Thermoelectric power generation device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11930707-B2
Application number	US-201716304086-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 9, 2017
Priority date	May 25, 2016
Publication date	Mar 12, 2024
Grant date	Mar 12, 2024

Abstract

A thermoelectric power generation device including a thermoelectric element having a first side provided to a heating unit and a second side provided to a cooling unit, and a heat transfer pipe arranged in a passage in which a high temperature fluid flows. The heating unit and the heat transfer pipe have internal spaces communicating with each other. The internal space of the heating unit and the internal space of the heat transfer pipe form a circulation path in which a heat medium is circulated. An outlet of the heat transfer pipe from which the heat medium is discharged is provided in a position higher than an inlet of the heat transfer pipe into which the heat medium flows. The heat transfer pipe vaporizes the heat medium flowing in the circulation path by using heat of the high temperature fluid. The heating unit condenses the heat medium vaporized.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A thermoelectric power generation device comprising:
a thermoelectric element having a first side provided on an external surface of a body of a heating unit and a second side provided on a cooling unit; and
a heat transfer pipe arranged in a passage in which a high temperature fluid flows; and
a reservoir coupled to a lower portion of the heating unit and connected in fluid flow communication to an outlet of the heating unit and to an inlet of the heat transfer pipe,
wherein
the heating unit and the heat transfer pipe respectively have internal spaces, configured to communicate with each other, the body of the heating unit enclosing the internal space of the heating unit,
the internal space of the heating unit and the internal space of the heat transfer pipe form a circulation path in which a heat medium is circulated,
an outlet of the heat transfer pipe from which the heat medium is discharged is provided in a position higher than the inlet of the heat transfer pipe into which the heat medium flows, wherein a portion of the heat transfer pipe is surrounded by the high temperature fluid, the portion extending from the inlet of the heat transfer pipe to the outlet of the heat transfer pipe, and wherein the inlet and the outlet of the heat transfer pipe are each connected to the heating unit,
the inlet of the heat transfer pipe is provided in a position lower than a lowermost end portion of the thermoelectric element,
the heat transfer pipe is configured to vaporize the heat medium flowing in the circulation path by using heat of the high temperature fluid,
the heating unit is configured to condense the heat medium vaporized,
the reservoir is configured to store the heat medium condensed by the heating unit and received from the outlet of the heating unit into the reservoir, and
a bottom surface of the reservoir includes a slope configured to cause the condensed heat medium stored in the reservoir to flow towards the inlet of the heat transfer pipe.

2. The thermoelectric power generation device according to claim 1 , wherein a slope configured to cause the heat medium flowing in the internal space of the heating unit to flow towards an outlet of the heating unit is provided in a bottom portion of the heating unit.

3. The thermoelectric power generation device according to claim 1 , wherein an outlet of the heating unit is provided in a position higher than the inlet of the heat transfer pipe.

4. The thermoelectric power generation device according to claim 3 , wherein:
the heating unit has a plurality of outlets at a bottom portion of the heating unit, and
a connection pipe configured to connect the plurality of outlets of the heating unit with the inlet of the heat transfer pipe is provided in a lower portion of the heating unit.

5. The thermoelectric power generation device according to claim 1 , wherein the body of the heating unit is formed in a plate shape enclosing the internal space through which the heat medium passes.

6. The thermoelectric power generation device according to claim 1 , wherein the internal space of the heating unit includes a plurality of passages between a first side of the heating unit and a second side of the heating unit.

7. The thermoelectric power generation device according to claim 6 , wherein an internal space of the cooling unit includes a plurality of passages.

8. The thermoelectric power generation device according to claim 7 , wherein a first set of the plurality of passages of the cooling unit are perpendicular to the plurality of passages of the heating unit.

9. The thermoelectric power generation device according to claim 8 , wherein a second set of the plurality of passages of the cooling unit are parallel to the plurality of passages of the heating unit.

10. The thermoelectric power generation device according to claim 1 , wherein the heat transfer pipe defines a single flow path for the heat medium from the inlet of the heat transfer pipe to the outlet of the heat transfer pipe.

11. The thermoelectric power generation device according to claim 10 , wherein the heat medium flows in a first direction through a first portion of the single flow path and in a second direction through a second portion of the single flow path, and wherein the first direction is opposite the second direction.

12. The thermoelectric power generation device according to claim 1 , wherein the heat medium flows into the inlet of the heat transfer pipe in a first direction and is discharged from the outlet of the heat transfer pipe in a second direction, and wherein the first direction is opposite the second direction.

13. The thermoelectric power generation device according to claim 1 , wherein an outlet of the cooling unit is provided in a position higher than an inlet of the cooling unit when the thermoelectric power generation device is in operation.

14. The thermoelectric power generation device according to claim 1 , wherein the heat transfer pipe is elongated in a single continuous pipe from the inlet of the heat transfer pipe to the outlet of the heat transfer pipe.

15. The thermoelectric power generation device according to claim 14 , wherein the heat transfer pipe includes a plurality of bends along the single continuous pipe.

16. The thermoelectric power generation device according to claim 1 , wherein the thermoelectric element, the heating unit, and the cooling unit are arranged such that a horizontal plane extends through each of the thermoelectric element, the heating unit, and the cooling unit.

17. The thermoelectric power generation device according to claim 1 , wherein the high temperature fluid flows through an entirety of the passage around the portion of the heat transfer pipe.

18. The thermoelectric power generation device according to claim 1 , wherein the portion of the heat transfer pipe defines a single flow path such that the outlet of the heat transfer pipe is a single outlet from the passage that defines a flow path for the high temperature fluid.

Assignees

• Yanmar Co Ltd

Inventors

• Hatasako Yoshika
• Fukudome Jiro
• Tanaka Yuichiro
• Nakagawa Shuichi

Classifications

• H10N10/13 Primary

  characterised by the heat-exchanging means at the junction · CPC title

• F01N3/0205

  using heat exchangers · CPC title

• F01N5/025 Primary

  the device being thermoelectric generators · CPC title

• F25B21/02

  using Peltier effect; using Nernst-Ettinghausen effect · CPC title

• F28D15/0266

  with separate evaporating and condensing chambers connected by at least one conduit; Loop-type heat pipes; with multiple or common evaporating or condensing chambers (F28D15/043 takes precedence) · CPC title