KR102519751B1 - Assembly for energy harvesting and apparatus comprising the same - Google Patents

Abstract

According to one aspect of the present invention, an assembly for harvesting energy comprises: a main body unit formed by stacking a plurality of unit modules in which a plurality of membranes coated with a conductive material are electrically connected and arranged; a polarity solution supply unit that supplies a polarity solution to the main body unit to form wet areas in the plurality of membranes; and an evaporation unit that heats internal air to evaporate the polarity solution of the plurality of membranes.

Description

Assembly for harvesting energy and a device including the same {ASSEMBLY FOR ENERGY HARVESTING AND APPARATUS COMPRISING THE SAME}

The present invention relates to an assembly for harvesting energy and a device including the same.

In recent years, in terms of efficient use of energy resources, interest in energy harvesting technology, which is a technology that converts energy generated from natural energy sources such as sunlight, vibration, heat, wind power, etc., into electrical energy and stores or uses it, has rapidly increased. It is increasing.

In particular, recently, research on energy harvesting technology using water resources has been actively conducted. Specifically, as an energy harvesting technology using water resources, a technology for producing electrical energy using a potential difference generated by an asymmetric wetting structure of a polar solution to a membrane coated with a conductive material has been introduced.

However, energy harvesting technology using water resources has some limitations in its application to real life in that energy production efficiency is greatly affected by changes in the surrounding environment, such as temperature and humidity.

Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2021-0084121 (2021.7.7)

The object of the present invention is to solve all the problems of the prior art described above.

Another object of the present invention is to increase energy production efficiency and utilization by dynamically controlling an electrical energy production process according to environmental information such as temperature and humidity.

In addition, another object of the present invention is to be used as an energy source for charging a battery of an electric vehicle by implementing an assembly or a device in a form that can be mounted on an electric vehicle.

Representative configurations of the present invention for achieving the above object are as follows.

According to one aspect of the present invention, as an assembly for harvesting energy, a body portion formed by stacking a plurality of unit modules in which a plurality of membranes coated with a conductive material are electrically connected and disposed, and a polar solution for the body portion An assembly including a polar solution supply unit supplying a wet region to form a wet region in the plurality of membranes, and an evaporation unit heating internal air to evaporate the polar solution of the plurality of membranes.

According to another aspect of the present invention, a device for harvesting energy includes a body portion formed by stacking a plurality of unit modules in which a plurality of membranes coated with a conductive material are electrically connected and disposed, and a polar solution for the body portion. and at least one assembly including a polar solution supply unit supplying a wet region to form a wet region in the plurality of membranes, and an evaporator unit heating internal air to evaporate the polar solution of the plurality of membranes, A storage unit for storing the polar solution to be provided to the polar solution supply unit included in the assembly of, a transformer unit for transforming the voltage applied from the at least one assembly into a predetermined output voltage, and a charge using the output voltage A device comprising a battery is provided.

In addition, other assemblies and other devices for implementing the present invention are further provided.

According to the present invention, it is possible to increase energy production efficiency and utilization by dynamically controlling an electrical energy production process according to ambient environment information such as temperature and humidity.

In addition, according to the present invention, by implementing an assembly or device in a form that can be mounted on an electric vehicle, it can be used as an energy source for charging a battery of an electric vehicle.

1 and 2 are diagrams schematically illustrating an apparatus for harvesting energy according to an embodiment of the present invention.
3(a) to 3(c) are diagrams illustrating a laminated structure of an assembly according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
4 is a diagram schematically illustrating an assembly for harvesting energy according to an embodiment of the present invention.
5 is a diagram illustratively illustrating a form in which a device for harvesting energy according to an embodiment of the present invention is disposed inside an electric vehicle.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The detailed description of the present invention which follows refers to the accompanying drawings which illustrate, by way of illustration, specific embodiments in which the present invention may be practiced. These embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable any person skilled in the art to practice the present invention. It should be understood that the various embodiments of the present invention are different from each other but are not necessarily mutually exclusive. For example, specific shapes, structures, and characteristics described herein may be implemented from one embodiment to another without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. It should also be understood that the location or arrangement of individual components within each embodiment may be changed without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, the detailed description to be described later is not performed in a limiting sense, and the scope of the present invention should be taken as encompassing the scope claimed by the claims and all scopes equivalent thereto. Like reference numbers in the drawings indicate the same or similar elements throughout the various aspects.

Hereinafter, various preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings in order to enable those skilled in the art to easily practice the present invention.

Construction of a device for harvesting energy

1 and 2 are diagrams schematically illustrating an apparatus 10 for harvesting energy according to an embodiment of the present invention.

1 and 2, a device 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes an assembly 100, a storage unit 200, a transformer unit 300, a battery 400, and a conversion unit 500. can include

First, the assembly 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention may perform a function of generating electrical energy using a membrane (specifically, a membrane coated with a conductive material) or a unit module, which will be described later. Here, according to one embodiment of the present invention, the electrical energy produced by the assembly 100 may be produced in the form of direct current (ie, the form of direct current voltage and current).

Meanwhile, the assembly 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention may be combined with at least one other assembly 100. To this end, the assembly 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a coupling portion 101 for coupling with another assembly 100 on at least one outer surface; this coupling portion 101 is a slide coupling method or a bracket coupling method. method, a magnetic coupling method, etc. may be applied to form a coupling part 101 and each other). For example, referring to (a) of FIG. 3 , the coupling portion 101a formed on the upper surface of the first assembly 100a and the coupling portion 101b formed on the lower surface of the second assembly 100b are coupled to each other. Accordingly, the first assembly 100a and the second assembly 100b may be vertically stacked. For another example, referring to (b) of FIG. 3 , coupling portions 101c and 101d formed on the respective side surfaces of the first assembly 100a and the second assembly 100b may be coupled to each other, and accordingly The first assembly 100a and the second assembly 100b may be horizontally stacked. The assembly 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention can be easily transformed into various coupling forms (eg, see the form shown in (c) of FIG. 3) based on the above vertical or horizontal stacking structure, Accordingly, the coupling shape of the assembly 100 shown in FIG. 2 may also be modified into various shapes.

Meanwhile, the assembly 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention can be structurally coupled to at least one other assembly 100 through the coupling portion 101, and at least through the coupling portion 101. It may be electrically connected to one other assembly 100 . For example, referring to (a) of FIG. 3 again, the membrane or unit module included in the first assembly 100a and the membrane or unit module included in the second assembly 100b are respectively assemblies 100a and 100b. ) Can be electrically connected through the coupling portions 101a and 101b formed in; that is, the coupling portion 101 structurally coupling the first assembly 100a and the second assembly 100b) (eg, each The coupling parts 101a and 101b formed in the assemblies 100a and 100b may include terminals (not shown) electrically connected to membranes or unit modules included in the assemblies 100a and 100b, and the terminals Therefore, the membrane or unit module included in the first assembly 100a and the membrane or unit module included in the second assembly 100b are linked to each other to generate electrical energy. be able to produce

On the other hand, the assembly 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention is preferably formed in a box shape, that is, a hexahedron shape, but is not limited thereto, and within the range that can achieve the object of the present invention It should be noted that it may be formed in various shapes (eg, tetrahedron, triangular prism, cylinder, etc.). In addition, it should be noted that the size of the shape of the assembly 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention may be variously changed according to usage.

Meanwhile, the assembly 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention may be formed of a material having heat resistance, water resistance, and electrical insulation on its exterior. For example, in the assembly 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention, the outside (eg, a case or cover for maintaining the shape of the assembly 100 and covering and protecting the inside) is a styrol resin ), phenolic resin, polyester resin, or the like.

A specific configuration of the assembly 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described later.

Next, the storage unit 200 according to an embodiment of the present invention may perform a function of storing the polar solution, and furthermore, the polarity corresponding to the polar solution supply unit 120 included in the at least one assembly 100 It can perform the function of providing a solution.

Specifically, the storage unit 200 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes the polar solution supply unit 120 included in the assembly 100 (in the case of a plurality of assemblies 100, each of the plurality of assemblies 100) It is possible to provide a polar solution to the polar solution supply unit 120). Here, the storage unit 200 according to an embodiment of the present invention may adjust the amount of the polar solution provided to the polar solution supply unit 120 using a valve (not shown).

In addition, the storage unit 200 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a filter (for example, impurities or foreign substances) for removing substances (eg, impurities or foreign substances) that do not correspond to the polar solution in at least a part of the path along which the polar solution moves. shown). For example, the filter according to an embodiment of the present invention is formed on at least a part of the path in which the polar solution moves inside the storage unit 200, and the polar solution is transferred from the storage unit 200 to the polar solution supply unit 120. Impurities or foreign substances included in the polar solution may be removed (eg, removed using a hollow fiber membrane method or a nano method) before the solution is provided. Meanwhile, the filter according to an embodiment of the present invention may be detachable or replaceable so as to facilitate maintenance.

On the other hand, in the polar solution according to an embodiment of the present invention, acetone, acetic acid, water, ethanol, acetonitrile, ammonia, methanol , At least one of isopropanol, pyridine, formic acid, n-butanol, and n-propanol may be included. Here, in the polar solution according to an embodiment of the present invention, sodium chloride (NaCl), potassium chloride (KCl), sodium bromide (NaBr), potassium bromide (KBr), calcium chloride (CaCl ₂ ), At least one of honey, phosphorus pentoxide (P ₂ O ₅ ), potassium hydroxide (KOH), sodium hydroxide (NaOH), zinc chloride (ZnCl ₂ ), and sulfuric acid (H ₂ SO ₄ ) may be further included.

Meanwhile, a corrosion inhibitor may be further included in the polar solution according to an embodiment of the present invention to prevent corrosion of at least a part of a path along which the polar solution moves. For example, the polar solution according to an embodiment of the present invention may further include sulfonates, chromates, phosphates, silicates, and the like as corrosion inhibitors.

In addition, the polar solution according to an embodiment of the present invention may further include an antifreeze to prevent the polar solution from freezing. For example, the polar solution according to an embodiment of the present invention may further include propylene glycol as an antifreeze.

Next, the transformer 300 according to an embodiment of the present invention may transform the voltage applied from at least one assembly 100 into a preset output voltage.

For example, the transformer 300 according to an embodiment of the present invention compares a voltage applied from at least one assembly 100 with a preset output voltage, and based on the comparison result, at least one assembly ( 100) may be transformed into a preset output voltage. More specifically, the transformer 300 according to an embodiment of the present invention, the voltage (eg, 3.7 V) applied from at least one assembly 100 is a preset output voltage (eg, 15 V) ), the voltage applied from at least one assembly 100 (eg, 3.7 V) may be boosted to a predetermined output voltage (eg, 15 V). That is, the transformer 300 according to an embodiment of the present invention may be at least partially similar to a conventional DC/DC converter.

Next, the battery 400 according to an embodiment of the present invention is charged using the voltage output from the transformer 300 (voltage applied from at least one assembly 100 when the voltage is not required) , It can perform a function of storing electrical energy produced by at least one assembly 100.

For example, the battery 400 according to an embodiment of the present invention may include a lithium ion (Li-ion) battery, a solid-state battery, a lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO ₄ ) battery, and the like. . That is, the battery 400 according to an embodiment of the present invention may be at least partially similar to a conventional secondary battery.

Meanwhile, the battery 400 according to an embodiment of the present invention may be a battery 400 used in an electric vehicle (EV). According to an embodiment of the present invention, at least a part of components other than the battery 400 and the battery 400 among components of the device 10 may be disposed (or formed) inside the electric vehicle. For example, referring to FIG. 5 , the assembly 100, the storage unit 200, the transformer unit 300, and the battery 400 may be disposed (or formed) inside the electric vehicle. That is, the device 10 (more specifically, the device 10 excluding the battery 400) according to an embodiment of the present invention may be used as an energy source for charging the battery 400 of an electric vehicle. Thus, according to an embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to shorten the charging time of the electric vehicle and increase the cruising distance of the electric vehicle.

However, the use of the battery 400 or device 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention is not limited to the battery 400 of an electric vehicle or an energy source for charging the battery 400 of an electric vehicle, and the present invention It is revealed that various changes can be made within the scope of achieving the purpose of.

Meanwhile, the battery 400 according to an embodiment of the present invention may function as an energy source for operating the at least one assembly 100 when the operation of the at least one assembly 100 starts. For example, at least one assembly 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention may be operated using power output from the battery 400 from the start of operation to a predetermined battery charging reference point. Here, according to an embodiment of the present invention, the battery charging reference point in time is a point in time when the battery 400 is charged by at least one assembly 100 (for example, power of at least one assembly 100 above a predetermined level). point at which this occurs). In addition, at least one assembly 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention may be operated using power generated by the at least one assembly 100 itself from the above reference point in charging the battery. On the other hand, according to an embodiment of the present invention, when the battery 400 is discharged at the time of starting the operation of the at least one assembly 100, the at least one assembly 100 is removed from an energy source other than the battery 400. energy can be supplied.

Finally, the conversion unit 500 according to an embodiment of the present invention may perform a function of converting the type of voltage output from the battery 400 .

For example, the conversion unit 500 according to an embodiment of the present invention may perform a function of converting a DC voltage output from the battery 400 into an AC voltage. That is, the conversion unit 500 according to an embodiment of the present invention may be at least partially similar to a conventional inverter.

Meanwhile, the conversion unit 500 according to an embodiment of the present invention may be configured to be connected or disconnected from the battery 400 as needed. For example, the conversion unit 500 according to an embodiment of the present invention may be selectively connected to the battery 400 when it is necessary to use the device 10 for home use. More specifically, the conversion unit 500 according to an embodiment of the present invention is connected to the battery 400, and the DC voltage output from the battery 400 is a standard voltage used at home (ie, AC 220 V) can be converted to

However, the use of the conversion unit 500 according to an embodiment of the present invention is not limited to using the device 10 for home use, and various changes within the scope of achieving the object of the present invention make it clear that it can be In addition, it should be noted that the voltage value converted by the conversion unit 500 may be variously changed according to various usage aspects of the conversion unit 500 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Construction of an assembly for harvesting energy

4 is a schematic diagram of an assembly 100 for harvesting energy according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 4 , an assembly 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention may include a body part 110, a polar solution supply part 120, an evaporation part 130, and a control part 140.

First, the body portion 110 according to an embodiment of the present invention may be formed by stacking a plurality of unit modules (not shown) in which a plurality of membranes (not shown) coated with a conductive material are electrically connected and disposed. can

Specifically, according to one embodiment of the present invention, a plurality of conductive material-coated membranes may be electrically connected to form one unit module. For example, a plurality of membranes coated with a conductive material are physically (specifically, electrically) connected in various combinations in series or parallel within a frame having a predetermined shape (eg, square) to form one unit module. can Here, according to one embodiment of the present invention, a single unit module may form the body portion 110, but a plurality of unit modules may form the body portion 110. For example, when a plurality of unit modules form the body portion 110, the plurality of unit modules may be stacked in the z-axis direction based on the 3D coordinate system to form the body portion 110. For another example, when a plurality of unit modules form the body portion 110, the plurality of unit modules may be stacked in the x-axis or y-axis direction based on the 3D coordinate system to form the body portion 110. .

Meanwhile, a membrane coated with a conductive material according to an embodiment of the present invention is a solution containing a conductive material (or a mixture of a conductive material and a conductive polymer) (for example, in a concentration range of 0.01 to 50 wt%). The loading amount of the conductive material (eg MXene particles) applied to the hydrophilic fibrous membrane can be controlled by adjusting the number of times the membrane is immersed (eg, immersion) in the solution), and thus the conductive material layer (eg, , MXene layer) may be produced by binding the corresponding conductive material to the membrane by adjusting the electrical characteristics (eg, resistance) of the membrane (furthermore, drying at a predetermined temperature (eg, 80 degrees) in an oven, etc.) may be further performed).

Here, the membrane according to an embodiment of the present invention, as a hydrophilic fibrous membrane, may be formed of a material having the ability to absorb or contain the polar solution described above. For example, the membrane according to an embodiment of the present invention is made of cotton fabric, mulberry paper, polypropylene membrane, oxygen plasma-treated nonwoven fabric, hydrophilic surface-treated fabric, and nano It may contain at least one of the fibers.

In addition, the conductive material according to an embodiment of the present invention includes acetylene black, activated carbon, super-P, ketjen black, denka black, At least one of graphene, carbon nanotube, and MXene may be included. Here, in MXene according to an embodiment of the present invention, Ti ₂ C, (Ti _0.5 , Nb _0.5 ) ₂ C, V ₂ C, Nb ₂ C, Mo ₂ C, Mo ₂ N, Ti ₃ C ₂ , Ti ₃ CN, Zr ₃ C ₂ , Hf ₃ C ₂ , Ti ₄ N ₃ , Nb ₄ C ₃ , Ta ₄ C ₃ , Mo ₂ TiC ₂ , Cr ₂ TiC ₂ and Mo ₂ Ti ₂ C ₃ may include at least one.

In addition, the conductive polymer according to an embodiment of the present invention, poly (3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT: PSS), polyaniline (PANI), polypyrrole (PPy), poly (p-phenylene vinylene) (PPV), poly At least one of (acetylene)s (PAC) and poly(p-phenylene sulfide) (PPS) may be included. According to an embodiment of the present invention, such a conductive polymer may be mixed with MXene among the aforementioned conductive materials to form a mixture.

Meanwhile, the main body 110 according to an embodiment of the present invention may generate electrical energy by using a potential difference formed in the process of adsorbing the polar solution to the membrane coated with the conductive material. Specifically, according to an embodiment of the present invention, when a polar solution is adsorbed on a membrane coated with a conductive material, the membrane is divided into a wet region and a dry region (ie, formation of an asymmetric wet structure), and in the wet region An electric double layer is formed on the surface of the particle of the conductive material, and the surface of the particle of the conductive material becomes negatively charged. Accordingly, the wet region forms a negative potential. That is, according to an embodiment of the present invention, as an electric double layer is formed on the surface of the conductive material particle in the wet region, the wet region and the dry region form opposite poles to each other, and an electric potential exists between the wet region and the dry region. car is formed. The main body 110 according to an embodiment of the present invention may produce electrical energy using a current appearing in a process in which the polar solution diffuses from a wet area to a dry area according to the potential difference formed as described above.

For example, when a polar solution is adsorbed on a membrane coated with MXene as a conductive material, the membrane is divided into a wet region and a dry region (ie, formation of an asymmetric wetted structure), and an electrical double layer is formed on the surface of the MXene particle in the wet region. is formed, and the surface of the MXene particle becomes negatively charged. Accordingly, the wet region forms a negative potential. That is, according to an embodiment of the present invention, as an electric double layer is formed on the surface of MXene particles in the wet region, the wet region and the dry region form opposite poles to each other, and a potential difference is formed between the wet region and the dry region. It becomes. The main body 110 according to an embodiment of the present invention may produce electrical energy using a current appearing in a process in which the polar solution diffuses from a wet area to a dry area according to the potential difference formed as described above.

On the other hand, according to an embodiment of the present invention, the process of producing the conductive material-coated membrane and the process of producing electrical energy from the conductive material-coated membrane are not limited to those described above, and Korean Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 10 With reference to the content disclosed in No. -2021-0135158, it is revealed that at least a part of the process may be changed or added (the specification of the above publication should be considered incorporated herein in its entirety).

Next, the polar solution supply unit 120 according to an embodiment of the present invention may supply the polar solution to the main body 110 to form a wet area in the plurality of membranes coated with the conductive material.

Here, according to an embodiment of the present invention, various methods such as spraying and diffusion may be applied to the polar solution supply unit 120 supplying the polar solution to the main body 110 . Here, according to one embodiment of the present invention, when the polar solution supply unit 120 supplies the polar solution to the main body 110 using a spraying method, the polar solution is formed into micro particles, so that the conductive material is coated. A wet region and a dry region may be uniformly formed in the plurality of membranes.

In addition, the polar solution supply unit 120 according to an embodiment of the present invention may supply the polar solution to the body unit 110 using a timer method. For example, the polar solution supply unit 120 according to an embodiment of the present invention may supply the polar solution to the body unit 110 at predetermined time intervals. Here, according to an embodiment of the present invention, the predetermined time may be set as a default value or dynamically determined according to a ratio of wet areas of a plurality of conductive material-coated membranes.

On the other hand, the polar solution supply unit 120 according to an embodiment of the present invention has at least one surface inside the assembly 100 (eg, at least one surface among the top, bottom and side surfaces of the inside of the assembly 100). Alternatively, at least one may be disposed between a plurality of unit modules.

For example, when the polar solution supply unit 120 is disposed on at least one surface inside the assembly 100, the polar solution supply unit 120 is a single unit module in the entirety of a plurality of unit modules (or the body unit 110). In this case, the polar solution may be supplied to the unit module) or to the unit module to be supplied (for example, the polar solution supply unit 120 sprays the polar solution to all of the plurality of unit modules at once (eg, For example, it is supplied by spraying on one end of a membrane (specifically, a membrane coated with a conductive material) of a plurality of unit modules, or a unit module to be supplied (or a specific membrane of a unit module to be supplied (specifically, (e.g., a membrane coated with a conductive material) (e.g., a membrane coated with a conductive material) (e.g., a membrane coated with a conductive material) It can be supplied by spraying) at one end of). Here, according to one embodiment of the present invention, even when the polar solution supply unit 120 is disposed on only one surface inside the assembly 100, a plurality of polar solution supply units 120 may be disposed on one surface. It should be noted that there are

For another example, when the polar solution supply unit 120 is disposed between a plurality of unit modules, the polar solution supply unit 120 includes each membrane (specifically, a plurality of membranes coated with a conductive material) included in the unit modules. A polar solution can be supplied to Here, according to one embodiment of the present invention, the polar solution supply unit 120 may be disposed coupled to a support (not shown) formed between a plurality of unit modules or a frame forming unit modules. Polar solution supply unit 120 according to an embodiment of the present invention, in this example, based on one unit module, the number of membranes (specifically, a plurality of membranes coated with a conductive material) included in the corresponding unit module It can be formed with the same number as Accordingly, according to an embodiment of the present invention, the polar solution supply unit 120 and the membrane are matched one-to-one, so that the polar solution supply unit 120 can supply the polar solution to the single matched membrane (ie, membrane unit control). is possible). Alternatively, the polar solution supply unit 120 according to an embodiment of the present invention, in this example, on the basis of one unit module, is a membrane (specifically, a plurality of membranes coated with a conductive material) included in the corresponding unit module. It may be formed in a number smaller than the number of. Accordingly, according to an embodiment of the present invention, the polar solution supply unit 120 and the membranes are matched one-to-many so that the polar solution supply unit 120 can supply the polar solution to the plurality of matched membranes.

However, it is revealed that the arrangement form of the polar solution supply unit 120 according to an embodiment of the present invention is not limited to the above examples, and may be variously changed within the scope of achieving the object of the present invention. put

Next, the evaporator 130 according to an embodiment of the present invention may evaporate the polar solution of the plurality of membranes coated with the conductive material by heating the internal air.

Specifically, the evaporation unit 130 according to an embodiment of the present invention can heat the air inside the assembly 100 to a predetermined temperature or higher by using a heating means such as a coil, and the heated air can heat the membrane. (Specifically, the polar solution adsorbed on the plurality of membranes coated with the conductive material) may be evaporated.

On the other hand, the evaporation unit 130 according to an embodiment of the present invention, at least one surface inside the assembly 100 (eg, at least one surface of the upper surface, lower surface and side surface inside the assembly 100) or At least one may be disposed between a plurality of unit modules.

For example, when the evaporation unit 130 is disposed on at least one surface inside the assembly 100, the evaporation unit 130 is disposed on all of the plurality of unit modules (or a single unit module is disposed on the body unit 110). If it is, the polar solution can be evaporated in the unit module). Here, according to one embodiment of the present invention, even when the evaporation unit 130 is disposed on only one surface inside the assembly 100, a plurality of evaporation units 130 may be disposed on the one surface. Be careful.

For another example, when the evaporation unit 130 is disposed between a plurality of unit modules, the evaporation unit 130 has a polarity in each membrane (specifically, a plurality of membranes coated with a conductive material) included in the unit module. The solution may be allowed to evaporate. Here, according to one embodiment of the present invention, the evaporation unit 130 may be disposed coupled to a support (not shown) formed between a plurality of unit modules or a frame forming unit modules. The evaporation unit 130 according to an embodiment of the present invention, in this example, based on one unit module, the number of membranes (specifically, a plurality of membranes coated with a conductive material) included in the unit module It can be formed with the same number. Accordingly, according to one embodiment of the present invention, the evaporation unit 130 and the membrane are matched one-to-one, so that the evaporation unit 130 can evaporate the polar solution in a single matched membrane (ie, membrane unit control). is possible; for example, spatial separation between membranes can be made). Alternatively, the evaporation unit 130 according to an embodiment of the present invention, in this example, based on one unit module, the membrane (specifically, a plurality of membranes coated with a conductive material) included in the unit module It can be formed in fewer than the number of Accordingly, according to an embodiment of the present invention, the evaporation unit 130 and the membranes are matched one-to-many so that the evaporation unit 130 can evaporate the polar solution from the plurality of matched membranes.

However, the arrangement form of the evaporation unit 130 according to an embodiment of the present invention is not limited to the above examples, and it is revealed that various changes can be made within the scope of achieving the object of the present invention. .

Finally, the control unit 140 according to an embodiment of the present invention may determine at least one of polar solution supply information and internal air heating information by referring to electricity generation environment information associated with the assembly 100. .

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the amount of the polar solution supplied from the polar solution supply unit 120 is excessive so that the ratio of the wet area in the plurality of membranes coated with the conductive material corresponds to a predetermined level (specifically, the wet area When this occupied ratio corresponds to 100%), electrical energy is not produced in the main body 110 . In addition, according to one embodiment of the present invention, even if the ratio occupied by the wet area in the entirety of the plurality of membranes coated with the conductive material does not correspond to the predetermined level, the ratio occupied by the wet area in any one membrane corresponds to the predetermined level. In this case, the amount of electrical energy produced by the body portion 110 is reduced.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, whether the ratio of the wet area in the plurality of membranes coated with the conductive material (or in each of the plurality of membranes coated with the conductive material) corresponds to a predetermined level is associated with the assembly 100. It may be determined (or judged) with reference to electricity production environment information. Here, according to one embodiment of the present invention, the electricity production environment information associated with the assembly 100 includes the amount of power (or amount of electrical energy produced) produced by the body portion 110 (this amount of power is one end of the body portion 110). It can be measured by a power sensor (not shown) formed on the internal temperature of the assembly 100 (this internal temperature can be measured by a temperature sensor (not shown) disposed inside the assembly 100). present) and internal humidity of the assembly 100 (the internal humidity may be measured by a humidity sensor (not shown) disposed inside the assembly 100).

For example, according to one embodiment of the present invention, with reference to the reduction in the amount of power produced by the body unit 110 to a predetermined level or less, in a plurality of membranes coated with a conductive material (or a plurality of membranes coated with a conductive material). It can be determined that the ratio occupied by the wet area (in each of the membranes of ) corresponds to a predetermined level.

For another example, according to an embodiment of the present invention, at least one of the internal temperature and humidity of the assembly 100 is the temperature and humidity at the time when the amount of power produced by the main body unit 110 is lowered to a predetermined level or less (such temperature and humidity may be pre-established in the database), the ratio occupied by the wet area in the plurality of membranes coated with the conductive material (or in each of the plurality of membranes coated with the conductive material) is at a predetermined level can be determined to correspond to

On the other hand, according to an embodiment of the present invention, the assembly 100 and the assembly 100 determine whether the ratio of the wet area in the plurality of membranes coated with the conductive material (or in each of the plurality of membranes coated with the conductive material) corresponds to a predetermined level. It may be determined (determined) with reference to information other than the associated electricity production environment information.

For example, according to an embodiment of the present invention, image information obtained by photographing a plurality of membranes coated with a conductive material (or each of a plurality of membranes coated with a conductive material) (such image information is disposed inside the assembly 100) With reference to an image module (not shown) that can be obtained), the ratio occupied by the wet area in a plurality of membranes coated with a conductive material (or in each of a plurality of membranes coated with a conductive material) is at a predetermined level. It can be determined (or judged) whether it is applicable. More specifically, according to an embodiment of the present invention, the plurality of membranes (or each of the plurality of membranes) in the image information obtained by photographing the plurality of membranes coated with the conductive material (or each of the plurality of membranes coated with the conductive material) Wet region in the plurality of membranes (or in each of the plurality of membranes), referring to the color of the first color all changing from the second color to the second color (eg, all changing from a light color to a dark color) It may be determined that this occupied ratio corresponds to a predetermined level.

The control unit 140 according to an embodiment of the present invention refers to the electricity production environment information (or other information other than electricity production environment information) associated with the assembly 100 as described above to supply information (for example, of the polar solution). , supply amount or supply time, supply cycle, etc. of the polar solution and heating information of the internal air (eg, heating time, heating temperature, heating cycle, etc. for which the temperature of the internal air can reach a predetermined temperature) and, using at least one of supply information of the polar solution and heating information of the internal air, the ratio occupied by the wet area in the plurality of membranes coated with the conductive material (or in each of the plurality of membranes coated with the conductive material) is can be regulated. Here, according to one embodiment of the present invention, the control unit 140 uses the supply information of the polar solution means that the control unit 140 uses a control signal based on the supply information of the polar solution to supply the polar solution supply unit 120. ) can mean controlling. In addition, according to one embodiment of the present invention, the fact that the controller 140 uses the heating information of the internal air means that the controller 140 uses a control signal based on the heating information of the internal air to heat the evaporator 130. can mean controlling.

For example, the control unit 140 according to an embodiment of the present invention refers to electricity production environment information (or other information other than electricity production environment information) associated with the assembly 100 (or the conductive material is coated). With reference to the determination that the ratio occupied by the wet area in the plurality of membranes (or in each of the plurality of membranes coated with the conductive material) corresponds to a predetermined level, the polar solution supply unit 120 stops supplying the polar solution. Determines the supply information of and determines the heating information of the internal air so that the evaporator 130 starts heating the internal air (on the other hand, the controller 140 determines the amount of power or assembly produced by the body unit 110 ( 100) so that the polar solution of the membrane coated with the conductive material has a predetermined evaporation rate or evaporation amount with reference to at least one of the internal temperature and humidity (the relationship between the temperature and humidity (or amount of power) and the evaporation rate and evaporation amount of the polar solution may be pre-established in the database) supply information of the polar solution and heating information of the internal air may be determined). Accordingly, the control unit 140 according to an embodiment of the present invention uses the supply information of the polar solution and the heating information of the internal air to control the plurality of membranes coated with the conductive material (or the plurality of membranes coated with the conductive material). (more specifically, in a plurality of membranes coated with a conductive material (or in each of a plurality of membranes coated with a conductive material)) so that the wet area and the dry area exist together ( Preferably, the proportion of the wet area in one membrane may correspond to 0.1% to 99%)).

For another example, the control unit 140 according to an embodiment of the present invention refers to electricity production environment information (or other information other than electricity production environment information) associated with the assembly 100 (or the conductive material is coated). Referring to the determination that the ratio occupied by the wet area in the plurality of membranes (or each of the plurality of membranes coated with the conductive material) corresponds to a predetermined level, the polar solution supply unit 120 sets the supply level of the polar solution (for example, For example, supply information of the polar solution may be determined to maintain a supply amount and cycle), and heating information of the internal air may be determined such that the evaporator 130 starts heating the internal air. Accordingly, the control unit 140 according to an embodiment of the present invention uses the supply information of the polar solution and the heating information of the internal air to control the plurality of membranes coated with the conductive material (or the plurality of membranes coated with the conductive material). (more specifically, in a plurality of membranes coated with a conductive material (or in each of a plurality of membranes coated with a conductive material)) so that the wet area and the dry area exist together ( Preferably, the proportion of the wet area in one membrane may correspond to 0.1% to 99%)). Here, the control unit 140 according to an embodiment of the present invention determines the supply information of the polar solution so that the polar solution supply unit 120 stops supplying the polar solution, and the evaporation unit 130 ) determines the heating information of the internal air so that the evaporator 130 heats the internal air to a temperature higher than the temperature at which the evaporator 130 heats the internal air. The heating information of the air can be determined.

On the other hand, according to an embodiment of the present invention, the control unit 140 is configured to adjust the ratio occupied by the wet area in the plurality of membranes coated with the conductive material (or in each of the plurality of membranes coated with the conductive material). Although it has been described as controlling at least one of the supply unit 120 and the evaporation unit 130 (ie, using at least one of polar solution supply information and internal air heating information), the control unit 140 is the aforementioned storage unit. The valve of 200 may be controlled to adjust the proportion of the wet area in the plurality of membranes (or in each of the plurality of membranes).

For example, the control unit 140 according to an embodiment of the present invention refers to electricity production environment information (or other information other than electricity production environment information) associated with the assembly 100 (or the conductive material is coated). With reference to the determination that the ratio occupied by the wet area in the plurality of membranes (or each of the plurality of membranes coated with the conductive material) corresponds to a predetermined level, the valve of the storage unit 200 is switched from the open state to the closed state. By controlling the valve (that is, blocking supply (or movement) of the polar solution from the storage unit 200 to the polar solution supply unit 120), in a plurality of membranes coated with conductive material (or a plurality of membranes coated with conductive material) (more specifically, in a plurality of membranes coated with a conductive material (or in each of a plurality of membranes coated with a conductive material)) so that the wet area and the dry area exist together ( Preferably, the proportion of the wet area in one membrane may correspond to 0.1% to 99%)). Here, according to one embodiment of the present invention, the polar solution supply unit 120 cannot supply the polar solution to the main body unit 110 from the time the valve of the storage unit 200 is switched from the open state to the locked state, Accordingly, the ratio occupied by the wet area in the plurality of membranes coated with the conductive material (or in each of the plurality of membranes coated with the conductive material) may be adjusted from that point in time. Meanwhile, according to one embodiment of the present invention, the operation of the evaporator 130 may also be started at the time when the valve of the storage unit 200 is switched from an open state to a locked state.

On the other hand, according to one embodiment of the present invention, when there are a plurality of assemblies 100, the adjusting unit 140 may be provided for each assembly 100 to individually control each assembly 100, , In order to control the entire plurality of assemblies 100, only one adjusting unit 140 may be provided.

Although the present invention has been described above with specific details such as specific components and limited embodiments and drawings, these are only provided to help a more general understanding of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and the present invention Those with ordinary knowledge in the technical field to which the invention belongs may seek various modifications and changes from these descriptions.

Therefore, the spirit of the present invention should not be limited to the above-described embodiments and should not be determined, and all scopes equivalent to or equivalently changed from the claims as well as the claims described below are within the scope of the spirit of the present invention. will be said to belong to

10: device
100: assembly
101: coupling part
110: body part
120: polar solution supply unit
130: evaporation unit
140: control unit
200: storage unit
300: transformer unit
400: battery
500: conversion unit

Claims (11)

As an assembly for harvesting energy,
A body portion formed by stacking a plurality of unit modules in which a plurality of membranes coated with a conductive material are electrically connected and disposed;
A polar solution supply unit for supplying a polar solution to the main body so that a wet region is formed in the plurality of membranes;
An evaporator that heats internal air to evaporate the polar solution of the plurality of membranes, and
A control unit determining at least one of supply information of the polar solution and heating information of the internal air with reference to electricity production environment information associated with the assembly;
The control unit refers to the humidity at the time when the internal humidity of the assembly is reduced to a predetermined level or less in the amount of power produced by the main body, and the ratio occupied by the plurality of membranes or the wet area in each of the plurality of membranes. determined to be at a certain level
assembly. According to claim 1,
The polar solution supply unit supplies the polar solution to the main body at predetermined time intervals.
assembly. According to claim 1,
The polar solution supply unit supplies the polar solution to the unit module or each membrane included in the unit module.
assembly. delete According to claim 1,
The control unit adjusts the ratio of the wet area in the plurality of membranes using at least one of supply information of the polar solution and heating information of the internal air.
assembly. According to claim 1,
The electricity generation environment information includes at least one of the amount of power generated by the main body, the temperature of the internal air, and the humidity of the internal air.
assembly. As a device for harvesting energy,
A body portion formed by stacking a plurality of unit modules in which a plurality of membranes coated with a conductive material are electrically connected and disposed;
A polar solution supply unit supplying a polar solution to the main body so that a wet region is formed in the plurality of membranes;
An evaporator that heats internal air to evaporate the polar solution of the plurality of membranes, and
A control unit determining at least one of supply information of the polar solution and heating information of the internal air by referring to electricity production environment information associated with an assembly;
The control unit refers to the humidity at the time when the internal humidity of the assembly is reduced to a predetermined level or less in the amount of power produced by the main body, and the ratio occupied by the plurality of membranes or the wet area in each of the plurality of membranes. determined to be at a certain level
comprising at least one assembly;
a storage unit for storing the polar solution to be supplied to the polar solution supply unit included in the at least one assembly;
A transformer that transforms the voltage applied from the at least one assembly into a preset output voltage; and
A battery that is charged using the output voltage
Device. According to claim 7,
Further comprising a conversion unit for converting the type of voltage output from the battery
Device. According to claim 7,
The at least one assembly is plural,
A first assembly of the plurality of assemblies may be coupled to a second assembly of the plurality of assemblies.
Device. According to claim 7,
The storage unit includes a filter for removing substances that do not correspond to the polar solution in at least a part of the path along which the polar solution moves.
Device. According to claim 7,
The at least one assembly is operated using power output from the battery from the start of operation to the reference time of charging the battery, and is operated using the power generated from the at least one assembly from the reference time of charging the battery.
Device.

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