RU2561502C1 - Thermoelectric generator using thermal energy of flared gas - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: power industry.

SUBSTANCE: thermoelectric generator using thermal energy of flared gas contains four thermoelectric modules, radiators, a heat receiver with a burner device. The thermoelectric generator also comprises: a control unit, a power unit, a relay unit, two temperature sensors, a gas electromagnetic valve, an electric lighter. The generator operation is fully automated (after its first starting) and operates uninterruptedly due to microcontroller control. The invention provides the trouble-free operation of gas-reducing facilities of the main gas pipelines and low pressure gas networks (telemechanics facilities, instrumentation, lighting, security and fire alarm system, etc.).

EFFECT: improvement of operational characteristics of the thermoelectric generator, full independence, automation of regulation of temperature of heating of heat receiver, improved reliability and long service life of the generator, adjustable output DC voltage and possibility to regulate battery charge current due to the trimming resistor in the relay unit.

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Description

The invention relates to the field of conversion of thermal energy into electrical energy and can be used in places remote from power lines for supplying direct electric current to a complex of electronic equipment and automation equipment and telemetry of gas pipelines (flow rate, pressure, gas properties, etc.) in continuous operation .

Known thermal generator (RF Patent No. 2355911 "Thermal generator", published 05/20/2009), containing a heat-removing device, a soil pipe, an air heat exchanger, a solar collector, motor, storage and actuating mechanisms, a mechanism that switches the fluid flow, a device for automatically controlling the operation of electrical units, inverter and battery.

The disadvantage of this device is the technological complexity of manufacturing all the actuating and intermediate mechanisms, and the presence of moving parts reduces the reliability indicator of the device during stand-alone use.

A known power supply based on a thermoelectric generator (AS USSR No. 439252, published 05.08.1978) containing a thermoelectric module, a burner device and a thermal discharge system in the form of radiators and a cooling jacket, inside which a turbulator in the form of a wire spiral is installed. The disadvantage of this device is the low resource and insufficient reliability.

The closest in technical essence to the proposed technical solution is a thermoelectric power supply (RF Patent No. 2371816 "Thermoelectric power supply", published October 27, 2009), containing thermoelectric generators located in the container, which consist of thermoelectric batteries installed in the casing connected to air radiators and through a heat receiver with a burner device, as well as a voltage stabilization unit, a control unit and a temperature control system. A diesel generator with an automatic start system and batteries connected to thermoelectric generators via a charger are introduced into the device.

However, this device also has a drawback, and this is the presence of a diesel generator, which ultimately increases the price, overall dimensions of the device and reduces the reliability of the equipment due to the presence of moving parts. And, as a result, the lack of autonomy of the device due to the constant refueling of the diesel generator. And the presence of a forced air movement device in the container and an electric heater connected to a diesel generator additionally consumes the generated energy from the thermoelectric batteries of the device.

The technical task of the invention to be solved is to increase reliability, reduce accidental failures and ensure uninterrupted operation of a thermoelectric generator due to automatic temperature control and regulation on the faces of thermoelectric modules using temperature sensors and low-power actuators to provide backup power to electronic equipment and automation and telemetry pipelines.

The solution of this problem in a thermoelectric generator operating from the heat energy of the combusted gas, containing thermoelectric modules, air radiators, a heat receiver with a burner, a control unit, temperature sensors, a battery, is achieved by introducing a power unit that contains a microassembly of three electronic keys and two controlled relays, as well as a voltage regulator; actuators that contain an electric lighter with electrodes and a gas solenoid valve; a relay unit based on a series-connected relay, a constant resistor, a tuning resistor, a diode, and a battery; the heat sink is a metal cylinder with an inner surface in the form of a cylinder turning into a cone, the control unit is made on the basis of a microcontroller and has a switch for setting the output voltage, and the outputs of two temperature sensors are connected to the inputs of the control unit, respectively, four thermoelectric modules are connected in series and clamped between the heat receiver and four air radiators - screw clamps using coil springs using heat insulation material - asbestos cloth AT-3, 2.5 ÷ 3 mm thick between air radiators and heat sink, the output of the first thermoelectric module and the output of the last thermoelectric module are connected through the relay unit to the inputs of the power unit, the power input of the control unit is connected to the first output of the power unit , the control output of the control unit is connected to the input of the power unit, the power input of the electric lighter, which is the actuator, is connected to the second output of the power unit, the gas power supply input netic valve, which actuator is connected to the third output of the power block, the relay power supply input is connected to the fourth output of the power unit, relay unit output is the output voltage produced by the device.

The invention is illustrated by drawings (Fig. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9).

In FIG. 1 shows a diagram of a thermoelectric generator;

In FIG. 2 shows a diagram of a relay unit;

In FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of a heat receiver;

In FIG. 4 is a view along A of the image shown in FIG. 2;

In FIG. 5 shows a section along BB of the presented image in FIG. 2;

In FIG. 6 shows a perspective view of an air radiator;

In FIG. 7 shows a General view of the assembly of the thermionic part of the thermoelectric generator;

In FIG. 8 is a section along AA shown in FIG. 6;

In FIG. 9 shows the algorithm of the program of the control unit - microcontroller.

A thermoelectric generator operating from the heat energy of the combusted gas (Fig. 1) contains four thermoelectric modules 1 with heat-insulating material 2 (asbestos fabric AT-3) sandwiched between the heat receiver 3 and four air radiators 4, screw clamp 5, the first temperature sensor 6 can be made as a thermocouple TE1, serves to measure the temperature of the air radiator 4, the second temperature sensor 7 can be made as a thermocouple TE2, is needed to measure the temperature of the heat sink 3, the burner in - gas burner 8, gas solenoid valve 9 can be made as KGEZ-20-10-5-M TU3712-040-002255555-2004 - manufacturer company Prompribor, electrodes of electric lighter 10, electric lighter 11, power block 12 is made on a voltage stabilizer supplying a microassembly of three electronic keys that are connected in series with two control relays, the control unit 13 is based on a microcontroller and has an output voltage setting switch, a relay unit 14. In FIG. 1 shows a gas pipe 15, is an external element through which gas is supplied necessary for the operation of the proposed device.

In FIG. 2 shows a diagram of a relay block made on the elements. The relay block contains connected in series: relay 16 can be performed as RES55A RS4.569.600-03.02 - РСО.456.011 TU, resistor 17 SQP-10 - manufacturer Taiwan, which is an analog of PEV, S5-35, S5-37, resistor tuned 18 type SP5 -35B - Russian-made company Rikor Electronics OJSC, manufactured in accordance with the technical specifications ОЖО.468.529ТУ, diode 19 type 2D213B GOST В22468-77 - Russian-made and a rechargeable battery 20 type DT12045, 12V-4.5А * h - manufacturer Delta Battery company, and DS-026-AS type 21 output connector - manufacturer Wealth M etal Factory. " The output 22 is the input for the voltage stabilizer of the power unit 12, the output 23 is the input from thermoelectric models 1. Moreover, the output of the power unit 12 is the power input of the relay coil 16 of the relay unit 14, voltage +5 V (in Fig. 2. the relay coil 16 is not displayed ) The resistor 17 and the tuning resistor 18 allow you to adjust the charge current of the battery 20.

In FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional perspective view of the heat receiver 3, which is a metal cylinder with an inner surface made in the form of a cylinder turning into a cone (Fig. 4 and Fig. 5), to ensure a uniform thermal field on the outer surface of the heat receiver 3, in order to ensure full and reliable operation of thermoelectric modules 1.

A general view of the assembly of the thermoelectric part of the thermoelectric generator (Fig. 7) is a design in which four thermoelectric modules 1 are sandwiched between a cylindrical heat receiver 3 and four air radiators 4, and due to the tightening screws 5 with springs, which serve to provide an appropriate clamping force to prevent excessive compression or weakening of the compressive force due to the coefficient of thermal expansion of structural elements, the appearance of the air radiator 4 is shown in FIG. 6.

To ensure and maintain a uniform thermal field and temperature difference on the faces of thermoelectric modules 1, an additional thermal insulation layer 2 (AT-3 asbestos fabric with a thickness of 2.5–3 mm) is additionally located, so that the height of the thermal insulation layer 2 laid in two layers is more than the height of thermoelectric modules 1. Four windows 40 × 40 mm in size are cut out in the insulating layer 2 to accommodate four thermoelectric modules 1 in them, in order to prevent thermal contact between the air radiators 4 and the heat sink m 3, the structure is made, as shown in FIG. 8. Four thermoelectric modules 1 are connected electrically in series to obtain the maximum total generated voltage equal to +15 V, and the output of the first thermoelectric module 1 and the output of the last thermoelectric module 1 are connected through the relay unit 14 to the inputs of the power unit 12.

The operation algorithm of the microcontroller program is shown in FIG. 9.

The device operates as follows in accordance with the programmed algorithm of the program (Fig. 9) of the microcontroller installed in the control unit 13.

Before turning on the device, the battery 20 is installed and connected inside the relay unit 14. The ON indicator on the front panel of the control unit 13 of the thermoelectric generator lights up. Manually (only at the first start), connect the gas pipe 15 to the gas solenoid valve 9, then the control unit 13, after reading the data from the second temperature sensor 7, that the temperature of the heat receiver 3 is less than 50 ° C, immediately activates the electric lighter 11 through the power unit 12 to ignite the gas at the gas burner 8 by creating a spark between the electrodes 10 of the electric lighter 11.

After a slight warming up of the heat exchanger 3 (from 0.5 min or more) with a temperature difference between the two sensors of the second 7 and the first 6, which are in the range of 100 ÷ 150 ° C, these data are sent to the control unit 13, which in turn through the power unit 12 and the relay unit 14 switches the thermoelectric generator to the charge mode of the battery 20, the “Charge” indicator on the front panel of the control unit 13 lights up.

The control unit 13 constantly (every 5 seconds) checks the temperature data from the temperature sensors of the second 7 and first 6, and if their temperature difference is in the range of more than 150 ° C, the control unit 13 turns off the power of the gas solenoid valve through the power unit 12 9, as a result of which the flame of the gas burner 8 goes out, the heat receiver 3 begins to cool. As soon as the temperature difference from the temperature sensors of the second 7 and the first 6 is 100 ° C, the control unit 13 through the power unit 12 turns on the gas solenoid valve 9 (gas solenoid valve 9 opens), and also activates the electric lighter 11 (will work before moment, as soon as the second temperature sensor 7 detects an increase in the temperature of the heat receiver 3), which will create sparks through the electrodes 10 to ignite the gas on the gas burner 8. The temperature of the heat receiver 3 will be in the inter The temperature range is 100 ÷ 150 ° C, and the thermoelectric generator will be in normal operation and will recharge the battery 20 to power any low-power load connected through connector 21 in the voltage range from +3 V to +12 V, the value of which is set discretely with using the switch on the control unit 13.

Thus, the operation of the thermoelectric generator is fully automated (after the first start-up) and works smoothly thanks to microcontroller control, which performs automatic temperature control of heating of the heat receiver 3 and radiator 4, as well as controls low-power actuators: gas electromagnetic valve 9 and electric lighter 11, thereby providing backup power supply to the connected load in the voltage range from +3 V to +12 V and recharging the battery th battery 20 in the relay block 14, where the presence of the building-in resistor 18 additionally allows you to adjust the charge current of the battery 20. This increases the reliability of the thermoelectric generator, eliminates the possibility of failures and ensures continuous uninterrupted operation of the thermoelectric modules 1, and also increases their term service due to gentle temperature conditions.

Claims (1)

A thermoelectric generator operating from the heat energy of the combusted gas, comprising thermoelectric modules, air radiators, a heat receiver with a burner, a control unit, temperature sensors, a battery, characterized in that a power unit is introduced that contains a microassembly of three electronic keys and two controlled relays, as well as a voltage stabilizer; actuators that contain an electric lighter with electrodes and a gas solenoid valve; a relay unit based on a series-connected relay, a constant resistor, a tuning resistor, a diode, and a battery; the heat sink is a metal cylinder with an inner surface in the form of a cylinder turning into a cone, the control unit is made on the basis of a microcontroller and has a switch for setting the output voltage, and the outputs of two temperature sensors are connected to the inputs of the control unit, respectively, four thermoelectric modules are connected in series and clamped between the heat receiver and four air radiators - screw clamps using coil springs using heat insulation material - asbestos cloth AT-3, 2.5 ÷ 3 mm thick between air radiators and heat sink, the output of the first thermoelectric module and the output of the last thermoelectric module are connected through the relay unit to the inputs of the power unit, the power input of the control unit is connected to the first output of the power unit , the control output of the control unit is connected to the input of the power unit, the power input of the electric lighter, which is the actuator, is connected to the second output of the power unit, the gas power supply input netic valve actuator being connected to the third output of the power block, the relay power supply input is connected to the fourth output of the power unit, relay unit output is the output voltage produced by the device.

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