Study of the Energy Efficiency of a Thermal Electrical Generator with a Hydraulic Heat Supply System

Abstract

The article presents the results of a study of an alternative option for generating electricity as an approach to reducing dependence on traditional methods of generating electricity. We have proposed a variant of a thermal electric generator containing a thermoelectric converter with a hydraulic system for a forced supply of cold and hot heat carriers. The research aimed to determine the thermal generator's efficiency under different variants of external load and temperature differences on the thermal sides of the thermoelectric converter. The load was selected from a variable range: 0, 0.51, 1.8, 5.1, 15 Ω. The temperature range was from 10 to 45°C. Semiconductor sensor technology was used to monitor the temperature, electrical and thermal power parameters of a thermal power generator. The study of the generator operation without load revealed a linear change in the converter's thermoelectromotive force from 600 to 2600 mV. With an external load of 15 Ω, we managed to achieve the best performance in generating the output voltage, which varied linearly from 600 to 2500 mV. In the course of comparative studies, the highest generator power was recorded at an external resistance of 1.8 Ω, which varied from 0.05 to 0.43 W depending on the temperature difference. At this load value, the best energy conversion rates were also achieved, when the efficiency coefficient varied between 0.3 and 0.55%.