Thermoelectric generators for deep space application

Suitability of radioisotope thermoelectric generators for unmanned deep space probe

Survey of electric power plants for space applications

Fuel and solar cells, chemical batteries, Rankine and Brayton cycle power plants, thermoelectric generators, and thermionic converters for space power application

Thermoelectric generators

As the world is changing and developing with every passing day, the requirements of power are also increasing. There is a shift in utilizing the electrical energy as much as possible and for this reason, many countries have already made policies for completely ruling out the machines which don’t run on electricity. Apart from electricity, there are other forms of energy that can be used to convert that form into a more desirable form. For example, in a plant where the smoke comes out of the chimneys or in a car, the smoke carries a large amount of thermal energy with it. This energy is nothing but a waste and reduction in the efficiency of the systems. If somehow, this energy could be recovered, the efficiency can be increased. Thermoelectric generators serve for this purpose. Thermos electric generators get the heat and using the principle of heat conduction and p and n type materials, the heat can be directly converted into the electricity. There are many materials available in the market for p and n type but in our case, we chose silicon germanium which is also one of the most commonly used. First of all, a single module of thermoelectric generator will be made using p and n type material, as well as using conductive material and some ceramic substance. Then, the entire assembly will be made and this assembly will be exported to Ansys where custom materials will be added and applied on to the geometry. After performing analysis on full model, a comparative study will be presented in which the effect of material of conductive plate on to the voltage difference will be studie

Gamma radiation characteristics of plutonium dioxide fuel

Investigation of plutonium dioxide as an isotopic fuel for Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generators yielded the isotopic composition of production-grade plutonium dioxide fuel, sources of gamma radiation produced by plutonium isotopes, and the gamma flux at the surface

Cathode Protection Systems of Cross-country Pipelines

AbstractTwo types of cathode protection systems of cross-country pipelines are proposed without gas burning and electricity consumption from an outside power source. The functional principle of these systems is based on the original thermoelectric generators. The proposed thermoelectric generators perform through the pressure energy of natural transported gas during the temperature stratification. Numerical research of the proposed thermoelectric generators has been carried out. On the basis of research we have determined that a thermoelectric generator with vortex effect has 30% more produced electrical power. However, this generator uses natural gas pressure energy to a greater extent

Design and modelling of SOI-based solar thermoelectric generators

In this work, solar micro-thermoelectric generators are designed with a lens concentrating solar radiation onto the membrane of a thermoelectric generator (TEG). By focusing solar radiation, the input heat flux increases; leading to an increase in the temperature gradient across the device. Consequently, a significant improvement in the device efficiency can be achieved. The TEG design involves the use of the SOI wafer's device layer as the first thermoelement and aluminum as the second thermoelement. Isolation trenches are also added to the design for electrical insulation. Heat transfer simulations in COMSOL are performed to verify the viability of the proposed system and an analytical model based on energy balance and heat transfer equations is developed to investigate the performance of solar TEGs with varying geometries, lens parameters, and external conditions. It is found that efficiency is improved by increasing both the concentration factor and the absorptance of the TEG membran

The effect of temperature mismatch on thermoelectric generators electrically connected in series and parallel

The use of thermoelectric generators (TEGs) to recover useful energy from waste heat has increased rapidly in recent years with applications ranging from microwatts to kilowatts. Several thermoelectric modules can be connected in series and/or parallel (forming an array) to provide the required voltage and/or current. In most TEG systems the individual thermoelectric modules are subject to temperature mismatch due to operating conditions. Variability of the electro-thermal performance and mechanical clamping pressure of individual TEG modules are also sufficient to cause a significant mismatch. Consequently, when in operation each TEG in the array will have a different electrical operating point at which maximum energy can be extracted and problems of decreased power output arise.<p></p> This work analyses the impact of thermal imbalance on the power produced at module and system level in a TEG array. Experimental results clearly illustrate the issue and a theoretical model is presented to quantify the impact. The authors believe the experimental results presented in this paper are the first to validate a rigorous examination of the impact of mismatched operating temperatures on the power output of an array of thermoelectric generators

A power conditioning system for radioisotope thermoelectric generator energy sources

The use of radioisotope thermoelectric generators (RTG) as the primary source of energy in unmanned spacecraft is discussed. RTG output control, power conditioning system requirements, the electrical design, and circuit performance are also discussed

Printed thermoelectric generators

Článek popisuje možnosti získávání energie pomocí termoelektrických generatorů. Protože termoelektrické generátory mají velmi nízké výstupní napětí potřebují integraci velkého počtu jednotlivých termočlánků. Tiskové technologie umožňují zvýšit efektivnost výroby s jednotlivými články zapojenými do série. Laterální uspořádání termočlánků umožňuje snadný způsob tisku, ale účinnost je snížena velkým odporem dlouhých přívodů. V případě vertikálního uspořádání článků je celkový odpor menší, ale účinnost je omezena tepelnou vodivostí použitých materiálů. Kombinovaná konstrukce s bočním uspořádáním krátkých vývodů termočlánku umístěných v dvojvrstvovém tepelném izolátoru a tepelným tokem kolmým na matrici termočlánků spojuje výhody obou typů.The paper describes the possibilities of energy harvesting using thermoelectric generators. Because of very low output voltage thermoelectric generators need integration of large number of individual thermo-junctions. Printing technologies enhance effective production with individual junctions all connected in series. Lateral structure require an easy process to print nevertheless it suffers from the internal resistance of the thermoelectric materials. In case of vertical design, the total resistance is smaller but the efficiency is limited by thermal conductivity of used materials. A combined structure with lateral arrangement of short thermo-coupler legs placed in double-layer of thermal insulator and the heat flow perpendicular to the thermo-coupler matrix brings together advantages of both types

Thermoelectric generators for long duration lunar missions

The number of lunar missions involving the deployment of probes, rovers and other equipment is expected to raise significantly. Some of these missions will face the challenge to survive the night on the Moon, with very low temperatures on the surface. Solar thermal energy can be stored during the day and transformed into electricity at night. We present a study of the performance of thermoelectric modules. Some of the modules are used in simulations of a thermal energy storage system, which includes the test of different materials as a thermal mass. The power generated in all the cases is obtained.Peer ReviewedPostprint (published version