JP2012136053A - Power generation apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a power generation apparatus that can eliminate decrease of power generation due to regolith on the moon and mulfunction of a drive mechanism and can compensate battery power consumption required during a night.SOLUTION: The power generation apparatus includes: a plurality of power generation panels that are composed of an outer panel and an internal panel inserted between thermoelectric conversion elements and are arranged for each of the panels to intersect; a thermally conductive part that is thermally connected to the internal panel of the power generation panel; a heat exchanging part that is thermally connected to part of the thermally conductive part; and a power control device that is connected to the thermoelectric conversion elements.

Description

  The present invention relates to a power generation device used on the moon surface, for example.

  At present, the power generation system for space is mainly a system using a solar cell paddle.

  The solar cell paddle is a photoelectric conversion system that converts solar energy into electric power most efficiently by literally facing a solar cell panel mounted on the paddle in the solar direction. By mounting this solar cell paddle on a spacecraft such as an artificial satellite or a space station where it is difficult to replenish power during power supply, power can be supplied by power generation in orbit.

Currently, solar cells with high power generation efficiency of solar cells are 35.8%, and solar cell paddles using cells with good power generation efficiency can be installed even if the mounting rate (the area ratio where cells can actually be installed on the panel) is 80%. When the sunlight intensity is about 1300 W / m ² (far day point), it becomes about 373 W / m ² .

This is nearly twice the number of solar cell paddles used by satellites currently operating in orbit (about 200 W / m ^{2 in} orbit).

  Usually, in order to make the solar cell paddle face the sun in orbit, a drive mechanism is provided in the paddle, and the solar cell paddle is driven to face the sun. In addition, there is a configuration in which a solar cell panel is stretched around the satellite, such as a spin satellite, and electric power is generated no matter which direction the sunlight enters. When there is a paddle drive mechanism, the weight of the solar cell panel is appropriate, but a paddle drive mechanism is required in addition to the solar cell panel. In the case of a spin satellite, the solar cell panel requires an area several times larger than the originally required generated power and is heavier in weight.

  In order to construct a power generation system on the moon using such a technique, it was necessary to carry a considerable mass of material from the earth onto the moon and assemble it on the moon.

  In addition, it is conceivable to use nuclear batteries for exploration satellites that fly into the deep space for the power generation of artificial satellites. And radiation protection measures are required, and equivalent measures are also required for launch operations on the ground. In other words, from the viewpoint of launching facilities, rocket safety, safety measures for spacecraft crews, lunar work crews, etc., many problems arise in order to increase individual efficiency.

  On the other hand, a system for generating electricity by attaching a thermoelectric conversion element to a panel for an artificial satellite is known. As such an example, for example, Patent Documents 1 to 3 are disclosed. In Patent Documents 1 and 2, the main purpose is mainly to increase the efficiency by assembling the thermoelectric conversion element on the panel and is not intended as a power generation system.

  Patent Document 3 discloses a technique for regenerating electricity by attaching a thermoelectric conversion element on the heat dissipation surface of an artificial satellite and using a load component of the satellite on the high heat side. However, Patent Document 3 is supposed to radiate only the module area of the thermoelectric conversion element. If heat can be radiated in the same size area, the amount of heat of the satellite heat source on the high heat side inside the module is not large in the first place. It shows that. On the other hand, if the amount of heat inside the thermoelectric conversion module is large, the thermoelectric conversion element is a heat pump, and heat is transferred to the outer surface, and there is no temperature difference between the inside and outside. That is, the invention of Patent Document 3 alone is not effective effectively. Further, Patent Document 3 does not touch on the correlation between the temperature difference and the voltage, which is a characteristic of the thermoelectric conversion module, and has not left the idea.

  Further, Patent Documents 4 to 7 show configurations related to thermoelectric conversion elements, but none of them indicates that they are used for space.

  On the other hand, an ocean power generation system is known as a power generation system using thermoelectric conversion on the ground. In the deep sea about 1000m below sea level, there is seawater that is stable at a temperature of 10 ° C, and the water temperature on the ocean is always 25 ° C. Therefore, a system that uses this temperature difference to generate electricity has been studied. However, those using thermoelectric elements are considered impractical because of power generation efficiency. The reason for this is that ground thermoelectric conversion uses fluids such as deep ocean water and hot springs as heat sources, and generates electricity using the temperature difference with fluids near the surface of the earth. The temperature difference is limited. Moreover, in order to obtain a high-temperature heat source such as geothermal heat, there are many restrictions such as a limited area where the system can be installed. Furthermore, if these temperature differences are used, it is said that it is much more efficient to use a turbine generator using ammonia.

  For this reason, the power generation by the thermoelectric conversion element is not used in the past because of the inefficiency and the economic efficiency of the equipment installation cost is not balanced.

  Further, Patent Document 8 and the like can be cited as a power generation system having a configuration that requires a cooling system as in the case of ocean temperature difference power generation. However, since the temperature difference is similarly limited, there is a drawback in that power generation efficiency is poor.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 7-283443 Ultra-high efficiency energy conversion device using inclined structure element Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2006-108480 Self-generating panel Patent No. 2973996 Spacecraft power recovery structure JP-A 63-128681 Thermoelectric converter JP-A-2003-258323 Thermoelectric Element JP-A-2004-281666 Thermoelectric Conversion Device JP-A-4-30586 Thermoelectric device Patent application title: POWER GENERATION DEVICE AND INFORMATION PROCESSING DEVICE

  On the lunar surface, about 14.8 days of day and night occur corresponding to the moon rotation period. Since there is no air in the sunshine, the sun rises up to 110 ° C (383K) due to solar radiation. In addition, since heat is radiated into outer space at night, the temperature drops to a minimum of -170 ° C (103K).

  For this reason, when trying to work on the moon, various devices that work on the moon at night or cannot be moved on the moon need to be kept warm for defects caused by low temperatures. Power consumption by the heater becomes inevitable.

  In such a lunar surface, when a power generation system is assembled using solar cell paddles, there are the following situations and problems associated therewith.

  The lunar sunlight intensity is almost the same as in orbit because there is almost no air. However, the lunar surface has an environment different from that on orbit, and a layer called a regolith covers the surface. Regolith is called so-called lunar sand, it is a very fine particle, and it penetrates into the joint of space suits during manned exploration and is a substance that can be an obstacle to the driving system.

  When using solar cell paddles on the moon surface, lunar workers (if manned) and lunar work vehicles (including manned and unmanned) may roll up regolith when assembling solar cell paddles and around is there. Since regolith is very fine particles, it attaches to the surface of the solar cell paddle and can cause a decrease in generated power or a drive unit that moves the solar cell paddle, which can cause a decrease in generated power due to a malfunction of the drive unit. In order to solve these problems, a fixed solar cell paddle having no drive unit is also considered, but this leads to an increase in the size or quantity of solar cell panels constituting the solar cell paddle.

  Further, since the solar cell paddle cannot generate power at night when the most power is required, it is necessary to store the power for use at night during sunshine in the battery and supply the power at night. Therefore, the solar cell paddle needs an area for generating electric power necessary for storing the amount of electric power consumed at night in addition to an area necessary for covering the amount of electric power used during sunshine. This causes a problem that the mass to be transported becomes large in consideration of the assumption that space equipment transports materials from the ground.

  The present invention has been made to solve such a problem, and an object of the present invention is to suppress a decrease in generated power on the moon and to supplement required battery power consumption at night.

A power generation device according to the present invention includes an outer panel and an inner panel sandwiching a thermoelectric conversion element therebetween, a plurality of power generation panels arranged to cross each other, and heat thermally connected to the inner panel of the power generation panel. A conduction part, a heat exchange part thermally connected to a part of the heat conduction part, and a power control device connected to the thermoelectric conversion element are provided.
The thermoelectric conversion element generates power according to the temperature difference between the outer panel and the inner panel.
Moreover, the said heat exchange part is embed | buried under the surface of the moon surface and utilized.
The power control device has a switch for switching the polarity of the electrode of the thermoelectric conversion element.

  According to the present invention, the power generation device configured to generate electric power by converting the temperature difference between the sunshine part and the shade part on the moon surface into electric energy, and by disposing the heat radiation part to the moon surface on the cooling side, In addition, large electric power can be generated in the same area as the solar cell. It is also possible to generate electricity during the shade when the solar cell paddle could not generate electricity.

It is sectional drawing which shows the structure of Embodiment 1 which concerns on this invention. It is a bird's-eye view which shows the structure of Embodiment 1 which concerns on this invention. It is a fragmentary sectional view which shows the structure of Embodiment 1 which concerns on this invention. It is a figure which shows the circuit structure of Embodiment 1 which concerns on this invention. It is a temperature transition figure of the electric power generation panel in Embodiment 1 which concerns on this invention. It is the generated electric power transition diagram of the electric power generation panel in Embodiment 1 which concerns on this invention. It is a generated voltage transition diagram of the power generation panel according to the first embodiment of the present invention. It is sectional drawing which shows the structure of Embodiment 2 which concerns on this invention. It is a bird's-eye view which shows the structure of Embodiment 2 which concerns on this invention. It is a temperature transition diagram of Embodiment 2 concerning the present invention. It is the generated electric power transition diagram of Embodiment 2 which concerns on this invention. It is the generated voltage transition diagram of Embodiment 2 which concerns on this invention. It is a figure which shows the total generated electric power transition of Embodiment 2 which concerns on this invention. It is sectional drawing which shows the structure of Embodiment 3 which concerns on this invention. It is a bird's-eye view which shows the structure of Embodiment 3 which concerns on this invention.

Embodiment 1 FIG.
1 to 4 show a configuration of a power generator according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of the power generator according to the first embodiment, and FIG. 2 is a bird's-eye view of the power generator according to the first embodiment. The power generator shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 constitutes the lunar power generator of the first embodiment, which is assumed to be installed on the lunar equator. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing a configuration of the power generation panel of the power generation apparatus according to the first embodiment, and FIG. 4 is a circuit configuration diagram of the first embodiment. 5 is a temperature transition diagram of the power generation panel according to the first embodiment, FIG. 6 is a power generation transition diagram of the power generation panel according to the first embodiment, and FIG. 7 is a generated voltage of the power generation panel according to the first embodiment. It is a transition diagram.

  In the figure, the power generation device of the first embodiment includes a plurality of power generation panels 8, an underground heat conduction unit 5, a heat exchange unit 6, a power control device 7, and a cable 10. In the example of FIGS. 1 and 2, eight power generation panels 8 (8a to 8h) are arranged so as to cross each other at a predetermined angle (for example, 22.5 degrees), and the power generation panels 8 (8a to 8h) are arranged. 8h) end parts are installed close to each other. The ends of adjacent power generation panels 8 (8a to 8h) are thermally insulated. The eight power generation panels 8 (8a to 8h) are arranged in a line-symmetric shape on the moon surface so as to face the sun sequentially as the sun moves. The end of the power generation panel 8 (8a, 8h) located at the extreme end is connected to the edge 9.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the power generation panel 8 sandwiches the outer panel 1 (1 a to 1 h), the thermoelectric conversion element 2 (2 a to 2 h) joined to the inner surface side, and the thermoelectric conversion element 2 with the outer panel 1. It is comprised from the inner surface panel 3 (3a-3h) joined in this way. The thermoelectric conversion element 2 constitutes a thermocouple that generates power according to the temperature difference between the outer panel 1 (1a to 1h) and the inner panel 3 (3a to 3h). The outer panel 1 and the inner panel 3 are made of a material having good thermal conductivity (for example, an alloy such as aluminum or copper), processed so that the surface can easily absorb heat, and painted black. In particular, the solar facing surface of the external panel 1 is made of a material with good heat absorption or a surface treatment. Moreover, the outer surface panel 1 (1a-1h) comprises a solar radiation heat absorption surface, and the high temperature side of the thermoelectric conversion element 2 (2a-2h) will be installed in the back surface of a solar radiation heat absorption surface. Moreover, the inner surface panel 3 (3a-3h) will be installed in the low temperature side of the thermoelectric conversion element 2. FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the ground heat conduction part 4 is joined to the inner surface panel 3 (3a-3h). The ground heat conduction part 4 is comprised from a strip | belt-shaped heat conductive board, and is arrange | positioned along the inner surface of each inner surface panel 3 (3a-3h). The end of the ground heat conduction part 4 is joined to the underground heat conduction part 5 via the edge 9. The underground heat conduction part 5 is comprised from the heat-conductive rod-shaped member. A heat exchanging unit 6 for exchanging heat with underground heat is provided at the lower part of the underground heat conducting unit 5. Thus, heat exchange is performed between the power generation panel 8 and the heat exchange unit 6 via the ground heat conduction unit 4 and the underground heat conduction unit 5. The heat exchanging part 6 is made of a triangular plate constituting a heat radiating fin, and is radially attached to the underground heat conducting part 5 so that the heat radiating fin protrudes perpendicularly to the axis of the underground heat conducting part 5. The heat exchanging section 6 constitutes a radiation plane that radiates heat conducted through the underground heat conduction section 5 and / or a heat radiation pile that radiates heat below the moon surface. The thermoelectric conversion element 2 is connected to a power control device 7 that controls and stores power generated by the cable 10. The power control device 7 is connected to an external load (not shown) via a cable (not shown).

Next, the basic operation of the power control device 7 will be described with reference to FIGS.
The cable 10 is connected to the thermoelectric conversion element 2 (2a to 2h), and an electrical connection is made between the power control device 7 and the thermoelectric conversion element 2 (2a to 2h). In FIG. 2, the connection between the thermoelectric conversion elements 2 a to 2 h and the cable 10 is not shown, but the corresponding cable 10 is connected to each of the thermoelectric conversion elements 2 a to 2 h and connected to the power control device 7. . One electrode of the thermoelectric conversion element 2 (2a to 2h) constitutes a positive electrode or a negative electrode, and the other electrode constitutes a polarity opposite to that of the one electrode.

  A voltmeter 7a is connected to the conducting wire 7j input from one electrode of the thermoelectric conversion element 2, and a switch switch 7b is connected to the voltmeter 7a. Moreover, the conducting wire 7j input from the thermoelectric conversion element 2 is connected to the switch 7c, and the current path is switched by switching the connection state of the switch. The switch 7c includes four terminals S1 to S4. In the first connection state, S1 and S2 are connected and S3 and S4 are connected. In the second connection state of the switch 7c, S2 and S3 are connected and S1 and S4 are connected. The conducting wire 7j is connected to the terminal S2 of the switch 7c. The conducting wire 7k input to the other electrode of the thermoelectric conversion element 2 is connected to the terminal S4 of the switch 7c.

  The switch switch 7b is connected so as to switch the switch 7c depending on whether the voltage detected by the voltmeter 7a is positive or negative. The terminal S3 of the switch 7c is connected to the wiring 7g, and the downstream side of the wiring 7g is connected to a load (not shown) that consumes power. A charge / discharge control unit 7e is connected between the load in the wiring 7g and the switch 7c, and the charge / discharge control unit 7e is connected to the battery 7d. The battery 7d accumulates surplus power when the power consumed by the load is smaller than the generated power. The charge / discharge control unit 7e controls charge / discharge of the battery 7d. A DC / DC converter 7f is provided on the downstream side of the switch 7c, and power is supplied to the downstream with a constant voltage. The DC / DC converter 7f is connected to the terminal S1 of the switch 7c.

Next, the operation of the power generator according to Embodiment 1 will be described.
The environmental condition of the moon is that there is almost no atmosphere, so heat input by solar radiation and heat radiation by the radiation of the shaded part are remarkable, so the sunshine part is at a maximum of 120 ° C (393K) and the shaded part at a minimum of -157 ° C (116K) Become. In other words, if it is a flat part on the equator, the minimum is -157 ° C (116K) right after sunrise, and the highest noon of the moon is 120 ° C (393K).

  Also, the regolith on the surface of the moon has poor heat conduction efficiency and is kept almost constant at -30 ° C (243K) in the ground about 1 m from the moon surface.

First, the case of sunshine when sunlight enters the power generation panel 8a will be described.
When sunlight enters the power generation panel 8a, the temperature of the outer panel 1 rises due to the solar radiation. The temperature rise is determined by the surface state of the outer panel 1 and the heat capacity of the material. For example, assuming that the material constituting the outer surface panel 1 of the embodiment is aluminum, the temperature rises to 135 ° C. (408 K).

  On the other hand, the inner panel 3 is placed at -170 ° C (103K) in terms of environmental conditions, but receives heat from the environmental temperature -30 ° C (243K) of the heat exchanger 6 installed 1m or less below the lunar surface. The temperature becomes −30 ° C. (243 K) with the passage of time through the conduction part 5 and the ground heat conduction part 4.

  Even when sunlight enters the outer panel 1 and the temperature rises the most and the temperature of the outer panel 1 rises to 135 ° C (408K), the initial temperature of the inner panel 3 is -30 ° C (243K). The temperature difference when the panel 1 reaches 135 ° C. (408K) is 165 ° C. (165K).

  Electric power is generated from the thermoelectric conversion element 2 due to this temperature difference. The generated power is sent to the power control device 7 through the cable 10, and the battery 7d is charged with a predetermined load or surplus power from the power control device 7.

  Here, the function of the thermoelectric conversion element 2 is a heat pump, and the amount of heat moves to the inner panel 3 via the thermoelectric conversion element 2 when used for a long time. When the temperature of the inner panel 3 increases, the temperature difference disappears and the electromotive force decreases. Therefore, in the power generation apparatus of the first embodiment, the amount of heat transferred from the outer panel 1 via the thermoelectric conversion element 2 is conducted to the heat exchange unit 6 via the ground heat conduction unit 4 and the underground heat conduction unit 5. Then, heat is dissipated from the heat exchanging section 6 to below the moon surface at -30 ° C (243K). As a result, the inner surface panel 3 can maintain a stable temperature environment.

Conversely, when the sun does not enter the outer panel 1, an opposite event occurs. Here, the case of the shade where sunlight does not enter the power generation panel 8a will be described.
As described above, the inner panel 3 maintains a stable temperature environment of −30 ° C. (243 K) from the temperature environment below the lunar surface. On the other hand, the external panel 1 exposed to the outside has a lunar surface of −170 ° C. (103K) and an environment of −270.25 ° C. (2.75K) in outer space. Therefore, the outer surface panel 1a is reduced to a maximum of -182 ° C (91K) due to the thermal characteristics of the surface and the material. That is, the temperature difference between the inner panel 3 and the outer panel 1 is 152 ° C. (152 K) although the polarity is reversed.

  The polarity of the temperature difference is reversed when the sunlight is (temperature of the outer panel 1)> (temperature of the inner panel 3) and when it is in the shade (temperature of the outer panel 1) <(temperature of the inner panel 3). For this reason, the polarity of the voltage generated by the power generation element 2 is also reversed between sunshine and shade. Therefore, the power control device 7 detects the polarity of the voltage of the power generated by the thermoelectric conversion element 2 by the voltmeter 7a, controls the switch switch 7b, and is connected downstream of the power control device 7 by the switch 7c. Electric power is supplied to a load (not shown) so that the polarity (HOT, RETURN) does not change. A charge / discharge control unit 7e that branches from the output to the load and controls the charge / discharge of the battery 7d is provided downstream of the switch 7c on the HOT side. As a result, control is performed such that charging is performed when the power consumed by the load is lower than the power that can be supplied by the power generation panel 8a, and discharging is performed when the power is higher.

The power generation device provided on the surface of the moon exhibits the following power generation capacity when power is generated using a commercially available thermoelectric conversion module that has good thermoelectric conversion efficiency. The thermoelectric conversion module is 50mm x 50mm x 4.2mm and has a power generation capacity of 24W with a temperature difference of 250 ° C. When this is converted into the amount of power generated per square meter, it is 7680 W / m ² when the module mounting rate is 80%.

Since the thermoelectric conversion efficiency is proportional to the square of the temperature difference, the temperature difference is 3348 W / m ² when the temperature difference is 165 ° C. during sunlight.

This reverse decrease occurs during the shade. The inner panel is -30 ° C, the outer panel is -182 ° C (91K), the temperature difference is 152 ° C (152K), and the polarity of the voltage is opposite, but it also generates 2848W / m ² of power.

  Although the above description describes the generated power at the peak time, since the solar panel is sequentially irradiated with sunlight by the rotation of the moon, the sunlight incident intensity varies depending on the incident angle, and the temperature change of the outer panel 1 It becomes. Therefore, the generated power of the power generation panels 8a to 8h also changes due to the temperature transition of the outer panel 1.

  Fig.5 (a) shows the temperature transition of the power generation panels 8a-8h and the moon surface, and FIG.5 (b) shows the temperature difference inside and outside the power generation panels 8a-8h. FIG. 6A shows the transition of the generated power of each of the power generation panels 8a to 8h, and FIG. 6B shows the transition of the generated power of the entire power generation apparatus in which the generated voltages of the respective power generation panels 8a to 8h are totaled. FIG. 7 shows the generated voltages of the power generation panels 8a to 8h. The numbers on the horizontal axis in the figure indicate the age from the new moon to the new moon, with 7.2 to 22.7 months being noon and the rest being night. Further, the voltages of the power generation panels 8a to 8h in FIG. 7 are displayed in a state where 10 modules are connected in series so that the numerical value approaches the voltage (0V to 60V) required for the actual load. .

  As shown in FIG. 5, the temperature of the power generation panels 8a to 8h becomes negative during the shade, and the temperature rapidly rises when transitioning during the sunshine. Further, in accordance with this temperature change, the polarity of the power generation panels 8a to 8h is reversed from the shade to the sunshine as shown in FIG. However, as shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B, any one of the power generation panels 8a to 8h generates power from the shade to the sunshine, and the generated power in the shade is more than the generated power in the sunshine. Is also higher. Further, immediately after the transition from the shade to the sunshine, or immediately before the transition from the sunshine to the shade, the generated power decreases and becomes minimal.

FIGS. 8A and 8B show the internal operation of the power control apparatus 7 when such a temperature transition is performed. Moreover, FIG. 9 shows the transition of the temperature of the external panel 1a of the power generation panel 8a, the temperature difference between the external panel 1a and the internal panel 3a, the generated power and voltage of the thermoelectric conversion element 2a.
As can be seen from the circuit diagram of FIG. 4, a circuit as shown in FIG. 8 is configured corresponding to each of the power generation panels 8a to 8h. However, in order to clarify the explanation, FIG. 8 shows the power generation panel 8a alone. The operation shall be illustrated.

  As can be seen from the graph of FIG. 9, there is a correlation between the temperature difference and the generated power and voltage. As described above, the generated power is proportional to the square of the temperature difference, and the voltage is derived from (temperature difference) × (Seebeck coefficient).

  In particular, since the voltage changes significantly due to the temperature difference, a DC / DC converter 7f is installed inside the power control device 7 as shown in FIGS. It is converted to a constant voltage.

  In addition, since there is a correlation between the temperature difference and the polarity of the voltage of the thermoelectric conversion element 2, the voltage is also reversed when the temperature difference between the external panel 1 and the internal panel 3 is reversed, as shown in FIGS. 8 (a) and 8 (b). Further, a switch switch 7b is provided so that a voltage is measured by a voltmeter 7a inside the power control device 7 and the switch 7c is switched according to the sign. In FIG. 8A, the switch 7c connects between the contact terminals S1 and S2 and between the contact terminals S3 and S4 (first connection state). On the other hand, in FIG. 8B, the switch 7c connects between the contact terminals S1 and S4 and between the contact terminals S3 and S2 (second connection state). In this way, the power control device 7 switches the connection between the electrode of the thermoelectric conversion element 2 and the switch 7c in accordance with the reversal of the voltage polarity measured by the voltmeter 7a, so as to match the reversal of the voltage polarity of the thermoelectric conversion element 2. The polarity of the connected load can be switched.

  By providing the power control device 7 in this way, the generated power can be stably supplied to the load.

As described above, the power generation apparatus according to Embodiment 1 includes the solar radiation heat absorption surface, the thermoelectric conversion element installed on the back side of the solar radiation heat absorption surface as the high temperature side, and the heat conduction installed on the low temperature side of the thermoelectric conversion element. Part and a radiation surface which radiates heat via a heat conduction part and / or a heat radiation pile which radiates heat under the moon surface.
This configuration constitutes a power generation device that generates electricity by converting the temperature difference between the sunshine and shade on the moon into electrical energy, and by disposing a heat dissipation part to the moon on the cooling side, Large electric power can be generated in the same area as the battery. It is also possible to generate electricity during the shade when the solar cell paddle could not generate electricity.
In addition, this makes it possible to provide a power generation device that realizes stable power generation and minimizes resources transported from the earth by utilizing the temperature difference between the day and night of the moon and a stable temperature in the ground. it can.

  The power generation panel 8 is not limited to eight as shown in FIG. 1, and is composed of a plurality of power generation panels arranged so as to cross each other so that any one of the power generation panels receives sunlight during sunshine. Just do it. Further, the plurality of power generation panels may be arranged so as to form a line-symmetric shape or a regular polyhedron. Moreover, you may arrange | position at 360 degree | times all around in a hemispherical dome shape so that the lunar surface may be covered hemispherically.

Embodiment 2. FIG.
10 to 12 show a power generator according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention. 10 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the power generation panel of the power generation apparatus according to the second embodiment, FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of the power generation apparatus according to the second embodiment, and FIG. 12 is a bird's-eye view of the power generation apparatus according to the second embodiment. It is. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a total generated power transition of the power generation panel according to the second embodiment. The power generator of Embodiment 2 also constitutes the lunar power generator of the second example that is assumed to be installed on the equator of the moon.

  As shown in FIG. 10, a thermoelectric conversion element 12 is joined to the inside of the outer panel 11, and an inner panel 13 is joined to the thermoelectric conversion element 12 to constitute a power generation panel. The inner panel 13 is formed from the same material as the outer panel 11. The outer panel 11, the thermoelectric conversion element 12, and the inner panel 13 constitute a power generation panel 18 (18a, 18b, 18c). The outer surface panel 11 is composed of, for example, a material having a good heat conduction efficiency (for example, an alloy such as aluminum or copper), and the surface is processed so as to easily absorb heat and is painted black. The outer panel 11 is wider than the inner panel 13. This is because the lunar orbit is inclined about 5 degrees with respect to the earth's orbital surface, so that sunlight is not incident on the inner panel 13 and at the same time the heat input is increased. Electric power is output from the thermoelectric conversion element 12 sandwiched and joined between the outer panel 11 and the inner panel 13 via a cable (not shown).

  The power generation panel 18 is arranged as shown in FIGS. 11 and 12. The power generation panel 18a and the power generation panel 18b are arranged at an angle (obtuse angle) larger than 90 degrees and smaller than 180 degrees, and the power generation panel 18b and the power generation panel 18c are arranged at an angle of about 90 degrees. . The ground heat conduction part 14 is joined to the inner panel 13 side of the power generation panel 18 (18a, 18b, 18c) at the edge. In the ground heat conduction part 14, a heat conduction plate that conducts the heat of the inner panel 13 to the underground heat conduction part 15 stands on the edge of the inner panel 13. The terrestrial heat conduction part 14 is joined to the underground heat conduction part 15 buried in the ground at a portion installed on the moon surface. The underground heat conduction part 15 is composed of a heat-conducting rod-like member having a length of 1 m or more, and a heat exchange plate 16 is joined to a part exceeding 1 m. The heat exchange plate 16 is formed of a triangular plate that constitutes a heat radiating fin, and is attached to the underground heat conduction unit 15 such that the heat radiating fin protrudes perpendicularly and radially to the axis of the underground heat conduction unit 15. The power control device 17 is connected to the power generation panel 18 via the cable 20.

  The ground heat conduction unit 14 incorporates a member having high thermal conductivity (such as carbon nanotube) or a heat pipe so as to perform heat exchange between the power generation panels 18 (18a, 18b, 18c). A heat exchange with the plate 16 is performed.

  The heat exchange plate 16 has a large surface area for efficiently releasing heat to 1 m below the lunar surface. Also, during the shade, it can move the stable heat of 1m below the lunar surface to the inner panel.

  The heat insulating material 19 is provided to suppress heat transfer between the outer surface panels 11a, 11b, and 11c of the power generation panels 18a, 18b, and 18c and heat transfer between the moon surface and the power generation panels 18a and 18c.

  Next, the operation of the power generator according to Embodiment 2 will be described. The power generation device according to the second embodiment has the same operation as the power generation device according to the first embodiment.

  On the other hand, in the power generator according to Embodiment 1, the difference between the maximum generated power and the minimum generated power is as wide as 5kW minimum and 29.5kW maximum. On the moon, it is expected that the heater power load will increase at night, and it is effective to increase the maximum power generation at night. However, an excessively large generated power difference causes an increase in the size of the battery due to the accumulation of surplus power, which is contrary to the solution of the original problem. Therefore, in the power generation device of the second embodiment, the difference in generated power between day and night is reduced by adjusting the panel angle.

FIG. 13 shows a generated power pattern of the power generator according to the second embodiment. The maximum generated power difference is suppressed to about 3 times with a maximum of 11.5kW and a minimum of 3.6kW. The average of daytime and nighttime is about 1.7 times that of 5.3kW during sunshine and 9.1kW during the shade.
By suppressing the maximum generated power difference in this way, it is possible to suppress an increase in the battery size of the battery 7d.

  Although the second embodiment has been described with respect to an example of three panel configurations having the same size, this does not limit the size or the inclination of the panel, and in accordance with the transition pattern of necessary power consumption of the load, One or a plurality of panels may be executed in combination with an angle or a driving mechanism.

Embodiment 3 FIG.
14 and 15 are diagrams showing the configuration of the power generation device according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention. The power generation apparatus according to Embodiment 3 shows a third example installed in the polar region.

  In the north and south polar regions, since sunlight enters from the side, as shown in FIGS. 14 and 15, the power generation panels are combined in a polygonal shape or a ring shape, or the power generation panels to be paired are arranged relative to each other. Use the one that is arranged so that the normal line of the power generation panel is horizontal to the lunar surface. In the third embodiment, it is assumed that there are no obstacles in the vicinity for ease of explanation.

  Thermoelectric conversion elements 22a-h are joined to the inner surfaces of the outer panels 21a-h, and inner panels 23a-h are joined to the inner surfaces thereof. The outer surface panels 21a to 21h are thermally insulated by a heat insulating material (not shown), and the inner surface panels 23a to 23h are thermally joined to each other. Moreover, the height of the outer surface panels 21a-h is longer in the vertical direction than the height of the thermoelectric conversion elements 22a-h and the inner surface panels 23a-h. This is because the difference in the panel height is set so that sunlight does not enter the cylinder due to the orbit inclination angle 5.1454 degrees of the lunar surface. In FIG. 14, the incident line when sunlight enters from the left side of the figure is indicated by a broken line.

  The inner panels 23a to 23h are joined to a column 25 at the center of the cylindrical portion by a boom 24 that is a ground heat conduction portion. The support column 25 is an integral structure of the ground heat conduction part and the underground heat conduction part, and stands on the moon surface. The support | pillar 25 embeds the front-end | tip under 1 m or less of the moon surface, and has the heat exchange part 26 in the part 1 m or less. The heat exchange unit 26 is composed of a plurality of heat radiation fins. Moreover, the support | pillar 25 has a heat conductive part inside, and is transmitting the heat | fever of underground to the inner surface panel 23. FIG. The gap between the lunar surface and the outer panels 21a-h is shielded by a heat insulating material 29 so that solar reflected light from the lunar surface does not enter the inner panel.

  The heat conversion elements 22a to 22h are connected to a power control device (not shown). The configuration of the power control apparatus conforms to the power control apparatus 7 of the first embodiment.

  In addition, a heat radiating surface 31 that does not come into contact with the inner surface panels 23a to 23h is provided at the upper portion of the cylinder, and is connected to the support column 25 via a thermal switch 32.

  The thermal switch 32 is connected to a switch control circuit (not shown), and the switch control circuit is connected to a thermal sensor (not shown) installed on the inner panel.

Next, the operation of the power generator according to Embodiment 3 will be described.
In the first and second embodiments, heat exchange is performed by heat transfer from the outer panels 21a to 21d to the ground during sunshine, and heat transfer from the ground to the inner panels 23a to 23h during the shade. However, in the third embodiment, unlike the power generation devices of the first and second embodiments, half the surface is always subjected to sunlight. Therefore, in the heat exchange of the inner surface panels 23a to h, the inner surface panels 23a to 23h are constantly stabilized at -30 ° C.

  Therefore, heat from the outer panels 21a to 21d on which sunlight is incident is released into the ground, and at the same time, the outer panel 21e to h which is a shaded surface transmits heat from the ground to the inner panels 23e to 23h. Will have the effect of Since this is clearly contradictory, in the third embodiment, the column 25 acts not as a medium for moving the heat of the outer panels 21a to 21d but as a medium for stabilizing the temperature of the inner panels 23a to 23h. To do.

  Therefore, the amount of solar heat incident on the outer surface panels 21a to 21d is radiated from the outer surface panels 21e to 21h on the shaded surface side through the joined inner surface panels 23a to 23h, the boom 24 and the support column 25. In consideration of the case where these incident heat quantities are accumulated, heat is radiated from the heat radiating surface 31 via the thermal switch 32. The thermal switch 32 thermally connects the support column 25 and the heat radiating surface 31 when the switch control circuit that monitors the temperature of the inner surface panels 23a to 23h reaches a temperature equal to or higher than a specified value, thereby increasing the heat radiation amount. Is. On the other hand, when the temperature of the inner surface panels 23a to 23h drops below a specified value, the thermal connection between the heat radiating surface 31 and the support column 25 is canceled (cut) to limit the heat radiation amount. Accordingly, stable power supply can be achieved by keeping the temperature of the inner panels 23a to 23h substantially constant.

  The power generation apparatus described in the above embodiment is for describing a configuration example of the present invention, and the electric circuit, the heat conduction unit, and the like are not limited to the ranges described in each embodiment.

  Furthermore, you may use together the power generator of the said embodiment with a solar cell paddle or a fuel cell. For example, nighttime power may be supplied by a fuel cell, and fuel consumed by the fuel cell during sunshine may be decomposed from water into oxygen and hydrogen to prepare for nighttime power supply. Further, since the fuel cell electrolysis requires power equal to or higher than the generated power, a solar cell paddle may be provided to generate power during the day and supply the power required for electrolysis.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Outer panel, 2 Thermoelectric conversion element, 3 Inner panel, 4 Ground heat conduction part, 5 Underground heat conduction part, 6 Heat exchange part, 7 Power control apparatus, 7a Voltmeter, 7b Switch switch, 7c Switch, 7d Battery, 7e charge / discharge control unit, 8 power generation panel, 9 edge, 10 cable, 11 outer panel, 12 thermoelectric conversion element, 13 inner panel, 14 ground heat conduction unit, 17 power control device, 18 power generation panel, 19 heat insulating material, 20 Cable, 21 outer panel, 22 thermoelectric conversion element, 23 inner panel, 24 boom, 25 strut, 26 heat exchange part, 31 heat radiating surface, 32 heat switch.

Claims (10)

A plurality of power generation panels, which are composed of an outer panel and an inner panel sandwiching the thermoelectric conversion elements between them,
A heat conducting portion thermally connected to the inner panel of the power generation panel;
A heat exchanging part thermally connected to a part of the heat conducting part;
A power control device connected to the thermoelectric conversion element;
A power generator with   The power control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the power generation panel is arranged in a line symmetrical shape.   The power control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the inner panel of the power generation panel is provided with a heat conductive plate that conducts heat of the inner panel to the heat conducting unit, and is erected on an edge of the panel. The power generation panels are arranged in a ring shape or arranged relative to each other,
Furthermore, a connecting member for connecting between the inner panel of each of the power generation panels and the heat conducting part,
A heat sink arranged on the other end side of the heat conducting part;
A thermal switch that thermally connects or disconnects between the heat conducting unit and the heat sink;
The power control apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:   5. The power control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the thermoelectric conversion element generates power in accordance with a temperature difference between the outer panel and the inner panel.   The power control device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the heat exchange unit is embedded in the ground of the moon surface.   The power control apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the power control apparatus includes a switch that switches a polarity of an electrode of the thermoelectric conversion element.   7. The power control device according to claim 1, further comprising a switch that switches a polarity of a load connected to the thermoelectric conversion element in accordance with a polarity inversion of a voltage generated by the thermoelectric conversion element. The power control apparatus according to item 1.   9. The power according to claim 7, wherein the power control device includes a voltage converter that is connected to the thermoelectric conversion element and adjusts a magnitude of a supply voltage from the thermoelectric conversion element. Control device.   The power control apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the power control apparatus includes a charge / discharge control unit that controls charge / discharge between the thermoelectric conversion element and the battery.

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