EP2665877A1 - Composite building panel with thermoelectric generator means - Google Patents

Composite building panel with thermoelectric generator means

Info

Publication number
EP2665877A1
EP2665877A1 EP11805776.9A EP11805776A EP2665877A1 EP 2665877 A1 EP2665877 A1 EP 2665877A1 EP 11805776 A EP11805776 A EP 11805776A EP 2665877 A1 EP2665877 A1 EP 2665877A1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
building panel
teg
energy storage
thermal energy
storage means
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Withdrawn
Application number
EP11805776.9A
Other languages
German (de)
French (fr)
Inventor
Ahsan Khan
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Tata Steel UK Ltd
Original Assignee
Tata Steel UK Ltd
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Tata Steel UK Ltd filed Critical Tata Steel UK Ltd
Priority to EP11805776.9A priority Critical patent/EP2665877A1/en
Publication of EP2665877A1 publication Critical patent/EP2665877A1/en
Withdrawn legal-status Critical Current

Links

Classifications

    • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
    • E04—BUILDING
    • E04C—STRUCTURAL ELEMENTS; BUILDING MATERIALS
    • E04C2/00—Building elements of relatively thin form for the construction of parts of buildings, e.g. sheet materials, slabs, or panels
    • E04C2/44—Building elements of relatively thin form for the construction of parts of buildings, e.g. sheet materials, slabs, or panels characterised by the purpose
    • E04C2/52—Building elements of relatively thin form for the construction of parts of buildings, e.g. sheet materials, slabs, or panels characterised by the purpose with special adaptations for auxiliary purposes, e.g. serving for locating conduits
    • E04C2/521—Building elements of relatively thin form for the construction of parts of buildings, e.g. sheet materials, slabs, or panels characterised by the purpose with special adaptations for auxiliary purposes, e.g. serving for locating conduits serving for locating conduits; for ventilating, heating or cooling
    • E04C2/525—Building elements of relatively thin form for the construction of parts of buildings, e.g. sheet materials, slabs, or panels characterised by the purpose with special adaptations for auxiliary purposes, e.g. serving for locating conduits serving for locating conduits; for ventilating, heating or cooling for heating or cooling
    • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
    • E04—BUILDING
    • E04C—STRUCTURAL ELEMENTS; BUILDING MATERIALS
    • E04C2/00—Building elements of relatively thin form for the construction of parts of buildings, e.g. sheet materials, slabs, or panels
    • E04C2/02—Building elements of relatively thin form for the construction of parts of buildings, e.g. sheet materials, slabs, or panels characterised by specified materials
    • E04C2/26—Building elements of relatively thin form for the construction of parts of buildings, e.g. sheet materials, slabs, or panels characterised by specified materials composed of materials covered by two or more of groups E04C2/04, E04C2/08, E04C2/10 or of materials covered by one of these groups with a material not specified in one of the groups
    • E04C2/284—Building elements of relatively thin form for the construction of parts of buildings, e.g. sheet materials, slabs, or panels characterised by specified materials composed of materials covered by two or more of groups E04C2/04, E04C2/08, E04C2/10 or of materials covered by one of these groups with a material not specified in one of the groups at least one of the materials being insulating
    • E04C2/292—Building elements of relatively thin form for the construction of parts of buildings, e.g. sheet materials, slabs, or panels characterised by specified materials composed of materials covered by two or more of groups E04C2/04, E04C2/08, E04C2/10 or of materials covered by one of these groups with a material not specified in one of the groups at least one of the materials being insulating composed of insulating material and sheet metal
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F24—HEATING; RANGES; VENTILATING
    • F24S—SOLAR HEAT COLLECTORS; SOLAR HEAT SYSTEMS
    • F24S20/00—Solar heat collectors specially adapted for particular uses or environments
    • F24S20/60—Solar heat collectors integrated in fixed constructions, e.g. in buildings
    • F24S20/66—Solar heat collectors integrated in fixed constructions, e.g. in buildings in the form of facade constructions, e.g. wall constructions
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F24—HEATING; RANGES; VENTILATING
    • F24S—SOLAR HEAT COLLECTORS; SOLAR HEAT SYSTEMS
    • F24S60/00—Arrangements for storing heat collected by solar heat collectors
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F24—HEATING; RANGES; VENTILATING
    • F24S—SOLAR HEAT COLLECTORS; SOLAR HEAT SYSTEMS
    • F24S60/00—Arrangements for storing heat collected by solar heat collectors
    • F24S60/10—Arrangements for storing heat collected by solar heat collectors using latent heat
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H10—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES; ELECTRIC SOLID-STATE DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • H10N—ELECTRIC SOLID-STATE DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • H10N10/00—Thermoelectric devices comprising a junction of dissimilar materials, i.e. devices exhibiting Seebeck or Peltier effects
    • H10N10/10—Thermoelectric devices comprising a junction of dissimilar materials, i.e. devices exhibiting Seebeck or Peltier effects operating with only the Peltier or Seebeck effects
    • H10N10/13—Thermoelectric devices comprising a junction of dissimilar materials, i.e. devices exhibiting Seebeck or Peltier effects operating with only the Peltier or Seebeck effects characterised by the heat-exchanging means at the junction
    • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
    • Y02B—CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO BUILDINGS, e.g. HOUSING, HOUSE APPLIANCES OR RELATED END-USER APPLICATIONS
    • Y02B10/00—Integration of renewable energy sources in buildings
    • Y02B10/20—Solar thermal
    • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
    • Y02E—REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION
    • Y02E10/00—Energy generation through renewable energy sources
    • Y02E10/40—Solar thermal energy, e.g. solar towers

Definitions

  • the invention relates to a composite building panel with an outer skin, and inner skin and an insulating body between the outer and inner skin, wherein the composite building panel is provided with thermoelectric generator means.
  • thermoelectric generator means and building structures
  • TEG thermoelectric generator
  • DEI 02008009979 it is known to provide a solar radiation collector system having a structure with a closed fluid system wherein the fluid is heated by solar radiation.
  • the structure is mounted on a roof such that a vent is formed between the structure and the roof.
  • TEG's are provided with the hot side thereof in contact with the heated fluid and the cold side thereof in contact with ambient air flowing through the vent.
  • JP2004204546 discloses a system wherein building elements are positioned at a distance from a main building structure such that a vent is formed between the building structure and the further building elements. TEG's are placed with the hot side thereof against the building elements and the cold side in the vent between the building structure and the further building elements.
  • thermal energy storage means serve alternately as heat sink or as heat source for the TEG means.
  • thermal energy storage means that comprises phase change materials (PCM). It is still another objective of the invention to provide a vacuum body as insulating body in the composite building panel.
  • PCM phase change materials
  • thermoelectric generating (TEG) means having a first side and a second side are provided between the outer skin and inner skin of the building panel, with the first side of the TEG means connected to the outer skin of the building panel and the second side connected to thermal energy storage means.
  • TEG thermoelectric generating
  • TEG means which can be TEG modules, thick film TEG's or thin film TEG's, it is already possible to generate electricity at temperature differences of only several degrees Centigrade.
  • thermo energy storage means will be separate thermal energy storage means for every single building panel, since in most embodiments it will not be easy to provide a connection between the thermal energy storage means of successive building panels that can easily be combined with the connecting means between the successive building panels and the way that these should be coupled to each other and mounted on a building structure.
  • the second side of the TEG means is connected to the inner skin of the building panel.
  • connection of the second side of the TEG means to the inner skin of the building panel is realized by providing thermal conductors, for instance heat pipes, that with one outer end are connected to the second side of the TEG means and with the other outer end to the inside of the inner skin of the building panel.
  • thermal conductors for instance heat pipes
  • the outside temperature or more in particular the temperature of the outer skin of the building panel should be higher than the inside temperature of the building.
  • the temperature of the outer skin of a building panel will easily get higher in direct sunlight than the temperature of the inner skin.
  • further means to increase the temperature of the outer skin for instance by providing a solar wall against the side of the building. With such a solar wall the air in the vent between the solar wall and the outer skin of the building panel is heated to a temperature well above ambient temperature, as a result of which also the temperature of the outer skin will rise considerably above the ambient temperature.
  • the inner skin of the building panel connected to the second side of the TEG means will act as a heat sink, all heat transferred from the second side of the TEG means to the inner skin of the building panel will be further transferred to the air inside the building.
  • the inner skins of successive building panels will be thermally connected to each other, including those of building panels not provided with TEG means, therewith extending the surface area of the heat sink and improving heat dissipation.
  • thermal energy storage means are provided between the TEG means and the inner skin of the building panel.
  • thermal energy storage means are provided which are thermally isolated from the inner skin by insulating material between the thermal energy storage means and the inner skin of the building panel.
  • the thermal energy storage means may be positioned directly against the TEG means or at a distance of the TEG means and as a result also be separated by insulating material from the TEG means.
  • the thermal energy storage means function as a heat sink for the second side of the TEG means when the temperature of the first side of the TEG means is at a certain level above the temperature of the second side of the TEG means. This will be the case when the outside temperature is high enough to sufficiently heat the outer skin of the building panel and therewith the first side of the TEG means, which may be the case during part of the daytime hours. In this situation the first and second side of the TEG means serve as the hot and cold side respectively.
  • the working of the TEG means is reversed, the first and second side of the TEG means now serving as the cold and hot side respectively.
  • the heat stored in the thermal energy storage means is now used to generate electricity.
  • the time that electricity is generated may be extended well over the time period that electricity could have been generated without these thermal energy storage means.
  • the electrical poles of the TEG means will also reverse. To keep the poles of the TEG means connected to the right poles of an electricity consuming device or storage means an electrical circuit is provided to timely switch the connections.
  • a very cost effective embodiment is provided wherein a metal body is provided between the TEG means and the inner skin of the building panel as thermal energy storage means.
  • an embodiment is provided with a body containing a phase change material (PCM) positioned between the TEG means and the inner skin as thermal energy storage means.
  • PCM phase change material
  • an embodiment is provided with a conduit for a fluid medium between the TEG means and the inner skin as thermal energy storage means.
  • the thermal energy storage means may be placed directly against the second side of the TEG means. With this arrangement the heat transfer between the TEG means and the thermal energy storage means is direct without the need of further heat transfer means between the TEG means and the thermal energy storage means.
  • the thermal energy storage means are connected to the second side of the TEG means by heat conducting means.
  • the thermal energy storage means as far as these are located in the building panel, can be embedded in the insulating body.
  • an insulating body of for instance glass wool, mineral wool, insulating foam and the like the thermal energy storage means can easily be embedded in the insulating material as well as the heat conducting means connecting the thermal energy storage means with the TEG means.
  • the obvious advantage of embedding the thermal energy storage means in an insulating material is that heat losses can be limited to great extent.
  • the heat conducting means used to connect the TEG means to the thermal energy storage means comprise one or more heat pipes.
  • a heat-conducting spreader plate may be used.
  • Such a spreader plate can also be used between the thermal energy storage means and the second side of the TEG means in a connection wherein no heat pipes are used.
  • the first side of the TEG means is preferably placed directly against the inner side of the outer skin of the building panel. It is further of great importance that the thermal conductivity of the outer skin is as high as possible within the normal requirements of such an outer skin of a building panel such as corrosion resistance. For that reason the outer skin of the building panel is preferably made out of metal sheet.
  • the insulating body of the building panel may also comprise a vacuum panel which has the advantage of a very low thermal conductivity which may result in a reduced thickness of the building panel or extra space for thermal energy storage means.
  • fig.1 shows schematically a cross section of a building panel wherein the inner skin of the building panel is connected to the second side of the TEG means;
  • fig.2 shows schematically a cross section of a building panel provided with thermal energy storage means within a body of thermal insulation material
  • fig.3 shows schematically a cross section of a building panel wherein the thermal energy storage means are placed directly against the TEG means;
  • fig.4 shows schematically a cross section of a building panel provided with a vacuum insulation panel
  • fig.5 shows schematically a cross section of a building panel provided with TEG means against both the inner and outer skin of the building panel and thermal energy storage means within a body of thermal insulation material.
  • a cross section of a building panel is shown with an outer skin 1 and inner skin 6 with between outer and inner skin 1, 6 an insulating body 4.
  • the insulating body 4 may be of glass wool, mineral wool, insulating foam or the like.
  • TEG means 2 are placed with a first side thereof directly against the inside face of outer skin 1.
  • a spreader plate 3 is placed against the opposite second side of the TEG means 2 and heat pipes 5 connect the second side of the TEG means 2 through spreader plate 3 to the inner skin 6 of the building panel.
  • the insulation material 4 extends beyond the upper and lower ends of spreader plate 3 and TEG means 2 as shown in the drawing to prevent any heat loss.
  • the building panels will be provided at top and bottom and at the sides with the necessary connecting means to connect to an adjoining building panel or to a supporting construction.
  • a solar wall could be provided which serves to heat the air flowing between such a solar wall and the face of the building against which such solar wall is mounted above ambient temperature.
  • Fig. 2 shows an embodiment wherein thermal energy storage means 7 are provided within the insulating body 4.
  • a spreader plate 3 is placed against the second side of the TEG means 2 and is connected to the thermal energy storage means 7 by means of heat pipes 5.
  • the thermal energy storage means 7 could be a metal body for instance a metal plate, a body with a fluid or a body with a phase change material.
  • the heat pipes 5 transfer heat from the second side of the TEG means 2 to the thermal energy storage means 7 when the temperature of the second side of the TEG means 2 is lower than the first side of the TEG means 2.
  • the heat pipes 5 will transfer heat from the thermal energy storage means 7 to the second side of the TEG means 2 and the TEG means 2 will operate in reverse.
  • the heat conducting means used, the heat pipes 5, are bi-directional to be able to transfer heat in one or the other direction.
  • the thermal energy storage means 7 and heat pipes 5 can easily be kept in position with respect to the other parts of the composite building panel.
  • the TEG means 2 and spreader plate 3 can be fixed to each other and the TEG means 2 to the inside of the outer skin 1 by heat conducting fixing means, for instance heat conducting glue.
  • Fig. 3 shows an embodiment of the composite building panel wherein the thermal energy storage means 2 are directly fixed to the second side of the TEG means 2.
  • the thermal energy storage means 2 are not for a larger part embedded in insulating material as in the embodiment according to fig. 2.
  • thermal energy storage means in the form of a fluid body or a body with phase change material are preferred over a metal plate as thermal energy storage means because of the larger storage capacity of these storage means.
  • the insulating body 4 consist of a vacuum panel.
  • a vacuum panel has the advantage of a considerable lower thermal conductivity as compared with insulating foam or like materials.
  • a further advantage being that for a given thermal resistance the thickness of the vacuum panel will considerable less than the thickness of for instance insulating foam.
  • a composite panel is obtained wherein all components are in direct contact with the adjacent components including inner and outer skins 1, 6 of the building panel.
  • Such a building panel can be manufactured relatively easily in comparison when insulating foam is used because there is no need to carefully position the components before injecting any foam material.
  • the outer ends of the building panel still have to be provided with other insulating materials than vacuum panels to prevent thermal bridges and to allow for connecting means at the outer ends.
  • thermal energy storage means 7 are provided within the insulating body 4 and first TEG means 2 are provided with the first side thereof against the inside face of the outer skin 1.
  • a thermally conductive heat spreader plate 3 is connected to the second side of the TEG means 2 and the spreader plate 3 is connected to the thermal energy storage means 7 by means of heat pipes 5.
  • TEG means 9 are provided, which could be directly or by way of a thermally conductive spreader plate.
  • the side of the TEG means 9 facing away from the inner skin is connected to the thermal energy storage means 7 by means of thermal diodes or heat pipes 5.
  • TEG means 9 is used to cool the inner skin 6 by applying a voltage over the TEG means 9 therewith cooling the inner skin 6, which will generate heat at the side of the TEG means 9 facing away from the inner skin.
  • the heat thus generated is transferred by means of the heat pipes 5 to the thermal energy storage means 7.
  • this embodiment operates as the embodiment according to figure 2, that is that the heat stored in the thermal energy storage means 7 is used to generate electricity in the TEG means 2 when the temperature of the outer skin gets sufficiently lower than the temperature at the opposite side of the TEG means 2.
  • the outer skin 1 will then act as a radiator, which in most cases will be at night.

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
  • Sustainable Development (AREA)
  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Thermal Sciences (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Combustion & Propulsion (AREA)
  • Sustainable Energy (AREA)
  • General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Architecture (AREA)
  • Civil Engineering (AREA)
  • Structural Engineering (AREA)
  • Building Environments (AREA)

Abstract

The invention relates to a building panel with an outer skin, and inner skin and an insulating body between the outer and inner skin, wherein thermoelectric generating (TEG) means, having a first side and a second side, are provided between the outer skin and inner skin of the building panel, with the first side of the TEG means connected to the outer skin of the building panel and the second side connected to thermal energy storage means. The thermal energy storage means may comprise for instance a metal body, a fluid body or a body with phase change material.

Description

COMPOSITE BUILDING PANEL WITH THERMOELECTRIC GENERATOR MEANS
The invention relates to a composite building panel with an outer skin, and inner skin and an insulating body between the outer and inner skin, wherein the composite building panel is provided with thermoelectric generator means.
The combination of thermoelectric generator (TEG) means and building structures is known in the art. For instance from DEI 02008009979 it is known to provide a solar radiation collector system having a structure with a closed fluid system wherein the fluid is heated by solar radiation. The structure is mounted on a roof such that a vent is formed between the structure and the roof. TEG's are provided with the hot side thereof in contact with the heated fluid and the cold side thereof in contact with ambient air flowing through the vent.
JP2004204546 discloses a system wherein building elements are positioned at a distance from a main building structure such that a vent is formed between the building structure and the further building elements. TEG's are placed with the hot side thereof against the building elements and the cold side in the vent between the building structure and the further building elements.
With these known systems separate solar collectors have to be mounted on a roof or against a building, which apart from bringing extra costs also need special constructional arrangements which take up considerable extra space.
It is an objective of the invention to provide a building panel that is to be used as a panel for a building separating the interior of the building from the outside wherein one or more TEG means are integrated in the building panel.
It is another objective of the invention to provide thermal energy storage means that are part of the building panel or are integrated in the building panel.
It is another objective of the invention to provide means to connect the TEG means with the thermal energy storage means.
It is another objective of the invention to provide a building panel wherein the thermal energy storage means serve alternately as heat sink or as heat source for the TEG means.
It is another objective of the invention to provide thermal energy storage means that comprises phase change materials (PCM). It is still another objective of the invention to provide a vacuum body as insulating body in the composite building panel.
It is another objective of the invention to provide electrical connection means to connect the TEG means with electrical storage means or a power consuming device outside the composite building panel.
According to a first aspect of the invention one or more of these objectives are realized by providing a building panel with an outer skin, and inner skin and an insulating body between the outer and inner skin, wherein thermoelectric generating (TEG) means having a first side and a second side are provided between the outer skin and inner skin of the building panel, with the first side of the TEG means connected to the outer skin of the building panel and the second side connected to thermal energy storage means.
With insulating building panels there can be large temperature differences across the panel wherein the temperature of the outer skin can be either relatively much higher or lower than the temperature inside the building and/or inside the building panel. These temperature differences can be large enough over a period of time during the day to generate a useful amount of electrical power. With the nowadays available TEG means, which can be TEG modules, thick film TEG's or thin film TEG's, it is already possible to generate electricity at temperature differences of only several degrees Centigrade.
In general composite building panels are provided on one or more sides with special shaped connecting means to be able to provide waterproof and wind tight connections with successive building panels or parts of a frame construction. These connecting means are also designed to prevent any thermal bridge between the outer skin and inner skin. For that reason in most embodiments according to the invention the thermal energy storage means will be separate thermal energy storage means for every single building panel, since in most embodiments it will not be easy to provide a connection between the thermal energy storage means of successive building panels that can easily be combined with the connecting means between the successive building panels and the way that these should be coupled to each other and mounted on a building structure. According to a further aspect of the invention it is provided that the second side of the TEG means is connected to the inner skin of the building panel. The connection of the second side of the TEG means to the inner skin of the building panel is realized by providing thermal conductors, for instance heat pipes, that with one outer end are connected to the second side of the TEG means and with the other outer end to the inside of the inner skin of the building panel. For this embodiment to work properly the outside temperature or more in particular the temperature of the outer skin of the building panel should be higher than the inside temperature of the building. Already in a moderate climate the temperature of the outer skin of a building panel will easily get higher in direct sunlight than the temperature of the inner skin. It would of course also be possible to apply further means to increase the temperature of the outer skin, for instance by providing a solar wall against the side of the building. With such a solar wall the air in the vent between the solar wall and the outer skin of the building panel is heated to a temperature well above ambient temperature, as a result of which also the temperature of the outer skin will rise considerably above the ambient temperature.
With the inner skin of the building panel connected to the second side of the TEG means, the inner skin will act as a heat sink, all heat transferred from the second side of the TEG means to the inner skin of the building panel will be further transferred to the air inside the building. In most cases the inner skins of successive building panels will be thermally connected to each other, including those of building panels not provided with TEG means, therewith extending the surface area of the heat sink and improving heat dissipation.
According to a further embodiment thermal energy storage means are provided between the TEG means and the inner skin of the building panel. With this embodiment thermal energy storage means are provided which are thermally isolated from the inner skin by insulating material between the thermal energy storage means and the inner skin of the building panel. The thermal energy storage means may be positioned directly against the TEG means or at a distance of the TEG means and as a result also be separated by insulating material from the TEG means. The advantage over the previous embodiment is that the inner skin of the building panel is no longer part of the circuit and therewith the temperature of the inner skin and the temperature inside the building can not be influenced by heat taken up or dissipated by the TEG circuit. The thermal energy storage means function as a heat sink for the second side of the TEG means when the temperature of the first side of the TEG means is at a certain level above the temperature of the second side of the TEG means. This will be the case when the outside temperature is high enough to sufficiently heat the outer skin of the building panel and therewith the first side of the TEG means, which may be the case during part of the daytime hours. In this situation the first and second side of the TEG means serve as the hot and cold side respectively.
When the outside temperature drops such that the temperature of the first side of the TEG means drops to a certain level below the temperature of the second side of the TEG means, the working of the TEG means is reversed, the first and second side of the TEG means now serving as the cold and hot side respectively. The heat stored in the thermal energy storage means is now used to generate electricity.
Dependent on the capacity of the thermal energy storage means the time that electricity is generated may be extended well over the time period that electricity could have been generated without these thermal energy storage means.
Because of the use of thermal energy storage means and the reverse working of the TEG means resulting from that, the electrical poles of the TEG means will also reverse. To keep the poles of the TEG means connected to the right poles of an electricity consuming device or storage means an electrical circuit is provided to timely switch the connections.
According to a further aspect of the invention a very cost effective embodiment is provided wherein a metal body is provided between the TEG means and the inner skin of the building panel as thermal energy storage means.
According to a further aspect of the invention an embodiment is provided with a body containing a phase change material (PCM) positioned between the TEG means and the inner skin as thermal energy storage means.
According to another aspect of the invention an embodiment is provided with a conduit for a fluid medium between the TEG means and the inner skin as thermal energy storage means.
With the above embodiments with different thermal energy storage means the thermal energy storage means may be placed directly against the second side of the TEG means. With this arrangement the heat transfer between the TEG means and the thermal energy storage means is direct without the need of further heat transfer means between the TEG means and the thermal energy storage means.
According to a further aspect of the invention the thermal energy storage means are connected to the second side of the TEG means by heat conducting means. With this embodiment the thermal energy storage means, as far as these are located in the building panel, can be embedded in the insulating body. With an insulating body of for instance glass wool, mineral wool, insulating foam and the like the thermal energy storage means can easily be embedded in the insulating material as well as the heat conducting means connecting the thermal energy storage means with the TEG means. The obvious advantage of embedding the thermal energy storage means in an insulating material is that heat losses can be limited to great extent.
According to a further aspect of the invention the heat conducting means used to connect the TEG means to the thermal energy storage means comprise one or more heat pipes. In order to enhance the heat transfer between the heat conducting means and the second side of the TEG means a heat-conducting spreader plate may be used.
Such a spreader plate can also be used between the thermal energy storage means and the second side of the TEG means in a connection wherein no heat pipes are used.
Since it is of great importance to have the maximal possible heat transfer from the outer skin of the building panel to the first side of the TEG means, the first side of the TEG means is preferably placed directly against the inner side of the outer skin of the building panel. It is further of great importance that the thermal conductivity of the outer skin is as high as possible within the normal requirements of such an outer skin of a building panel such as corrosion resistance. For that reason the outer skin of the building panel is preferably made out of metal sheet.
The insulating body of the building panel may also comprise a vacuum panel which has the advantage of a very low thermal conductivity which may result in a reduced thickness of the building panel or extra space for thermal energy storage means. The invention will further be elucidated on hand of the examples given in the drawings, wherein: fig.1 shows schematically a cross section of a building panel wherein the inner skin of the building panel is connected to the second side of the TEG means;
fig.2 shows schematically a cross section of a building panel provided with thermal energy storage means within a body of thermal insulation material;
fig.3 shows schematically a cross section of a building panel wherein the thermal energy storage means are placed directly against the TEG means;
fig.4 shows schematically a cross section of a building panel provided with a vacuum insulation panel, and
fig.5 shows schematically a cross section of a building panel provided with TEG means against both the inner and outer skin of the building panel and thermal energy storage means within a body of thermal insulation material.
In fig.1 a cross section of a building panel is shown with an outer skin 1 and inner skin 6 with between outer and inner skin 1, 6 an insulating body 4. The insulating body 4 may be of glass wool, mineral wool, insulating foam or the like. TEG means 2 are placed with a first side thereof directly against the inside face of outer skin 1. A spreader plate 3 is placed against the opposite second side of the TEG means 2 and heat pipes 5 connect the second side of the TEG means 2 through spreader plate 3 to the inner skin 6 of the building panel.
The insulation material 4 extends beyond the upper and lower ends of spreader plate 3 and TEG means 2 as shown in the drawing to prevent any heat loss. As will be understood the building panels will be provided at top and bottom and at the sides with the necessary connecting means to connect to an adjoining building panel or to a supporting construction.
With the embodiment of fig.1 solar radiation on outer skin 1 will heat the first side of the TEG means while the inner skin 6 functions as a heat sink for the second side of the TEG means. The heat transferred to the inner skin of the building panel may contribute to the heating of the interior of the building.
To increase the heating of outer skin 1 a solar wall could be provided which serves to heat the air flowing between such a solar wall and the face of the building against which such solar wall is mounted above ambient temperature. Fig. 2 shows an embodiment wherein thermal energy storage means 7 are provided within the insulating body 4. A spreader plate 3 is placed against the second side of the TEG means 2 and is connected to the thermal energy storage means 7 by means of heat pipes 5. The thermal energy storage means 7 could be a metal body for instance a metal plate, a body with a fluid or a body with a phase change material.
The heat pipes 5 transfer heat from the second side of the TEG means 2 to the thermal energy storage means 7 when the temperature of the second side of the TEG means 2 is lower than the first side of the TEG means 2. When the temperature of the first side gets at a certain level below the temperature of the second side of the TEG means 2 the heat pipes 5 will transfer heat from the thermal energy storage means 7 to the second side of the TEG means 2 and the TEG means 2 will operate in reverse. The heat conducting means used, the heat pipes 5, are bi-directional to be able to transfer heat in one or the other direction.
If foam material is used for insulating body 4 the thermal energy storage means 7 and heat pipes 5 can easily be kept in position with respect to the other parts of the composite building panel. The TEG means 2 and spreader plate 3 can be fixed to each other and the TEG means 2 to the inside of the outer skin 1 by heat conducting fixing means, for instance heat conducting glue.
Fig. 3 shows an embodiment of the composite building panel wherein the thermal energy storage means 2 are directly fixed to the second side of the TEG means 2. In this embodiment the thermal energy storage means 2 are not for a larger part embedded in insulating material as in the embodiment according to fig. 2. For this reason thermal energy storage means in the form of a fluid body or a body with phase change material are preferred over a metal plate as thermal energy storage means because of the larger storage capacity of these storage means.
In the embodiment shown in fig. 4 the insulating body 4 consist of a vacuum panel. Such a vacuum panel has the advantage of a considerable lower thermal conductivity as compared with insulating foam or like materials. A further advantage being that for a given thermal resistance the thickness of the vacuum panel will considerable less than the thickness of for instance insulating foam.
With the spreader plate 3 directly against the TEG means 2 and the thermal energy storage means 2 directly against spreader plate 3 a composite panel is obtained wherein all components are in direct contact with the adjacent components including inner and outer skins 1, 6 of the building panel. Such a building panel can be manufactured relatively easily in comparison when insulating foam is used because there is no need to carefully position the components before injecting any foam material.
The outer ends of the building panel still have to be provided with other insulating materials than vacuum panels to prevent thermal bridges and to allow for connecting means at the outer ends.
In the embodiment shown schematically in fig. 5 the thermal energy storage means 7 are provided within the insulating body 4 and first TEG means 2 are provided with the first side thereof against the inside face of the outer skin 1. A thermally conductive heat spreader plate 3 is connected to the second side of the TEG means 2 and the spreader plate 3 is connected to the thermal energy storage means 7 by means of heat pipes 5.
Against the inside face of the inner skin 6 further TEG means 9 are provided, which could be directly or by way of a thermally conductive spreader plate. The side of the TEG means 9 facing away from the inner skin is connected to the thermal energy storage means 7 by means of thermal diodes or heat pipes 5.
With this embodiment TEG means 9 is used to cool the inner skin 6 by applying a voltage over the TEG means 9 therewith cooling the inner skin 6, which will generate heat at the side of the TEG means 9 facing away from the inner skin. The heat thus generated is transferred by means of the heat pipes 5 to the thermal energy storage means 7. Further this embodiment operates as the embodiment according to figure 2, that is that the heat stored in the thermal energy storage means 7 is used to generate electricity in the TEG means 2 when the temperature of the outer skin gets sufficiently lower than the temperature at the opposite side of the TEG means 2. The outer skin 1 will then act as a radiator, which in most cases will be at night.

Claims

Building panel with an outer skin, and inner skin and an insulating body between the outer and inner skin, wherein thermoelectric generating (TEG) means, having a first side and a second side, are provided between the outer skin and inner skin of the building panel, with the first side of the TEG means connected to the outer skin of the building panel and the second side connected to thermal energy storage means.
Building panel according to claim 1 , wherein the second side of the TEG means is connected to the inner skin of the building panel.
Building panel according to claim 1, wherein thermal energy storage means are provided between the TEG means and the inner skin of the building panel.
Building panel according to claim 3, wherein a metal body is provided between the TEG means and the inner skin of the building panel as thermal energy storage means.
Building panel according to claim 3, wherein a body containing a phase change material (PCM) is provided between the TEG means and the inner skin as thermal energy storage means.
Building panel according to claim 3, wherein a conduit for a fluid medium is provided between the TEG means and the inner skin as thermal energy storage means.
Building panel according to one or more of claims 3-6, wherein the thermal energy storage means are placed against the second side of the TEG means.
8. Building panel according to one or more of claims 3-6, wherein the thermal energy storage means are connected to the second side of the TEG means by heat conducting means. 9. Building panel according to claim 8, wherein the heat conducting means consists of one or more heat pipes.
10. Building panel according to claims 8 or 9, wherein the heat conducting means connect to the second side of the TEG means through a thermally conductive spreader plate.
11. Building panel according to one or more of claims 1-10, wherein the first side of the TEG means is placed against the inner side of the outer skin of the building panel.
12. Building panel according to one or more of claims 1-11, wherein the insulating body comprises an insulating foam.
13. Building panel according to one or more of claims 1-11, wherein the insulating body comprises a vacuum panel.
14. Building panel according to claim 13, wherein the vacuum panel is placed against the inside face of the inner skin of the building panel. 15. Building panel according to one or more of claims 1-14, wherein at least one of inner skin and outer skin of the building panel is made out of metal sheet.
EP11805776.9A 2011-01-18 2011-12-16 Composite building panel with thermoelectric generator means Withdrawn EP2665877A1 (en)

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EP11000352 2011-01-18
PCT/EP2011/006380 WO2012097844A1 (en) 2011-01-18 2011-12-16 Composite building panel with thermoelectric generator means
EP11805776.9A EP2665877A1 (en) 2011-01-18 2011-12-16 Composite building panel with thermoelectric generator means

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IT201600129094A1 (en) * 2016-12-21 2017-03-21 Delta Eng Services S R L ACCOMMODATION OF PHASE CHANGE MATERIALS-PC SUBSTANCES, IN THERMOPLASTIC MATERIAL MODULES FOR THERMO-INSULATING PANELS IN THE BUILDING INDUSTRY

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US4251291A (en) * 1979-02-01 1981-02-17 Gomez Ernesto E Thermoelectric generator with latent heat storage
US20030221717A1 (en) * 2002-05-30 2003-12-04 Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Composite thermal system
US20050051208A1 (en) * 2003-06-17 2005-03-10 Mount Robert L. System for transferring heat in a thermoelectric generator system
WO2009030236A2 (en) * 2007-09-03 2009-03-12 Inno Power Aps Layered structure for generating electrical energy
DE102008019717B4 (en) * 2008-04-18 2012-08-09 Va-Q-Tec Ag Composite insulation panel with vacuum insulation and latent heat storage
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