A cooling water inlet / outlet 33 is provided at a central portion of the water cooling jacket 3 corresponding to each side plate portion 215 of the housing 20.

  A total of four thermoelectric conversion modules 4 are accommodated in the sealed container 2, and these thermoelectric conversion modules 4 are connected in series. Then, electricity is taken out from the two lead wires 49 of + • − shown in FIGS. The lead wire 49 passes through the side plate portion 215 and the water cooling jacket 3 of the sealed container 2 and is drawn to the outside, and the lead wire through hole of the side plate portion 215 and the water cooling jacket 3 is hermetically closed.

  At locations corresponding to the thermoelectric conversion modules 4 in the cooling space 32, fins 6 made of a corrugated plate having a cross-sectionally bent shape are disposed. The fin 6 is supplied to the cooling space 32 to contact the flowing cooling water so as to dissipate the thin plate 22 and promote the cooling. The grooves 61 on both sides forming the tunnel-shaped space are formed in the Y direction in FIG. The extended state is joined to the thin plate 22 by joining means such as brazing. The fin 6 is selected to have a flexibility that does not hinder the flexibility of the thin plate 22.

  The region of the thin plate 22 that contacts the cushioning material 5 is embossed with irregularities. That is, as shown in FIG. 6, the thin plate 22 is formed with a plurality of recesses 221 that are recessed toward the cushioning material 5 and a plurality of protrusions 222 that protrude toward the outer surface by pressing or the like. As shown in FIG. 7, the concave portion 221 and the convex portion 222 have a circular shape in plan view and are formed in a hemispherical shape. The diameters of the concave portion 221 and the convex portion 222 are set to be slightly smaller than the width of the groove portion 61 of the fin 6.

  The groove portions 61 of the fins 6 are disposed corresponding to the plurality of concave portions 221 that are recessed toward the buffer material 5 side. Further, the groove portions 61 are also disposed corresponding to the plurality of convex portions 222. The fin 6 is joined to the thin plate 22 in advance, and when the thin plate 22 is assembled, the fin 61 and the thin plate 22 are aligned by fitting the groove portion 61 of the fin 6 to the convex portion 222. It has become.

  The number and shape of the plurality of concave portions 221 and convex portions 222 constituting the embossing of the thin plate 22 are arbitrary, and can be appropriately changed. Further, the positions where the concave portions 221 and the convex portions 222 are formed with respect to the thin plate 22 are arbitrary in the region in contact with the cushioning material 5 and are arranged as shown in FIG. 7, for example, but at positions corresponding to the groove portions 61 of the fins 6. It must be a condition.

  The sealed container 2 sucks air in the decompression space 29 from a decompression sealing port (not shown) formed at a predetermined location to decompress the decompression space 29 to a predetermined pressure (for example, about 1 to 100 Pa). Are hermetically sealed by welding or the like. As a result, in the sealed container 2, a pressure difference is generated in which the pressure in the decompression space 29 is lower than that in the outside atmosphere, and the force that pressurizes the thin plate 22 of the housing 20 toward the thermoelectric conversion module 4 due to the pressure difference. Receive.

[2] Action of Power Generation Device In the power generation device 1 having the above-described configuration, the pipe body 25 is heated by flowing a high-temperature heating fluid H from one opening to the other opening in the pipe line 253 of the pipe body 25. In addition, the cooling water is introduced into the cooling space 32 from one introduction outlet 33 of the water cooling jacket 3, the cooling water is discharged from the other introduction outlet 33, and the cooling space 32 is filled with the cooling water to be sealed. The thin plate 22 of the container 2 is cooled.

  The heat of the heating fluid H that flows through the pipe 253 directly heats the pair of opposing main plate portions 251 of the tube body 25, and is collected by the fins 7 and transmitted to each main plate portion 251, and the high temperature of the main plate portion 251. Is promoted. Heat of the main plate portion 251 of the heated tube body 25 is transmitted to the inner surface side of the thermoelectric conversion module 4, and the inner surface side of the thermoelectric conversion module 4 is heated. On the other hand, the cooling of the thin plate 22 is promoted by the heat exchange means 6 that is cooled by cooling water. The heat of the cooled thin plate 22 is transmitted to the outer surface side of the thermoelectric conversion module 4, and the outer surface side of the thermoelectric conversion module 4 is cooled. Thereby, a temperature difference is given to the thermoelectric conversion element 41 of the thermoelectric conversion module 4 so that the inner surface side is high temperature and the outer surface side is low temperature.

  In the hermetic container 2, the internal decompression space 29 is decompressed as described above to generate a pressure difference with the outside, whereby the thin plate 22 of the housing 20 is pressurized toward the thermoelectric conversion module 4. Thereby, the thin plate 22 of the housing | casing 20 is pressurized and closely_contact | adhered to the shock absorbing material 5, and the shock absorbing material 5 closely_contact | adheres in the state pressurized to the thermoelectric conversion module 4 side.

  As described above, a temperature difference is given between the outer surface side and the inner surface side of the thermoelectric conversion module 4, so that the thermoelectric conversion module 4 generates power and electricity is extracted from the lead wire 49. The heat of the heating fluid H that flows through the pipe 253 is collected by the fins 7 and transmitted to the pair of main plate portions 251, and the main plate portion 251 is heated to a high temperature and the power generation efficiency is improved.

  In the power generation apparatus 1 of this embodiment, for example, exhaust heat gas generated in a factory or a garbage incinerator, automobile exhaust gas, or the like is used as the heating fluid H.

[3] Advantageous Effects of One Embodiment In the power generation apparatus 1 of the above-described embodiment, the pressure difference that the pressure in the sealed container 2 becomes lower than the outside is generated by reducing the pressure in the sealed container 2, and the flexibility is improved. The thin plate 22 on the cooling side has a pressure applied to the thermoelectric conversion module 4 via the buffer material 5, and the buffer material 5 is brought into close contact with the thermoelectric conversion module 4. Here, since the embossing by the some recessed part 221 and the convex part 222 is given to the area | region which contact | abuts the buffer material 5 of the thin plate 22, the surface area of the thin plate 22 is increasing, Therefore The thin plate 22 is efficiently transmitted to the thermoelectric conversion module 4 through the buffer material 5. That is, the heat transfer from the thin plate 22 to the thermoelectric conversion module 4 is improved, and the cooling efficiency by the cooling jacket 3 is increased. As a result, the amount of power generation is improved.

  Further, since the groove 61 of the fin 6 is disposed corresponding to the embossed recess 221, the space between the fin 6 and the recess 221 is formed larger than in the case without the recess 221. Accordingly, the amount of cooling water passing between the fins 6 and the recesses 221 increases, thereby promoting the cooling capacity of the fins 6 and improving the heat exchange performance, further improving the cooling efficiency.

  Further, since the fins 6 and the thin plates 22 are aligned by fitting the groove portions 61 of the fins 6 to the embossed convex portions 222, the alignment of the fins 6 and the thin plates 22 is facilitated, and assembly is easy. It has the advantage of improving. Note that at least one protrusion 222 may be formed as long as the fins 6 can be aligned.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Thermoelectric conversion type electric power generating apparatus, 2 ... Sealed container, 22 ... Thin plate (cooling side plate member) of a housing | casing 221 ... Recessed part, 222 ... Convex part, 251 ... Main plate part of a tubular body (Plate member on a heating side) 4 ... Thermoelectric conversion module, 5 ... Buffer material, 6 ... Fin.

Claims (3)

A sealed container having a heating-side plate member and a flexible cooling-side plate member disposed opposite to each other, the inside of which is decompressed;
A thermoelectric conversion module disposed in the sealed container in a state of being disposed between the heating side plate member and the cooling side plate member;
The cooling-side plate member is disposed between the cooling-side plate member and the thermoelectric conversion module, and is depressurized from the cooling-side plate member due to a pressure difference between the inside and the outside generated in the sealed container. A buffer material that receives pressure and is brought into close contact with the thermoelectric conversion module,
The thermoelectric conversion power generator generates electric power by the thermoelectric conversion module by heating the plate member on the heating side and cooling the plate member on the cooling side to give a temperature difference to the thermoelectric conversion module,
An embossing process is performed on a region of the cooling plate member that contacts the buffer material.   The embossing has a plurality of recesses recessed on the side of the cushioning material, and fins are disposed on the outer side of the cooling side plate member corresponding to the recesses. Thermoelectric power generator.   3. The thermoelectric conversion according to claim 2, wherein the embossing includes at least one convex portion that protrudes outside the plate member on the cooling side, and the fins are aligned using the convex portion. Power generator.

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