WO2000028653A1

WO2000028653A1 - Thermoelectric conversion device

Info

Publication number: WO2000028653A1
Application number: PCT/JP1999/005284
Authority: WO
Inventors: Nobuyoshi Tsuji
Original assignee: Techno Bank Co., Ltd.
Priority date: 1998-11-11
Filing date: 1999-09-28
Publication date: 2000-05-18
Also published as: AU5760899A

Abstract

A thermoelectric conversion device, characterized in that a thermal conversion system comprises a gas producing means for producing gas by a hydrogen absorbing alloy, a heating/cooling means forming a unit consisting of the hydrogen absorbing alloy of the gas producing means, a thermoelectric conversion element, and a heater/cooler and including circulation systems for a heating medium and a cooling medium, a piston means for extending and contracting a piston in response to a change in the gas pressure produced by the heating/cooling means, and an electronic control means for controlling the volume of the piston; and an electric conversion system comprises a plurality of cylinders having the thermal conversion systems contained therein, a pump means for forcing the fluids in the cylinders to flow under gas expansion pressure, and a generator for electric conversion from the liquid flow by the pump means.

Description

Specification

Thermoelectric converter Technical field

The present invention relates to a heat energy conversion device having a heat conversion system for giving a heat energy to a medium to generate a gas and an electric conversion system for performing an electric conversion from a liquid fluid force by a gas pressure. It converts the fluid flow force due to gas pressure into electricity. Background art

A typical power generation device using a high-temperature heat source so far is a power generation device that utilizes vaporization and expansion of a medium by a high-temperature heat source as seen in power generation of thermal power and nuclear power.

Although the power generation device and the like using the high-temperature heat source are characterized by having a large power and a large power generation, they have problems with respect to carbon dioxide and radioactivity.

On the other hand, power generators using medium temperature heat sources are geothermal power generators, etc., which use natural energy and have clean characteristics, and are provided as a power source as such.

A common feature of both high-temperature and medium-temperature heat generators is a turbine whose rotating system uses the gas flow force due to the vaporization and expansion of the medium. In cases where the obtained heat is stored and used, or when waste heat from factories, fuel cells, etc. is used, it is necessary to use a low-temperature heat source, which has a low gas expansion degree and therefore has a low gas fluidity and thus drives a turbine. Is inefficient.

Large-scale temperature difference power generation using a large amount of ammonia as a heat medium has been demonstrated as an improvement measure to rotate the turbine with the gas expansion force of a low-temperature heat source. In the ocean, a large amount of heat medium is vaporized and expanded by seawater near the sea surface, the turbine is rotated, and then the heat medium is condensed by seawater near the seabed.

However, even with this method, the installation location is limited, and the equipment is large and inefficient, so there is room for improvement. -The present invention has been made in consideration of the above points, and provides heat energy of a low-temperature heat source, which has been unsuitable for power generation, to a hydrogen storage alloy so that a liquid is caused to flow by a gas pressure in bistons. The rotating system is rotated by the fluid flow force with large fluid friction to perform electrical conversion. A thermoelectric conversion device capable of: Disclosure of the invention

The heat conversion system of the present invention comprises a gas generating means for generating a gas by a hydrogen storage alloy, and a hydrogen storage alloy, a thermoelectric conversion element, a heating / cooling device of the gas generating means, and a heating medium and a cooling medium. Heating and cooling means including a medium circulation system, biston means for expanding and contracting bistons according to changes in the pressure of gas generated by the heating and cooling means, and electronic control means for controlling the volume of the piston. In addition, the electric conversion system includes a plurality of heat conversion systems each having a heat conversion system inside the cylinder, and pump means for flowing the liquid inside the cylinder by gas pressure, and liquid flow force by the pump means. And a generator for electrical conversion.

By configuring the apparatus in this manner, in the heat conversion system, when the heating medium flows into the heating / cooling unit of the heating / cooling means, the hydrogen storage alloy is heated and a hydrogen release reaction occurs to release gaseous hydrogen. At the same time, the thermoelectric conversion element generates power by the Seebeck effect from the temperature difference between the unit and the external cooling water due to the temperature rise of the hydrogen storage alloy. Next, the gaseous hydrogen pressure inside the biston increases, and the accordion part of the biston is pushed and expanded, and the cooling water in the cylinder is pushed out by the gas pressure. On the other hand, when the heating medium is switched from the heating medium to the cooling medium into the heating / cooling unit of the heating / cooling means, the hydrogen storage alloy is cooled and a hydrogenation reaction occurs, and gaseous hydrogen is stored in the hydrogen storage alloy. Next, the gaseous hydrogen pressure in the biston decreases, and the accordion part of the piston shrinks, causing cooling water to flow into the cylinder. Further, the generator is driven by the liquid fluid force from the pump means to generate power. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of an embodiment of the present invention. This embodiment includes a heat conversion system for performing hydrogenation and hydrogen release of a hydrogen storage alloy inside a piston, control of a reaction, and thermoelectric conversion. .

FIG. 2 is an external view of an embodiment of the present invention. This embodiment includes a heating medium circulation pipe and a cooling water pipe. BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

Explaining with reference to the embodiment of FIG. 1, a plurality of thin plate-shaped hydrogen storage alloys 12 and 13 calculated from the required amount of hydrogen on both surfaces of a hollow heating and cooling device 9 provided with a reinforcing material therein are used. The thermoelectric conversion elements 10 and 11 are bonded together on the outer surface of each hydrogen storage alloy, and the outer surface of the thermoelectric conversion element and the inner surface of the unit case 18 are in close contact to form a sealed unit. Make up the interior.

In the case of a unit that does not use a thermoelectric conversion element, a structure in which a hydrogen storage alloy is bonded to both surfaces of a heating / cooling device, or a laminated structure in which a heating / cooling device and a hydrogen storage alloy are alternately bonded is adopted.

A heating medium circulating pipe 28 and a cooling medium circulating pipe, which communicate with the inside of the heating / cooling unit 9 inside the unit, are connected to one of the two sides of the unit case 18 via a solenoid valve. On the other hand, a heating medium circulation pipe 29 and a cooling medium circulation pipe which are also connected to the inside of the heating / cooling unit 9 are connected to each other via a solenoid valve by switching to a joint portion.

In the heating / cooling unit 9, a switching electromagnetic valve is controlled by the controller 14, so that the heating medium flows in and circulates from the outside by the external pump pressure in the heating stroke, and the cooling water in the cylinder 1 in the cooling stroke. The cooling medium to be cooled is supplied and circulated by the internal pump pressure.

In addition, the unit case 18 is provided so as to be open so that the outer peripheral surface thereof is always in contact with the cooling water 19, so that a cooling effect can be obtained. There is no need to touch.

Further, the hydrogen distribution pipe 17 is provided so as to communicate between the inside of the unit case and the inside of the biston, and the flow of the hydrogen gas by the heating and cooling means is free.

With this configuration of the unit, the reaction rate of the thin plate-shaped hydrogen storage alloy can be increased, and at the same time, the heat propagation to the thermoelectric conversion element also becomes faster, and the heating medium is heated during the heating process. At the same time as the inflow, power generation is started due to the net effect, and power for control can be supplied.

There are about 100 combinations of hydrogen storage alloys depending on the purpose of use, but this equipment uses calcium and nickel-based alloys, which easily undergo hydrogenation and release reactions at normal pressure and normal water temperature. An alloy (CaNiMmAl) was used.

The method of producing this thin plate-shaped hydrogen storage alloy is common to the production of any combination of alloys.However, the alloy is made amorphous and pulverized, or the alloy is absorbed with hydrogen and subjected to an initial pulverization step to form particles. A metal coating such as copper (Cu) with a thickness of about 1 μιη is applied to the powder having a diameter adjusted to about 10 to 20 / m by wet electroless plating. Next, compression molding into a thin plate according to the outer dimensions of the thermoelectric conversion element and solidification are performed. Mixing of amorphous powder and metal-coated powder, or mixing of either with copper powder and solidification may be performed. .

The bistone means is a hollow flat donut-shaped thin polymer material, each of which is formed by opening the inner periphery so that the cross section becomes U-shaped, and a metal ring 5 for reinforcement is provided on the inner bottom of the U-shaped. It is embedded. The accordion portion 4 is formed by joining the ends of the U-shaped outer surfaces of the plurality of thin plate members via the thin members.

Also, both ends of the accordion portion are adhered to the biston head 8 on one side and the sealing ring 7 on the other side, and the interior of the biston is provided in a closed state.

With this configuration of the bistone, it is possible to easily expand and contract the biston according to the change in the hydrogen pressure by the heating and cooling means.

In the electronic control means, the intermittent current of the solenoid valve is electronically controlled by the controller 14. This is controlled by the data set in advance and the temperature, pressure, and position detection sensors arranged inside to enable automatic operation.

Explaining the electric conversion system according to the embodiment of FIG. 2, each cylinder 1 is provided with a piston inside, and cooling water pipes 24, 25 each having a one-way valve are provided at the upper and lower parts. The multiple cylinders identified to obtain the required output for power generation consist of cooling water pipes connected in parallel and connected to each other, and the cooling water is combined in a one-way flow and linked with the generator It is supplied to the rotating system.

In addition, when storing cooling water for power generation, the cooling water is pushed up to the required height and pooled, and when necessary, water is dropped into a rotating system that works with the generator to generate power.

Further, heating medium circulation pipes 28 and 29 are provided so as to be connected to the heating / cooling unit of the internal unit, and the heating medium is supplied and circulated into the heating / cooling unit by an external pump pressure. Industrial applicability

The mechanism is simple and no noise due to the hydrogen storage alloy. Heat sources include inexhaustible solar heat and geothermal heat, as well as waste heat from factories and incineration heat. In addition, thermal and nuclear power plants have the advantage of reducing carbon dioxide and improving environmental conservation by enabling secondary power generation using waste heat in the middle temperature range. Therefore, it can be applied to the wide area industrial field.

Claims

The scope of the claims

1. The conversion system includes gas generating means for generating gas by using a hydrogen storage alloy,

A heating / cooling means comprising a unit with the hydrogen storage alloy of the gas generating means, a thermoelectric conversion element, a heating / cooling device, and a heating medium and a circulation system of the cooling medium;

Biston means for expanding and contracting bistons according to a change in pressure of gas generated by the heating and cooling means,

Electronic control means for controlling the volume of the bistone;

Also, the electrical conversion system

A pump means for providing a heat conversion system inside the cylinder and comprising a plurality of pumps for flowing the liquid inside the cylinder by gas pressure;

A generator that performs electrical conversion from liquid fluid force by the pump means,

A thermoelectric conversion device comprising:

2. The unit of the heating and cooling means has a laminated structure in which a thin plate-shaped hydrogen storage alloy is attached to both sides of the heating and cooling device, and a thermoelectric conversion element is attached to the outer surfaces of both hydrogen storage alloys. The thermoelectric conversion device according to claim 1.