JPH10150787A - Thermoelectric generator for outdoor use - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a thermoelectric generator which supplies catalytic combustion heat at high density to thermoelectric elements and which is very efficient, low-cost, compact, and practical. SOLUTION: A pair of flat generation units 1 using thermoelectric elements are put between a container-like radiating section 2 and a heat inputting section 3. The heat inputting section 3 is constituted of a pair of facing end plates 4 having a thermal conductivity. One of the faces of each end plate 4 which is not in contact with the thermoelectric element 1 has the shape of a comb-like heat exchange fin for the purpose of expanding the surface area. On the surface of each end plate 4 on the comb-like heat exchange fin side, a catalyst section 5 is formed. The heat inputting section 3, the generation units 1, fuel supplying sections 7, 8, and all the other components are stored in the container-like radiation section 2. By dipping the main body of the generator in water, radiation can be done by a low-cost and very efficient water cooling method.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a thermoelectric generator which is used as an outdoor power supply and uses heat generated by catalytic combustion as a heat source.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, batteries and engine generators have been mainly used as outdoor power supplies. However, in the case of a battery, it takes a long time to charge the battery, so that there has been an inconvenience in continuous use outdoors. Further, an engine generator using gasoline as a fuel generates a large amount of power, but generates a large amount of noise during operation, and is not suitable for, for example, a power supply for a speaker. Therefore, as an easy-to-use outdoor power supply that is safe and quiet and can be used continuously,
We focused on thermoelectric generators.

A thermoelectric generator for performing direct conversion of heat and electricity by utilizing a thermoelectromotive force generated when a temperature difference is applied to a thermoelectric material is an emergency power supply, a portable power supply, a remote power supply, and waste heat recovery. It is attracting attention as a device. Combustion heat, catalytic combustion heat, exhaust heat, etc. are used as heat sources for these power generators. Among them, heat sources using catalytic combustion heat can be easily temperature-adjusted by adjusting the flow rate of fuel gas, It has the advantage that the combustion heat can be efficiently input to the power generation unit by burning it.

Conventionally, as a configuration of a thermoelectric generator that uses catalytic combustion as a heat source, a configuration disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 4-58973 is known. The configuration is as shown in FIG.
A combustion chamber 13 having a reticulated catalyst holding cylinder 12 therein;
The high-temperature side and the low-temperature side of the thermoelectric element 14 are fixed to the outer wall of the combustion chamber 13 and the heat radiation fin 15, respectively.

[0005]

The thermoelectric conversion efficiency of a generator using catalytic combustion as a heat source as shown in the figure is generally as low as 4% or less. To improve the efficiency, if the performance of the thermoelectric element 14 remains unchanged, There is no other way than to increase the temperature difference generated in the thermoelectric element 14. For that purpose, more efficient use of combustion heat and improvement of heat radiation performance are required.

As a configuration for efficiently utilizing the heat of catalytic combustion, a configuration similar to the configuration described in Japanese Patent Application No. 8-149239 may be used. However, with respect to the improvement of the heat radiation performance, a heat radiation fan is used in Japanese Patent Application No. 8-149239. When the application is limited to outdoor use, it is necessary to eliminate the space occupied by the radiating fan and the driving power in order to construct a practical power supply having a more compact shape, that is, an easy-to-use power supply.

The present invention provides a compact and practical thermoelectric generator capable of efficiently inputting catalytic combustion heat in a thermoelectric generator using catalytic combustion heat for outdoor use as a heat source. The purpose is to:

[0008]

According to the present invention, there is provided a heat input section using heat of catalytic combustion of a fuel gas as a heat source, a heat radiating section having a heat conductive container having at least a part of an outer surface in a fin shape, Mixing the fuel gas and air with a pair of or more planar power generation units using a thermoelectric element, sandwiched between the outer wall of the heat input section and the inner wall of the heat radiating section, fuel gas supply means including a fuel tank, A mixing unit, wherein the fuel gas supply unit and the mixing unit are installed in a heat conductive container of the heat radiating unit, and a mixed gas of fuel and air is supplied to a catalyst unit disposed in the heat input unit. This is a thermoelectric generator that directly supplies combustion heat to the thermoelectric elements of the power generation unit by burning, and simultaneously cools the heat radiating unit with air or water.

[0009] The present invention also provides a heat input unit using heat of catalytic combustion of fuel gas as a heat source, a heat radiating unit having a heat conductive container having at least a part of an outer surface having a fin shape, Sandwiched between an outer wall and an inner wall of the heat radiating portion, using a thermoelectric element, comprising a pair or more planar power generation units, a fuel tank, a fuel gas transport means, and a fuel gas / air mixing means, The mixing means is installed in a heat conductive container of the heat radiating unit, and the fuel tank can be freely installed inside and outside of the container, and is connected to the mixing means via the fuel gas transport means, and the fuel and air A thermoelectric generator that combusts the mixed gas with the catalyst section disposed in the heat input section to directly supply combustion heat to the thermoelectric element and air-cools or water-cools the heat-radiating section.

[0010] The present invention also provides a heat input section using heat of catalytic combustion of fuel gas as a heat source, a heat radiating section composed of a heat conductive plate having at least a part of a fin-shaped outer surface, and a heat radiating section thereof. A cooling water container installed outside of the heat input unit, sandwiched between the outer wall of the heat input unit and the inner wall of the heat conductive plate of the heat radiating unit, using a thermoelectric element, a pair or more planar power generation units, and a fuel. A fuel gas supply unit including a holding tank, and a mixing unit of fuel gas and air are provided, and combustion heat of the mixed gas of fuel and air is burned by a catalyst unit disposed in the heat input unit. A thermoelectric generator that supplies water directly to the thermoelectric element, supplies water to the cooling water container, and water-cools the radiator.

The heat input section has a pair of opposed heat conductive end plates and the catalyst section, and is provided inside the pair of opposed heat conductive end plates. The wall forms comb-shaped heat exchange fins, the catalyst portion is formed on the surface of the heat exchange fins, and the pair of heat conductive end plates form a combustion chamber surrounding the catalyst portion. Is a thermoelectric generator.

[0012]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS.

(Embodiment 1) FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing a configuration of a thermoelectric generator according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of the heat input unit 3. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes a planar power generation unit in which a pair of thermoelectric elements or a plurality of thermoelectric elements are connected in series, and is sandwiched between a heat radiating section 2 and a heat input section 3 and installed on both sides of the heat input section 3. Have been. Radiator 2
Is a rectangular parallelepiped container made of aluminum having fin shapes on four outer sides. As shown in FIG. 2, the heat input section 3 has a pair of heat conductive end plates 4 opposed to each other, and surrounds the catalyst section 5 formed on the comb-shaped fin side surface of each heat conductive end plate 4. It is formed. The heat conductive end plate 4 is desirably made of aluminum die cast having good workability. The catalyst unit 5 is installed so as to cover the surface of the heat-conductive end plate 4 on the comb-shaped heat exchange fin side. The catalyst section 5 may be formed of a heat-resistant thin metal plate having a thickness of 0.5 mm or less and coated with fine ceramic powder such as alumina carrying a noble metal catalyst such as platinum. As the heat-resistant metal sheet, a sheet having good workability such as a SUS sheet may be used. Reference numeral 7 denotes a fuel tank, which is a commercially available butane gas cylinder for a cassette stove. This fuel tank 7
Is connected to the heat input unit 3 via a nozzle 8 and a throat unit 9 which are means for mixing fuel gas and air. An exhaust gas pipe 6 is provided in the heat input section 3 and communicates with the outside of the heat radiating container from the upper surface.

The operation of the thermoelectric generator configured as described above will be described below. The fuel injected from the nozzle 8 becomes a mixed gas including air from the upper surface of the heat radiating unit container, passes through the throat unit 9, and is sent into the heat input unit 3 from the gas inlet. The sent gas mixture is
After catalytic combustion on the catalyst section 5 in the heat input section 3, the gas is discharged to the outside of the generator by the exhaust gas pipe 6. The heat of catalytic combustion obtained in the heat input section 3 is transmitted through the heat conductive end plate 4 to the thermoelectric element 1.
Reaches the hot side surface. The radiator 2 is the low temperature side of the thermoelectric element
Therefore, a temperature difference is generated between the high-temperature side and the low-temperature side of the thermoelectric element 1, and power generation is performed by the thermoelectromotive force. A larger electromotive force can be obtained by cooling the outer surface of the radiator 2 with water than with air. For water cooling,
The upper surface of the generator may be exposed in the air, and the generator may be immersed in water.

When the generator of the present invention is driven, it takes about two minutes for the output to stabilize, but thereafter, the power generation is continued until the fuel gas is used up. When a commercially available butane gas for a cassette stove was used as the fuel gas, power generation for 8 to 11 hours was possible with a single cylinder (250 g). When a 1-liter generator was constructed, the output was about 20 W (water-cooled). Then, when a power generator of 2 liters was constructed, the output during water cooling was 35 W or more.

According to the structure of the present invention, since the heat input section integrated with the heat exchanger can be constituted by using the heat conductive end plate having the comb-shaped structure, the catalytic combustion heat is transferred to the surface on the high temperature side of the thermoelectric element. Can be entered efficiently. Further, since the heat conductive end plate and the catalyst portion are in contact with each other, it is possible to prevent the surface temperature of the combustion portion from excessively increasing, and to realize a configuration suitable for the heat resistance of the thermoelectric element.

Further, since the gas tank is housed in the heat radiating container, the fuel supply section can be kept at a high temperature, and high-temperature and high-pressure fuel gas can be sent into the combustion chamber, so that efficient combustion can be realized. Furthermore, since all parts such as the heat input part, the gas tank, and the power generation unit are housed in the heat radiating part container, the whole power generator can be immersed in water, so that an inexpensive and highly efficient water cooling system can be realized. In the case of the water-cooling system, it is not necessary to supply the power for driving the radiating fan for generating forced convection, and all the power obtained by the thermoelectric conversion can be taken out.

In FIG. 1, the fuel tank is installed above the heat input unit, but may be installed below the heat input unit. In that case, since the exhaust gas is generated from the upper part, the exhaust gas pipe can be short and the arrangement is easy. It is also possible to arrange the fuel tank and the heat input section in parallel in the heat dissipation container.

FIG. 1 shows an embodiment in which a pair of power generation units is used. If two pairs of power generation units are arranged on four sides of the heat input unit, a generator with higher output can be provided. It goes without saying that you can do it.

If a removable cooling water container is provided outside the heat radiating portion container, it becomes convenient when the power supply is moved.

Further, the fuel tank is constituted by a heat-resistant container,
The fuel gas may be injected.

(Embodiment 2) FIG. 3 is a sectional view showing a configuration of a thermoelectric generator according to the present invention. In FIG.
Reference numeral 7 denotes a fuel tank which uses a commercially available butane gas cylinder for a cassette stove. The fuel tank 7 is connected via a gas tube 11 to a nozzle 8 and a throat section 9 which are means for mixing fuel gas and air.
If the fuel tank is within the length of the gas tube 11,
Can be installed freely inside and outside the container. Other configurations are the same as those of the first embodiment.

The operation of the thermoelectric generator configured as described above is the same as that of the first embodiment.

According to the structure of the present invention, since the heat input section integrated with the heat exchanger can be formed by using the heat conductive end plate having the comb-shaped structure, the catalytic combustion heat is transferred to the surface on the high temperature side of the thermoelectric element. Can be entered efficiently. Further, since the heat conductive end plate and the catalyst portion are in contact with each other, it is possible to prevent the surface temperature of the combustion portion from excessively increasing, and to realize a configuration suitable for the heat resistance of the thermoelectric element.

Further, since the fuel tank can be externally mounted, the temperature of the fuel tank does not rise, and when the fuel tank is used for an application requiring continuous supply of fuel, such as an AV power supply, the simplicity and safety of refueling can be improved. Can be secured.

Further, since a part of the gas tube, the nozzle and the throat portion are housed in the heat radiating container, the gas sent to the combustion portion can be preheated, and efficient combustion can be realized.

Further, since all parts except the gas tank are housed in the heat radiating part container, the entire power generator can be immersed in water, so that an inexpensive and highly efficient water cooling system can be realized. In the case of the water-cooling system, it is not necessary to supply the power for driving the radiating fan for generating forced convection, and all the power obtained by the thermoelectric conversion can be taken out.

If a removable cooling water container is installed outside the heat radiating portion container, it becomes convenient when the power supply is moved.

Further, the fuel tank is constituted by a heat-resistant container,
The fuel gas may be injected. (Embodiment 3) FIG. 4 shows Embodiment 3 of the present invention.
Configuration of a thermoelectric generator having a structure in which a thermoelectric element or a pair of planar power generation units 1 composed of thermoelectric elements is joined to both surfaces of a heat input unit 3 and is sandwiched by a heat radiating unit 2 composed of a pair of heat conductive plates. Is shown. The outer surface of the heat conductive plate of the heat radiating section 2 has a fin shape in order to increase a heat exchange area. A pair of detachable cooling water containers 10 is provided on the outer surface of the heat radiating portion, and both air cooling and water cooling heat radiation are possible.
The nozzle 8 and the fuel tank 9 were connected by a gas tube 11 so that the fuel tank 7 could be installed on the main body or used separately from the main body. Other structures are the same as in the first embodiment.

The operation of the generator having this configuration is the same as that of the first embodiment.

According to the structure of the present invention, since the heat input section integrated with the heat exchanger can be formed by using the heat conductive end plate having the comb-shaped structure, the catalytic combustion heat is transferred to the surface of the thermoelectric element at the high temperature side. Can be entered efficiently. Further, since the heat conductive end plate and the catalyst portion are in contact with each other, it is possible to prevent the surface temperature of the combustion portion from excessively increasing, and to realize a configuration suitable for the heat resistance of the thermoelectric element.

Further, since the fuel tank can be externally mounted, the temperature of the fuel tank does not rise, and when the fuel tank is used for an application requiring continuous supply of fuel, such as an AV power supply, the simplicity and safety of refueling can be improved. Can be secured. Further, in FIG. 4, since the nozzle portion and the mixed portion of the fuel gas and the air are warmed by the exhaust heat from the heat input portion, highly efficient combustion can be performed.

[0033]

As is apparent from the above description,
ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the heat input to a thermoelectric element of catalytic combustion heat can be performed more densely, and the heat radiation of a high efficiency and cheap water-cooling system can be performed without a drive power supply such as a radiation fan. The configuration of a typical outdoor thermoelectric generator can be provided.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a thermoelectric generator according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram of a heat input unit according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram of a thermoelectric generator according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a configuration diagram of a thermoelectric generator according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a configuration diagram of a conventional thermoelectric generator.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Thermoelectric element or planar power generation unit 2 Heat radiating part 3 Heat input part 4 Thermal conductive end plate 5 Catalyst part 6 Exhaust gas pipe 7 Fuel tank 8 Nozzle 9 Throat part 10 Cooling water container 11 Gas tube 12 Catalyst holding cylinder 13 Combustion chamber 14 thermoelectric element 15 radiating fin

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A heat input section using heat of catalytic combustion of fuel gas as a heat source, a heat radiating section having a heat conductive container having at least a part of an outer surface having a fin shape, an outer wall of the heat input section and the heat radiating section. Using a thermoelectric element, sandwiched between inner walls of the unit, a pair of planar power generation units, a fuel gas supply unit including a fuel tank, and a mixing unit that mixes the fuel gas and air; Gas supply means and the mixing means are provided in the heat conductive container of the heat radiating unit, and the combustion heat is generated by burning a mixed gas of fuel and air with a catalyst unit disposed in the heat input unit. A thermoelectric generator, which is directly supplied to a thermoelectric element of the power generation unit, and at the same time, air-cools or water-cools the radiator. 2. A heat input unit using heat of combustion of fuel gas as a heat source, a heat radiating unit having a heat conductive container having at least a part of an outer surface having a fin shape, an outer wall of the heat input unit, and the heat radiating unit. Using a thermoelectric element, sandwiched between the inner walls of the unit, a pair of or more planar power generation units, a fuel tank, a fuel gas transport means, and a fuel gas and air mixing means,
The mixing means is installed in a heat conductive container of the heat radiating unit, and the fuel tank can be freely installed inside and outside of the container, and is connected to the mixing means via the fuel gas transport means, and the fuel and air A gas mixture with the heat input portion is burned by a catalyst portion disposed in the heat input portion, whereby combustion heat is directly supplied to the thermoelectric element, and the heat radiation portion is air-cooled or water-cooled. 3. A heat input section using a catalytic combustion heat of a fuel gas as a heat source, a heat radiating section composed of a heat conductive plate having at least a part of an outer surface in a fin shape, and installed outside the heat radiating section. Cooling water container, sandwiched between the outer wall of the heat input unit and the inner wall of the heat conductive plate of the heat radiating unit, utilizing a thermoelectric element, a pair or more planar power generation units, and a tank for holding fuel A fuel gas supply means, and a fuel gas / air mixing means, wherein the combustion gas is combusted by a catalyst section disposed in the heat input section, whereby combustion heat is supplied to the thermoelectric element. A thermoelectric generator, wherein water is supplied directly to the cooling water container to cool the radiator with water. 4. The heat input portion has a pair of heat conductive end plates disposed opposite to each other and the catalyst portion, and the heat input portion is provided inside the pair of heat conductive end plates disposed opposite to each other. The wall forms comb-shaped heat exchange fins, the catalyst portion is formed on the surface of the heat exchange fins, and the pair of heat conductive end plates form a combustion chamber surrounding the catalyst portion. The thermoelectric generator according to claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein