The Impact of Different Electric Connection Types in Thermoelectric Generator Modules on Power
Abstract
Recently, there is a need for increase in energy efficiency and more energy due to increase in the human population and increased production with the development of technology. This pushes scientists to search for alternative energy. In this respect, interest in renewable energy sources is increasing day by day due to the fact that it is clean energy. Thermal sources have some advantages when compared to other sources, which is why they are at the forefront of renewable energy sources. Today we make use of thermal sources in many fields ranging from greenhouse, fish breeding, thermal facilities, city heating and electricity production. When generating electricity from geothermal electricity conventional methods such as steam turbine-generator cycle are used as well as innovative methods such as semiconductor thermoelectric modules. In the light of developing technologies and researches, we know that we can produce electricity using the heat that the thermal energy gives out while it is being transmitted from one place to another. In this study, in order to shed light on the technological developments in electricity generation using thermal sources, Thermoelectric Coolers (TEC) which convert heat energy into electricity have been used. Two different TEC1-12706 and TEC1-12710 materials from the market were used. The effects of the serial and parallel connections of these materials on the generated power have been observed. Following the experimental studies, the reactions of the different connection types of the TECs to the load were examined. It was observed that the power values obtained from different TECs used varied according to the connection types, both loaded and unloaded.
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Introduction
Energy is one of the main factors that reflect the economic and social development potential of a country because it has an important place in production. In order to meet the increasing need for electricity energy with the developing technology, efforts are being made to obtain energy from alternative energy sources all over the world. These studies aim to achieve clean, cheap and efficient energy. Fossil sources such as coal, oil, natural gas, LPG, wood, which we use widely today, both cause harm to the environment as well as are expected to be consumed in the near future. Nuclear energy, which has started to be used as an alternative to these, has a dangerous production method that requires attention in production and recycling. Due to these reasons, the use of renewable energy sources such as biogas, hydrolic, wind, sun, tidal wave energy, thermal, geothermal has become inevitable in today and in the future. Renewable energy sources differ in terms of efficiency, cheapness, damage to the environment and advanced technologies. Among these energy sources, geothermal energy is more advantageous in that it is efficient, cheap, does not cause damage to the environment and can be utilized at any time of the year, and recently attracts more attention from scientists.
Although today it does not have the potential to be used as the major source of energy production, geothermal energy stands out as a non-polluting, renewable, sustainable and environmentally friendly energy when appropriate technologies are used. Several studies have been carried out on generating electricity with TEC from various waste heat [1-5]. In this study, in order to shed light on the technological developments in electricity generation using thermal sources, Thermoelectric Coolers (TEC) which convert heat energy into electricity have been used. Two different TEC1-12706 and TEC1-12710 materials from the market were used. The effects of the serial and parallel connections of these materials on the generated power have been observed. Following the experimental studies, the reactions of the different connection types of the TECs to the load were examined. It was observed that the power values obtained from different TECs used varied according to the connection types, both loaded and unloaded.
Conclusion
In the experimental setup prepared in this study, experiments were carried out with electrical connection between two types of TECs. According to these experiments, the type of electrical connection in Fig. 11 has been the type of connection that gave the best value for both TEC1-12706 and TEC1-12710 in terms of current and voltage ratio. Later, (TH) module hot surface, (TC) module cold surface, voltage (V), current (A) and power (W) values obtained from geothermal energy and time were measured starting from the operation of the system until the hot water reached 100 ° C at the third stage speed of the recirculation motor at 2.5 bar water pressure in this connection type closed system. When we look at the analysis graph of the voltage produced by TEC1-12706 and TEC12710 in Fig. 12, we can see that the values are very close to each other but TEC1-12706 produces more voltage at low temperature.
When we look at the graph of current analysis produced by TEC1-12706 and TEC12710 in Fig. 13, although TEC1-12706 provided current at lower temperature, at later temperatures, TEC1-12710 caught up and produced more current.
When we look at the graph of power analysis produced by TEC1-12706 and TEC12710 in Fig. 14, since the voltages produced by both TECs are very close to each other, the decisive element seems to be the current and although TEC1-12706 provided power for the current at lower temperature, at later temperatures, TEC1-12710 caught up and produced more power also.
The graphs show that while TEC1-12706 thermoelectric modules provided system current and power at a temperature difference of about 27-28 °C, TEC1-12710 thermoelectric modules started to provide current and power at about 33-36 °C. However, when the surface temperature differences in both thermoelectric modules rose above 50 0 C, TEC1-12710 thermoelectric module is more powerful than TEC1-12706 thermoelectric module due to the voltage-current it generates. At the end of the experiment, 71.2% difference between the power produced by the two modules emerged. In the direction of the experiment's purpose, it was determined that the TECs gave each other the highest current and voltage with the electrical connection shown in Fig. 11. Furthermore, comparisons between the two types of TEC have shown that TEC1-12706 was more efficient in places where the thermal temperature is below 50 ° C and TEC1-12710 was more efficient in places where the thermal temperature is above 50 ° C.