Thermal management device with integrated thermoelectric generator and heat sync

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12100778-B2
Application number	US-202418606461-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 15, 2024
Priority date	Nov 29, 2022
Publication date	Sep 24, 2024
Grant date	Sep 24, 2024

Abstract

A thermal management device for a photovoltaic panel includes a phase change material layer attached to a back side of the photovoltaic panel. The thermal management device includes a Seebeck thermoelectric generator having a first surface attached to the phase change material layer. The thermal management further device includes a heat sink attached to a second surface of the Seebeck thermoelectric generator. The heat sink is configured with a sinuous coil, a water inlet port and a water outlet port connected to the sinuous coil, and a plurality of heat fins. The thermal management further device includes a casing box configured to enclose its various components, and a glass cover attached to the casing box and configured to cover a top surface of the photovoltaic panel.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A thermal management device with integrated thermoelectric generator and heat sink, comprising:
a photovoltaic panel configured to convert solar radiation to electric power;
a phase change material layer attached to a back side of the photovoltaic panel;
wherein a phase change material of the phase change material layer comprises polyethylene glycol (PEG) and magnesium doped calcium carbonate (MgCaCO 3 ), and wherein magnesium is present in the MgCaCO 3 at a concentration of 5 to 15 mole percent (mol %) based on the total moles of the MgCaCO 3 ;
wherein the photovoltaic panel is removably attached to the thermal management device via the phase change material layer:
a Seebeck thermoelectric generator having a first surface attached to the phase change material layer;
a heat sink attached to a second surface of the Seebeck thermoelectric generator, wherein the heat sink is configured with a sinuous coil, a water inlet port and a water outlet port connected to the sinuous coil, a fan, an exit port and a plurality of heat fins;
a casing box configured to enclose a back and sides of an assembly of the photovoltaic panel, the phase change material layer, the Seebeck thermoelectric generator and the heat sink; and
a glass cover configured to cover a top surface of the photovoltaic panel, wherein the glass cover is attached to the casing box,
wherein the phase change material layer, the Seebeck thermoelectric generator, the heat sink, and the casing box of the thermal management device are an integrated module.

2. The thermal management device of claim 1 , wherein the phase change material layer is prepared from a mixture of polyethylene glycol (PEG) having an average molecular weight (Mw) of about 6000 grams per mole (g/mol), magnesium doped calcium carbonate (MgCaCO 3 ), and ethanol.

3. The thermal management device of claim 2 , wherein the phase change material layer comprises:
a copper housing having an outside surface surrounded by thermal insulation; and
a phase change material configured to line an inside of the copper housing.

4. The thermal management device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a water reservoir;
a water pump connected at a first end to the water reservoir and at a second end to the water inlet port; and
a water pipe connected to the water outlet port, wherein the water pump is configured to pump water from the water reservoir, through the sinuous coil and back to the water reservoir.

5. The thermal management device of claim 1 , wherein the heat sink includes a plate including the sinuous coil and the plurality of heat fins are extending perpendicularly from the plate.

6. The thermal management device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a first electrical junction box attached to the photovoltaic panel, wherein the first electrical junction box is configured to receive the electric power generated by the photovoltaic panel; and
a second electrical junction box attached to the Seebeck thermoelectric generator, wherein the second electrical junction box is configured to receive electricity generated by the Seebeck thermoelectric generator.

7. The thermal management device of claim 1 , wherein the casing box is made of aluminum.

8. The thermal management device of claim 1 , wherein the casing box is made of aluminum, and a bottom surface of the casing box includes a phase change material liner.

9. The thermal management device of claim 1 , wherein heat is generated at the back side of the photovoltaic panel in the conversion of the solar radiation to the electric power.

10. The thermal management device of claim 9 , further comprising:
an aluminum sheet connected between the back side of the photovoltaic panel and the phase change material layer, wherein the aluminum sheet is configured to evenly distribute the heat generated by the photovoltaic panel.

11. The thermal management device of claim 10 , wherein the phase change material layer is configured to store the heat.

12. The thermal management device of claim 11 , wherein the Seebeck thermoelectric generator is configured to receive the heat stored in the phase change material at the first surface and convert the heat to electricity by utilizing a temperature gradient between the first surface and the second surface, wherein the second surface is opposite to the first surface.

13. The thermal management device of claim 1 , wherein a weight ratio of the PEG to the MgCaCO 3 present in the phase change material is about 5:2.

14. The thermal management device of claim 1 , wherein the magnesium is present in the MgCaCO 3 at a concentration of 10 mol % based on the total moles of the MgCaCO 3 , and wherein the phase change material has a melting point in a range of 36 to 55 degree Celsius (° C.).

15. The thermal management device of claim 1 , wherein the phase change material layer has a volume expansion of up to 5 vol. % based on an initial volume of the phase change material layer after about 200 thermal heating and cooling cycles.

16. The thermal management device of claim 1 , wherein the phase change material layer is a continuous layer of the phase change material, and is directly adjacent to the back side of the photovoltaic panel, and wherein the phase change material layer and the photovoltaic panel have the same length and width.

17. The thermal management device of claim 1 , wherein a layer of an aluminum sheet, having the same length and width as the phase change material layer and the photovoltaic panel, is directly adjacent to both the back side of the photovoltaic panel and a front surface of the phase change material layer.

Assignees

• Univ King Fahd Pet & Minerals

Inventors

• Irshad Kashif
• Zahir Md Hasan

Classifications

• H10F77/67 Primary

  including means to utilise heat energy directly associated with the photovoltaic cells, e.g. integrated Seebeck elements · CPC title

• Y02E10/50

  Photovoltaic [PV] energy · CPC title

• H10N10/82 Primary

  Interconnections · CPC title

• H10N10/10

  operating with only the Peltier or Seebeck effects · CPC title

• H02S40/44

  Means to utilise heat energy, e.g. hybrid systems producing warm water and electricity at the same time (directly associated with the PV cell or integrated with the PV cell H10F77/67) · CPC title