KR20220153889A - Generator using thermoelectic element and eco-friendly solar power generation system having the same - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a generator using a thermoelectric element and an eco-friendly solar power generation system including the same. The generator includes: a main body having a hollow part; a thermoelectric element attached to a side surface of the hollow part and generating power through a temperature difference between an outside air temperature and a temperature of the hollow part; and a heat dissipation part that has a plate shape installed horizontally with the upper surface of the main body, and comprises a first conductor heated by a light collecting part and a second conductor extended vertically from a lower surface of the first conductor and installed in a T shape together with the first conductor.

Description

Generator using a thermoelectric element and an eco-friendly solar power generation system including the same

The present invention relates to a generator using a thermoelectric element and an eco-friendly photovoltaic power generation system including the same.

As science and technology developed, more machines were invented and naturally more energy was needed. However, at the same time, as a new condition was created that global warming should not occur, humans turned their eyes to renewable energy.

Among these new and renewable energies, the most spotlighted is solar energy, and there are largely solar power generation and solar thermal power generation. Photovoltaic power generation uses solar cells. A solar cell is a technology that converts light energy from the sun into electrical energy. A solar cell is a key element of photovoltaic power generation that directly converts sunlight into electricity, and can be basically referred to as a diode made of a p-n junction. Looking at the process of converting sunlight into electricity by a solar cell, when sunlight is incident on the semiconductor layer of a solar cell, electron-hole pairs are created, and electrons move to the n layer and holes move to the p layer by the electric field. Photovoltaic power is generated between the p-n junctions, and at this time, when a load or system is connected to both ends of the solar cell, current flows and power can be produced.

Solar power generation is a power generation method that moves a heat engine and a generator by absorbing thermal energy radiated from the sun. There are two types of power generation: tower concentrating method and parabolic concentrating method. In the tower concentrating method, a water tank is placed on top of the tower, and many reflectors are installed around the tower, and the reflected sunlight constantly illuminates the surface of the water tank to heat the water. The parabolic condensing method refers to a method of heating water by installing a pipe through which water passes located above the focal point of a parabolic mirror arranged in a straight line.

Meanwhile, there is a method of acquiring electrical energy using a thermoelectric element (Peltier element). The Peltier effect is a metal element composed of a p-type semiconductor and an n-type semiconductor. When two types of conductors are combined and current flows, the contact on one side heats up and the temperature rises, and the contact on the other side absorbs heat. This means that the temperature decreases. The opposite of the Peltier effect is the Seebeck effect. The Seebeck effect refers to a phenomenon in which an electromotive force is generated and an electric current is generated when a certain temperature difference is given to both sides.

The present invention is to provide a generator using a thermoelectric element capable of generating small-scale eco-friendly energy using the Seebeck effect and an eco-friendly photovoltaic power generation system including the same.

A generator using a thermoelectric element, which is an embodiment of the present invention devised to solve the above problems, includes a main body having a hollow part; a thermoelectric element attached to a side surface of the hollow part and generating power through a temperature difference between an outside air temperature and a temperature of the hollow part; a light collecting unit installed on an upper surface of the main body; and a first conductor heated by the light condensing unit and a second conductor extending vertically from the lower surface of the first conductor and installed in a T shape together with the first conductor as a plate shape installed horizontally with the upper surface of the main body. A heat dissipation unit having a; may include.

Here, the light collecting unit may include a Fresnel lens.

Here, the generator using the thermoelectric element includes a temperature sensor installed in the hollow part; a tilting driving unit for tilting the light collecting unit; a memory for storing reference temperature information; and a control unit which compares the temperature of the hollow part measured by the temperature sensor with the reference temperature information and controls the tilting angle of the light concentrating unit by driving the tilting driving unit.

Here, the generator using the thermoelectric element further includes a vertical driving unit that moves the heat dissipating unit up and down, and the control unit operates the vertical driving unit to match the focal position of the light collecting unit according to the operation of the tilting driving unit to dissipate the heat. Wealth can be moved up and down.

Here, the generator using the thermoelectric element includes a charging unit connected to the thermoelectric element; a current sensor measuring an amount of current generated from the thermoelectric element; a memory for storing reference current information; and a control unit that compares the measured current information measured by the current sensor with the reference current information and drives the tilting driving unit to adjust the tilting angle of the light concentrating unit.

Another embodiment of the eco-friendly photovoltaic power generation system of the present invention includes a photovoltaic power generation unit installed in the field, and the photovoltaic power generation unit includes a solar panel; and a cooling system for cooling the solar panel so that the photovoltaic power generation unit operates at an appropriate temperature, wherein the cooling system includes: a cold water path attached to the solar panel; supplying cold water to the cold water path. Pump; and a thermoelectric element generator supplying power to the pump, wherein the thermoelectric element generator includes: a main body having a hollow part; a thermoelectric element attached to a side surface of the hollow part and generating power through a temperature difference between an outside air temperature and a temperature of the hollow part; a light collecting unit installed on an upper surface of the main body; and a first conductor heated by the light condensing unit and a second conductor extending vertically from the lower surface of the first conductor and installed in a T shape together with the first conductor as a plate shape installed horizontally with the upper surface of the main body. A heat dissipation unit having a; may include.

Here, in the thermoelectric element generator, the light collecting unit may include a Fresnel lens.

Here, the thermoelectric element generator may include a temperature sensor installed in the hollow part; a tilting driving unit for tilting the light collecting unit; a memory for storing reference temperature information; and a control unit which compares the temperature of the hollow part measured by the temperature sensor with the reference temperature information and controls the tilting angle of the light concentrating unit by driving the tilting driving unit.

Here, the thermoelectric element generator may further include a vertical drive unit that moves the heat dissipating unit up and down, and the control unit operates the vertical drive unit according to a focal position of the light concentrating unit according to an operation of the tilting drive unit to adjust the heat dissipation unit. can be moved up and down.

Here, the thermoelectric element generator may include a charging unit connected to the thermoelectric element; a current sensor measuring an amount of current generated from the thermoelectric element; a memory for storing reference current information; and a control unit that compares the measured current information measured by the current sensor with the reference current information and drives the tilting driving unit to adjust the tilting angle of the light concentrating unit.

According to one embodiment of the present invention having the above configuration, it is possible to generate power using the temperature difference between the inside of the body heated by solar heat and the outside air.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, power generation efficiency can be maximized by changing the inclination of the light concentrator and the location of the heat sink to match the sun's moving path and the focal length of the lens.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, since the solar panel can be installed without a separate electric facility in circulating cold water so that the solar panel is operated at an appropriate temperature, it is possible to build a photovoltaic power generation system that does not require the installation of external electric facilities.

1 is a conceptual diagram for explaining the concept of a generator using a thermoelectric element, which is an embodiment of the present invention.
2 is a block diagram for explaining the electronic configuration of a generator using a thermoelectric element, which is an embodiment of the present invention.
3 is a view for explaining movement and tilting of a light concentrating unit and a heat dissipating unit according to the movement of the sun in a generator using a thermoelectric element according to an embodiment of the present invention.
4 is a conceptual diagram for explaining the overall configuration of an eco-friendly photovoltaic power generation system according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, a string instrument for education according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In this specification, the same or similar reference numerals are assigned to the same or similar components even in different embodiments, and the description is replaced with the first description.

1 is a conceptual diagram for explaining the concept of a generator using a thermoelectric element, which is an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1 , a generator using a thermoelectric element may include a main body 10 , a thermoelectric element 20 , a light collecting unit 30 , and a heat dissipation unit 40 .

As shown in FIG. 1 , the main body 10 includes a hollow part for accommodating the thermoelectric element 20 and the heat dissipating part 40, and may be formed in a cylindrical or polygonal cylinder shape as a whole. The main body 10 may be made of an insulator, such as a plastic material.

The thermoelectric element 20 is an element that is attached to the inner surface of the main body 10 and generates electricity according to the Seebeck effect according to the temperature difference between the outside air temperature and the temperature of the hollow part. Since the Peltier element is a well-known material, a description thereof will be omitted.

The light collecting unit 30 is installed on the upper surface of the main body 10 . The concentrating unit 30 has a structure of condensing external sunlight to heat the heat dissipating unit 40 disposed at the focal length. The light collecting unit 30 may be configured to be appropriately inclined according to the position of the sun by a tilting driving unit 60 to be described later.

As shown, the heat dissipation part 40 is formed in a T shape and has a plate shape installed horizontally with the upper surface of the main body 10, and the first conductor 41 heated by the light concentrating part 30 and a second conductor 42 extending vertically from the lower surface of the first conductor 41. In particular, the first conductor 41 is located at a position suitable for the focal length of the concentrating part 30, so that the heating effect according to the condensing light can be maximized.

In particular, the heat dissipation unit 40 is adjusted up and down by a vertical drive unit 80 to be described later. This operation will be described in more detail with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3 .

On the other hand, the temperature sensor 50 is installed in the hollow part and the current sensor 100 is installed on the side of the charging part 90, and the vertical driving part 80 and the tilting driving part 60 ) can be operated.

Hereinafter, this point will be described in more detail with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3 .

2 is a block diagram illustrating an electronic configuration of a generator using a thermoelectric element according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 2, the generator using the thermoelectric element includes a temperature sensor 50, a tilting drive unit 60, a memory 70, a vertical drive unit 80, a charging unit 90, a current sensor 100, and a controller ( 110) may be configured.

As described above, the temperature sensor 50 is installed in the hollow part and measures the temperature of the high-temperature hollow part heated by the heat dissipation part 40 .

The tilting driving unit 60 is a component that changes the angle of the light concentrating unit 30 composed of a Fresnel lens installed on the upper surface of the main body 10 according to the movement of the direction.

The memory 70 functions to store reference temperature information and reference current information. This is used as reference information for operating the tilting driving unit 60 and the vertical driving unit 80 in the control unit 110 to be described later.

The vertical drive unit 80 functions to move the heat dissipation unit 40 up and down so that the first conductor 41 of the heat dissipation unit 40 is positioned at the focal length of the light collecting unit 30 . Accordingly, it is possible to maximize the power generation efficiency by maximizing the heating effect of the hollow part.

The charging unit 90 functions to store electrical energy produced from the thermoelectric element 20 . A current sensor 100 is installed on the side of the charging unit 90 to measure the amount of current generated by the thermoelectric element 20, and based on this amount of current, the light collecting unit 30 is tilted or the heat dissipating unit 40 moves vertically will do

The control unit 110 compares the hollow temperature measured by the temperature sensor 50 with the reference temperature information to drive the tilting driving unit 60 to adjust the tilting angle of the light collecting unit 30, and the tilting The vertical driving unit 80 is operated to move the heat dissipating unit 40 up and down according to the focal position of the light concentrating unit 30 according to the operation of the driving unit 60, and the measured current measured by the current sensor 100 The information is compared with the reference current information to drive the tilting driver 60 or the vertical moving unit to adjust the tilting angle of the light concentrating part 30 or to match the focal length of the light concentrating part 30 .

Hereinafter, the tilting of the light collecting unit 30 and the movement of the heat dissipating unit 40 according to the movement of the sun will be described with reference to FIG. 3 .

3 is a view for explaining movement and tilting of the light concentrating unit 30 and the heat dissipating unit 40 according to the movement of the sun in a generator using a thermoelectric element according to an embodiment of the present invention. (a) of FIG. 3 is breakfast, (b) is lunch, and (c) is dinner. The sun rises in the east and sets in the west after passing through the mid-north altitude. In the case of (a), the light concentrating unit 30 is tilted toward the east. That is, the light collector 30 is tilted toward the sun to collect more sunlight. In addition, in this case, since the focal length is long, the heat dissipation unit 40 is moved downward.

In the case of (b), the sun is at the midday altitude. In this case, the light collecting unit 30 is not tilted, and thus the focal length is shortened. By doing so, the heat dissipation unit 40 moves vertically upward, so that the heat dissipation unit 40 is positioned according to the focal length.

In case (c), the sun is in the west. In this case, the light collecting unit 30 is tilted westward in the direction opposite to (a). That is, the light collector 30 is tilted toward the sun to collect more sunlight. In addition, in this case, since the focal length is long, the heat dissipation unit 40 is moved downward.

As described above, the light collection efficiency varies according to the movement of the sun, and then the temperature of the hollow part measured by the temperature sensor 50, the reference temperature, and the measurement time are compared. Accordingly, the control unit 110 properly proceeds with tilting the light collecting unit 30 and raising and lowering the heat dissipating unit 40 as shown in FIG. 3 . At this time, it may proceed using not only the temperature but also the amount of current.

Hereinafter, an eco-friendly photovoltaic power generation system in which the generator using the thermoelectric element described in FIGS. 1 to 3 is applied to the photovoltaic power generation system will be described with reference to FIG. 4 .

4 is a conceptual diagram for explaining the overall configuration of an eco-friendly photovoltaic power generation system according to another embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 4 , an eco-friendly photovoltaic power generation system according to another embodiment of the present invention largely includes a photovoltaic power generation unit (A) and a cooling system (B).

The photovoltaic power generation unit (A) is usually installed in the field and is configured to include a solar panel (A1). The photovoltaic panel A1 can have optimal power generation efficiency when operated at an appropriate temperature. In general, in summer, the temperature of the photovoltaic panel A1 is too high despite a large amount of sunlight, so the power generation efficiency decreases. Accordingly, the cold water path is attached to the solar panel A1 to generate power at an appropriate temperature. At this time, a pump B2 for transferring cold water in the cold water path B1 is used, and a generator B3 using the thermoelectric element of FIGS. 1 to 3 is used as a power source for the pump B2. The generator B3 using the thermoelectric element is installed around the solar panel A1 and, in some cases, attached to a support pillar supporting the solar panel A1. In this way, when the pump B2 is operated using the generator B3 using the thermoelectric element, the degree of freedom in installing the pump B2 increases, and a solar power plant can be constructed without considering a separate power facility facility. there will be

According to one embodiment of the present invention having the above configuration, it is possible to generate power using the temperature difference between the inside of the body heated by solar heat and the outside air.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, power generation efficiency can be maximized by changing the inclination of the light concentrator and the location of the heat sink to match the sun's moving path and the focal length of the lens.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, since the solar panel can be installed without a separate electric facility in circulating cold water so that the solar panel is operated at an appropriate temperature, it is possible to build a photovoltaic power generation system that does not require the installation of external electric facilities.

The educational string instrument as described above is not limited to the configuration and operation method of the embodiments described above. The above embodiments can be configured so that various modifications can be made by selectively combining all or part of each embodiment.

10: body
20: thermoelectric element
30: light collector
40: heat sink
50: temperature sensor
60: tilting driving unit
70: memory
80: vertical driving unit
90: charging part
100: current sensor
110: control unit
A: Solar power generation unit
B: cooling system

Claims (10)

A main body having a hollow part;
a thermoelectric element attached to a side surface of the hollow part and generating power through a temperature difference between an outside air temperature and a temperature of the hollow part;
a light collecting unit installed on an upper surface of the main body; and
A first conductor heated by the light collecting part and a second conductor extending vertically from the lower surface of the first conductor and installed in a T shape together with the first conductor as a plate shape installed horizontally with the upper surface of the main body A generator using a thermoelectric element comprising a; heat dissipation unit having a.
According to claim 1,
The light collecting unit includes a Fresnel lens, a generator using a thermoelectric element.
According to claim 1,
a temperature sensor installed in the hollow part;
a tilting driving unit for tilting the light collecting unit;
a memory for storing reference temperature information; and
A generator using a thermoelectric element comprising a control unit that compares the temperature of the hollow part measured by the temperature sensor with the reference temperature information and drives the tilting driving unit to adjust the tilting angle of the light collecting unit.
According to claim 3,
It further includes; a vertical driving unit for moving the heat dissipating unit up and down,
The control unit,
A generator using a thermoelectric element, wherein the vertical driving unit is operated to move the heat dissipating unit up and down according to a focal position of the light concentrating unit according to an operation of the tilting driving unit.
According to claim 1,
a charging unit connected to the thermoelectric element;
a current sensor measuring an amount of current generated from the thermoelectric element;
a memory for storing reference current information; and
A generator using a thermoelectric element comprising a control unit comparing the measured current information measured by the current sensor with the reference current information and driving the tilting driving unit to adjust the tilting angle of the light collecting unit.
A solar power generation unit installed in the field, the solar power generation unit including a solar panel;
A cooling system for cooling the solar panel so that the solar power unit operates at an appropriate temperature;
The cooling system,
Cold water path attached to the solar panel;
a pump supplying cold water to the cold water path;
Including a thermoelectric element generator for supplying power to the pump,
The thermoelectric element generator,
A main body having a hollow part;
a thermoelectric element attached to a side surface of the hollow part and generating power through a temperature difference between an outside air temperature and a temperature of the hollow part;
a light collecting unit installed on an upper surface of the main body; and
A first conductor heated by the light collecting part and a second conductor extending vertically from the lower surface of the first conductor and installed in a T shape together with the first conductor as a plate shape installed horizontally with the upper surface of the main body Eco-friendly photovoltaic power generation system including;
According to claim 6,
The thermoelectric element generator,
The light collecting unit includes a Fresnel lens, an eco-friendly solar power generation system
According to claim 6,
The thermoelectric element generator,
a temperature sensor installed in the hollow part;
a tilting driving unit for tilting the light collecting unit;
a memory for storing reference temperature information; and
An eco-friendly photovoltaic power generation system including a control unit that compares the temperature of the hollow part measured by the temperature sensor with the reference temperature information and drives the tilting driver to adjust the tilting angle of the light collecting unit.
According to claim 8,
The thermoelectric element generator,
It further includes; a vertical driving unit for moving the heat dissipating unit up and down,
The control unit,
An eco-friendly photovoltaic power generation system that vertically moves the heat dissipating unit by operating the vertical driving unit according to the focal position of the light collecting unit according to the operation of the tilting driving unit.
According to claim 6,
The thermoelectric element generator,
a charging unit connected to the thermoelectric element;
a current sensor measuring an amount of current generated from the thermoelectric element;
a memory for storing reference current information; and
and a control unit comparing the measured current information measured by the current sensor with the reference current information and driving the tilting driver to adjust the tilting angle of the light collecting unit.

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