Thermoelectric conversion experiment device and method

Abstract

The invention belongs to the technical field of thermoelectric conversion, and provides a relatively universal thermoelectric conversion performance experiment device and method for thermoelectric conversion experiment equipment and products with relatively large power scales. The cooling loop is formed by thermoelectric conversion experiment object equipment, a cooler, a water chilling unit, a water tank and a cold end circulating pump which are sequentially connected, the thermoelectric conversion experiment object equipment comprises a thermoelectric conversion cold plate, a thermoelectric conversion equipment hot plate and a thermoelectric conversion device array, and the heating loop is connected with the thermoelectric conversion equipment hot plate and heats the thermoelectric conversion equipment hot plate. The temperature difference type thermoelectric conversion technology is a technology for directly converting the temperature difference into the electric energy by utilizing the thermoelectric performance of a functional material, and can be applied to the fields of aviation, aerospace and industrial waste heat utilization.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application belongs to the field of thermoelectric conversion technology, and in particular relates to a thermoelectric conversion experimental device and method. Background Art

[0002] With the rapid development of semiconductor and nanotechnology in recent years, the thermoelectric performance of functional materials has improved, and the thermoelectric conversion efficiency of thermoelectric devices developed using functional materials has also gradually increased. At present, temperature-differential thermoelectric conversion technology is affected by the thermal resistance and heat dissipation of the system, and usually has a low energy density and a small power scale. The related experimental equipment for thermoelectric conversion is mostly aimed at single-chip thermoelectric conversion devices or a small number of series and parallel device arrays, and is used for principle test experiments or small-scale device power generation experiments. With the continuous advancement of thermoelectric conversion technology and the demand for large-scale design and development of thermoelectric conversion-related industrial products and equipment, larger-power-scale thermoelectric conversion experimental equipment and products require a more universal thermoelectric conversion performance experimental device and method. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The purpose of this application is to provide a thermoelectric conversion experimental device and method, and to provide a more universal thermoelectric conversion performance experimental device and method for larger-power-scale thermoelectric conversion experimental equipment and products.

[0004] In order to achieve the above objectives, this application provides the following technical solutions:

[0005] In the first aspect, the present application provides a thermoelectric conversion experimental device, including: a cooling circuit, which is a circuit formed by a thermoelectric conversion experimental object device, a cooler, a chiller, a water tank, and a cold end circulation pump connected in sequence, wherein the thermoelectric conversion experimental object device includes a thermoelectric conversion cold plate, a thermoelectric conversion device hot plate and a thermoelectric conversion device array; a heating circuit, which is connected to the thermoelectric conversion device hot plate and heats it.

[0006] In some embodiments, the thermoelectric conversion device array is disposed between the thermoelectric conversion cold plate and the thermoelectric conversion hot plate.

[0007] In some embodiments, the thermoelectric conversion cold plate is connected to the cooler through a pipe, the cooler is connected to the chiller through a pipe, the chiller is connected to the water tank through a pipe, the water tank is connected to the cold end circulation pump through a pipe, and the cold end circulation pump is connected to the thermoelectric conversion cold plate through a pipe.

[0008] In some embodiments, the heating circuit is a circuit formed by sequentially connecting the thermoelectric conversion hot plate, the hot end circulation pump, and the electric heater.

[0009] In some embodiments, the thermoelectric conversion hot plate is connected to the hot end circulation pump via a pipeline, the hot end circulation pump is connected to the electric heater via a pipeline, and the electric heater is connected to the thermoelectric conversion hot plate via a pipeline.

[0010] In some embodiments, the heating circuit is a circuit formed by connecting a heating power source and the thermoelectric conversion hot plate.

[0011] In some embodiments, the heating power source is connected to the thermoelectric conversion hot plate via a cable.

[0012] In some embodiments, the thermoelectric conversion device array of the thermoelectric conversion experimental device is connected to the electronic load via a cable.

[0013] In some embodiments, the thermoelectric conversion experimental object equipment is composed of a single group of the thermoelectric conversion cold plate, the thermoelectric conversion hot plate and the thermoelectric conversion device array, or is composed of multiple groups of the thermoelectric conversion cold plates, the thermoelectric conversion hot plates and the thermoelectric conversion device array stacked in series or in parallel, or is composed of multiple layers of the thermoelectric conversion cold plates, the thermoelectric conversion hot plates and the thermoelectric conversion device array alternately stacked, and a layer of the thermoelectric conversion device array is sandwiched between each thermoelectric conversion cold plate and the thermoelectric conversion hot plate.

[0014] In a second aspect, the present application provides a thermoelectric conversion experimental method, which uses a hot fluid heating or direct electric heating method to heat the hot end of the thermoelectric conversion experimental object device to increase the hot end temperature, and uses a water cooling method to cool the cold end to reduce the cold end temperature;

[0015] Among them, the cold end uses a hollow metal heat exchange plate for fluid heat exchange. The cold end fluid is driven by a cold end circulation pump and enters the cold end heat exchange plate from the pump outlet pipeline, taking out the heat brought by the hot end of the thermoelectric conversion experimental object that cannot be converted into electrical energy. After being cooled step by step by the cooling heat exchanger and the chiller, it enters the water tank and returns to the cold end circulation pump from the water tank to form a cold end circulation.

[0016] In some embodiments, the hot end uses a hollow metal heat exchange plate for fluid heat exchange. Driven by the hot end circulation pump, the fluid flows from the outlet of the hot end circulation pump through the fluid electric heater, the thermoelectric conversion hot plate, and then returns to the inlet of the hot end circulation pump to form a cycle. During the circulation process, the fluid is heated by the fluid electric heater and the hot end circulation pump, and the temperature rises. Part of the energy of the hot fluid is converted into electrical energy through the thermoelectric conversion device array of the thermoelectric conversion experimental object equipment.

[0017] In some embodiments, the hot end uses electric heating, the hot end uses an electric heating plate, and an electric heating power supply is connected to the heating element in the electric heating plate through a cable to heat the electric heating plate. Part of the energy of the electric heating plate is converted into electrical energy through the thermoelectric conversion device array of the thermoelectric conversion experimental object equipment.

[0018] Compared with the prior art, the thermoelectric conversion experimental device and method provided in this application have the following beneficial effects:

[0019] This application is primarily aimed at larger-scale thermoelectric conversion experimental equipment and products, providing a relatively general thermoelectric conversion performance experimental device and method. The thermoelectric conversion technology underlying this application is a technology that directly converts temperature differences into electrical energy using the thermoelectric properties of functional materials. It is widely used in aviation, aerospace, and industrial waste heat utilization.

[0020] The present application is provided with a cooling circuit for the cold-end cold plate of the thermoelectric conversion experimental object equipment, and adopts a fluid circuit circulation cooling method to cool the cold-end cold plate of the thermoelectric conversion equipment, thereby increasing the temperature difference and enhancing the conversion effect by lowering the lower limit of the cold-side temperature of the conversion element in the conversion device.

[0021] Furthermore, the present application is provided with a heating circuit for the hot end hot plate of the thermoelectric conversion experimental object device, which can be heated by either thermal fluid heating or direct electric heating. By increasing the upper limit of the hot side temperature of the conversion element in the conversion device, the temperature difference is increased, thereby enhancing the conversion effect.

[0022] Furthermore, the present application is provided with a chiller, which uses a refrigerant refrigeration method to further cool the cooling water in the cooling circuit to below room temperature and above 0°C. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0023] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solution of this application, the following is a brief introduction to the drawings required for the technical description.

[0024] Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the structure of the thermoelectric conversion experimental device (hot end fluid heating) provided in this application;

[0025] Figure 2 Schematic diagram of the structure of the thermoelectric conversion experimental device (hot end electric heating) provided in this application;

[0026] Figure 3 Schematic diagram of the thermoelectric conversion experimental equipment provided in this application.

[0027] Description of reference numerals:

[0028] 1. Thermoelectric conversion experimental equipment; 2. Hot-end circulating pump; 3. Electric heater; 4. Cooler; 5. Chiller; 6. Water tank; 7. Cold-end circulating pump; 8. Electronic load; 9. Electric heating power supply;

[0029] 101. Thermoelectric conversion cold plate; 102. Thermoelectric conversion hot plate; 103. Thermoelectric conversion device array. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0030] The following is further explained in detail through specific implementation methods.

[0031] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the present application provides a thermoelectric conversion experimental device, including a cooling circuit and a heating circuit. The cooling circuit is formed by a thermoelectric conversion experimental device 1, a cooler 4, a chiller 5, a water tank 6, and a cold-end circulating pump 7 connected in series, cooling the fluid inside the panel that generates heat after thermoelectric conversion. The heating circuit is formed by a thermoelectric conversion experimental device 1, a hot-end circulating pump 2, and an electric heater 3 connected in series; alternatively, the heating circuit is formed by a thermoelectric conversion experimental device 1 and an electric heating power source 9 connected to the outside of the thermoelectric conversion experimental device 1.

[0032] The thermoelectric conversion experiment target device 1 is connected to the cooler 4 through a pipeline, the cooler 4 is connected to the chiller 5 through a pipeline, the chiller 5 is connected to the water tank 6 through a pipeline, the water tank 6 is connected to the cold end circulation pump 7 through a pipeline, and the cold end circulation pump 7 is connected to the thermoelectric conversion experiment target device 1 through a pipeline.

[0033] The thermoelectric conversion experiment object device 1 is connected to the hot end circulation pump 2 through a pipeline, the hot end circulation pump 2 is connected to the electric heater 3 through a pipeline, and the electric heater 3 is connected to the thermoelectric conversion experiment object device 1 through a pipeline.

[0034] like Figure 3 As shown, the thermoelectric conversion experimental object device 1 includes a thermoelectric conversion cold plate 101, a thermoelectric conversion hot plate 102, and a layer of thermoelectric conversion device array 103 sandwiched between the thermoelectric conversion cold plate 101 and the thermoelectric conversion hot plate 102, which are stacked and clamped together to convert the temperature difference between the cold and hot plates into electrical energy through thermoelectric conversion technology.

[0035] Specifically, the cooling circuit includes a thermoelectric conversion cold plate 101, a cooler 4 located at the outlet of the thermoelectric conversion cold plate 101 for fluid heat exchange and cooling, a chiller 5 connected to the outlet of the cooler 4 for further cooling the fluid, a cooling water tank 6 connected to the outlet of the chiller 5 for storing cooling water, and a cooling circulation pump 7 connected to the outlet of the cooling water tank 6 and at the inlet end of the thermoelectric conversion cold plate 101. The various devices are connected by pipe welding or flanges.

[0036] Specifically, the heating circuit includes a thermoelectric conversion hot plate 102, a hot end circulation pump 2 at the outlet of the thermoelectric conversion hot plate 102, and an electric heater 3 connected to the outlet of the hot end circulation pump 2 which is also the inlet of the thermoelectric conversion hot plate 102. The various devices are connected by pipe and pipe welding or flanges.

[0037] Specifically, the heating circuit includes a thermoelectric conversion heat plate 102 and an electric heating power supply 9. The thermoelectric conversion heat plate 102 and the electric heating power supply 9 are connected via a cable.

[0038] The experimental subjects can not only be Figure 3 The single set of thermoelectric conversion cold plate 101, thermoelectric conversion hot plate 102, and thermoelectric conversion device array 103 are stacked and clamped together, and can also be composed of multiple sets of Figure 3 The thermoelectric conversion experimental object device 1 shown is composed of serial and parallel stacking, and can also be composed of multiple layers of thermoelectric conversion cold plates 101 and thermoelectric conversion hot plates 102 alternately stacked, with a layer of thermoelectric conversion device array 103 clamped between each thermoelectric conversion cold plate 101 and thermoelectric conversion hot plate 102.

[0039] The thermoelectric conversion hot plate 102 can be made of a hollow metal plate with various built-in flow channels and inlets and outlets at both ends, or by directly using a built-in electric heating plate. The thermoelectric conversion cold plate 101 is made of a hollow metal plate with various built-in flow channels and inlets and outlets.

[0040] Preferably, the thermoelectric conversion experimental object device 1 is connected in parallel with an electronic load 8. The output electric energy generated by the thermoelectric conversion device array 103 can be displayed as output voltage and output current and the output electric power can be calculated through the electronic load 8 connected by a cable.

[0041] When the thermoelectric conversion experimental device uses hot-end fluid heating, the thermoelectric conversion hot plate 102 (hot-end hot plate) is a hollow metal plate with various built-in flow channels and inlets and outlets. The electric heater 3 heats the hot fluid filled within the plate. Flow, temperature, pressure, and differential pressure measurement instruments are installed on the fluid heating circuit piping and thermoelectric conversion hot plate 102 to monitor operating parameters. The hot-end temperature parameters are controlled by adjusting the circulating pump flow, electric heater power, and flow control valve opening.

[0042] When the thermoelectric conversion experimental device uses hot-end electric heating, the thermoelectric conversion hot plate 102 is a direct electric heating plate. The electric heating power supply 9 directly heats and controls the temperature of the thermoelectric conversion hot plate 102. The thermoelectric conversion hot plate 102 can be heated by internal electric heating rods or pre-embedded electric heating wires. The electric heating power supply 9 and the thermoelectric conversion hot plate 102 are connected by an electric cable. Multiple sets of temperature measuring instrument points are installed on the thermoelectric conversion hot plate 102 to monitor the operating temperature parameters of the plate surface. The hot-end temperature parameters are controlled by the power of the electric heating plate.

[0043] It should be noted that the flow direction of the fluid in the heating circuit of the thermoelectric conversion hot plate 102 and the cooling circuit of the thermoelectric conversion cold plate 101 is not limited to Figure 1 and Figure 2 The flow direction is shown in Figure 1 and Figure 2 Only one flow direction is shown by way of example.

[0044] When using this experimental device, the heating circuit can use either thermal fluid heating or direct electric heating to heat the thermoelectric conversion hot plate 102. This increases the temperature differential by raising the upper temperature limit of the hot side of the conversion element in the conversion device, thereby enhancing the conversion effect. The cooling circuit uses a fluid loop cooling method to cool the thermoelectric conversion cold plate 101. This increases the temperature differential by lowering the lower temperature limit of the cold side of the conversion element in the conversion device, thereby enhancing the conversion effect.

[0045] A chiller 5 is provided, which uses a refrigerant refrigeration method to further cool the cooling water in the cooling circuit to below room temperature, above 0 degrees Celsius.

[0046] In order to prevent the heat loss of the hot end and cold end from the heat dissipation of the equipment or pipelines in the device system, all device system equipment must be strictly insulated and treated with thermal insulation materials to prevent heat dissipation.

[0047] Preferably, the thermoelectric conversion experimental piece 1, the hot end circulation pump 2, the electric heater 3, the cooler 4, the chiller 5, the water tank 6, the cold end circulation pump 7 and other equipment as well as all pipes and pipe fittings must be strictly insulated and treated with thermal insulation materials to prevent heat dissipation.

[0048] In addition, based on the above device, this application also provides a thermoelectric conversion experimental method, including:

[0049] Based on the principles of temperature-differential thermoelectric conversion technology, this experimental setup requires providing high-temperature heating and low-temperature cooling for the hot and cold ends of the experimental device, respectively, to achieve a sufficiently large temperature difference between the hot and cold ends. To meet these experimental requirements, the experimental setup employs the following method: A hot-end heating circuit and a cold-end cooling circuit are established for the experimental device. The hot end of the thermoelectric conversion device can be heated using either thermal fluid heating or direct electrical heating to increase the hot-end temperature, while the cold end is cooled using water cooling to reduce the cold-end temperature. This creates an experimental setup system that meets the experimental device's hot-end temperature difference requirements.

[0050] In this embodiment, the hot-end heating circuit uses a fluid-heating heat source, including a hot-end circulation pump 2, an electric heater 3, a thermoelectric conversion plate 102, a flow control valve, flow / temperature / pressure / pressure differential measuring instruments, and connecting pipes and fittings. The hot-end heating method and process for this circuit are as follows: The hot-end thermoelectric conversion plate 102 of the thermoelectric device in the experimental thermoelectric conversion device utilizes a hollow metal heat exchanger for fluid heat exchange. The hot fluid inlet and outlet of this heat exchanger are connected to the piping of the fluid heating system. Driven by the hot-end circulation pump 2, the fluid in the system piping flows from the outlet of the hot-end circulation pump 2, through the electric heater 3, the thermoelectric conversion plate 102, and back to the inlet of the hot-end circulation pump 2, forming a loop. During this circulation process, the fluid is heated by the electric heater 3 and the hot-end circulation pump 2, gradually rising in temperature until it reaches the corresponding hot-end temperature. Part of the energy of the hot fluid is converted into electrical energy by the thermoelectric conversion device. The hot end heating system pipelines and heat exchange plates are equipped with flow, temperature, pressure, pressure difference and other measuring instruments to monitor the operating parameters. The hot end temperature parameters are controlled by adjusting the circulation pump flow, electric heater power, flow control valve opening and other methods.

[0051] Because hot-end fluid heating sources have certain limitations in terms of temperature increase and the system is relatively complex, this application also provides a method for using electric heating at the hot end. This heating circuit includes a thermoelectric conversion plate 102, an electric heating power supply 9, connecting cables, and temperature measurement instruments. The hot-end heating method and process of this circuit are as follows: the thermoelectric conversion plate 102 at the hot end of the thermoelectric device in the experimental thermoelectric conversion device is an electric heating plate. A high-power electric heating power supply 9 is directly connected to the heating element in the thermoelectric conversion plate 102 via a cable to heat the thermoelectric conversion plate 102 to reach the desired hot-end temperature. Part of the energy of the thermoelectric conversion plate 102 is converted into electrical energy by the thermoelectric conversion device. Multiple temperature measurement instrumentation points are installed on the thermoelectric conversion plate 102 of the hot-end heating system to monitor the plate's operating temperature parameters. The hot-end temperature parameters are controlled by the power of the electric heating plate.

[0052] In this embodiment, the cold end of the experimental device is cooled by water. The water cooling circuit includes a cold end circulating pump 7, a cooler 4, a chiller 5, a water tank 6, a thermoelectric conversion cold plate 101, a flow control valve, flow / temperature / pressure / pressure differential measuring instruments, and connecting pipes and fittings. The system's cold end cooling method and process are as follows: the thermoelectric conversion cold plate 101 at the cold end of the thermoelectric device of the experimental thermoelectric conversion device uses a hollow metal heat exchange plate for fluid heat exchange. The fluid inlet and outlet of the thermoelectric conversion cold plate 101 are connected to the pipes of the fluid cooling system. The cold end fluid is driven by the cold end circulating pump 7. From the outlet of the cold end circulating pump 7, it enters the thermoelectric conversion cold plate 101 along a pipeline, removes the heat from the hot end of the thermoelectric conversion experimental device that cannot be converted into electrical energy, and then is gradually cooled to near 0°C by the cooler 4 and the chiller 5. After entering the water tank 6, it finally returns from the water tank 6 to the cold end circulating pump 7, forming a cold end loop. The cold end pipeline loop and the thermoelectric conversion cold plate 101 are equipped with flow, temperature, pressure, pressure difference and other measuring instruments to monitor the operating parameters. The cold end temperature parameters are controlled by adjusting the cold end circulation pump 7, cooler 4, chiller 5 and the flow control valve opening.

[0053] This application is based on temperature-difference thermoelectric conversion technology, and is mainly used to conduct performance verification experiments on high-power thermoelectric conversion equipment that includes a large-scale array of thermoelectric conversion devices. It can establish a large range of cold and hot end temperature differences for the experimental object, fully verifying its conversion and power generation performance under various temperature difference conditions, and provide an experimental verification method and device for the transformation of thermoelectric conversion technology from small-scale laboratory devices to large-scale engineering test equipment, prototypes or products.

[0054] The above description is only a specific implementation method of the present application, but the scope of protection of the present application is not limited thereto. Any changes or replacements that can be easily thought of by any technician familiar with this technical field within the technical scope disclosed in this application should be covered by the scope of protection of the present application.

Claims

1. A thermoelectric conversion experimental device, characterized in that: include: A cooling circuit is a circuit formed by sequentially connecting a thermoelectric conversion experimental object device (1), a cooler (4), a chiller (5), a water tank (6), and a cold end circulation pump (7), wherein the thermoelectric conversion experimental object device (1) includes a thermoelectric conversion cold plate (101), a thermoelectric conversion hot plate (102), and a thermoelectric conversion device array (103); A heating circuit is connected to the thermoelectric conversion hot plate (102) and heats it.

2. The thermoelectric conversion experimental device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The thermoelectric conversion device array (103) is arranged between the thermoelectric conversion cold plate (101) and the thermoelectric conversion hot plate (102).

3. The thermoelectric conversion experimental device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The thermoelectric conversion cold plate (101) is connected to the cooler (4) via a pipeline, the cooler (4) is connected to the water chiller (5) via a pipeline, the water chiller (5) is connected to the water tank (6) via a pipeline, the water tank (6) is connected to the cold end circulation pump (7) via a pipeline, and the cold end circulation pump (7) is connected to the thermoelectric conversion cold plate (101) via a pipeline.

4. The thermoelectric conversion experimental device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The heating circuit is a circuit formed by the thermoelectric conversion hot plate (102), the hot end circulation pump (2), and the electric heater (3) connected in sequence.

5. The thermoelectric conversion experimental device according to claim 4, characterized in that: The thermoelectric conversion hot plate (102) is connected to the hot end circulation pump (2) via a pipeline, the hot end circulation pump (2) is connected to the electric heater (3) via a pipeline, and the electric heater (3) is connected to the thermoelectric conversion hot plate (102) via a pipeline.

6. The thermoelectric conversion experimental device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The heating circuit is a circuit formed by connecting an electric heating power source (9) and the thermoelectric conversion heat plate (102).

7. The thermoelectric conversion experimental device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The thermoelectric conversion experimental object device (1) is composed of a single group of the thermoelectric conversion cold plate (101), the thermoelectric conversion hot plate (102) and the thermoelectric conversion device array (103), or is composed of multiple groups of the thermoelectric conversion cold plates (101), the thermoelectric conversion hot plates (102) and the thermoelectric conversion device array (103) connected in series or in parallel, or is composed of multiple layers of the thermoelectric conversion cold plates (101) and the thermoelectric conversion hot plates (102) alternately stacked, with a layer of the thermoelectric conversion device array (103) sandwiched between each thermoelectric conversion cold plate (101) and the thermoelectric conversion hot plate (102).

8. A thermoelectric conversion experimental method, characterized in that: The hot end thermoelectric conversion hot plate (102) of the thermoelectric conversion experimental object device (1) is heated by a hot fluid heating method or a direct electric heating method to increase the hot end temperature, and the cold end is cooled by a water cooling method to reduce the cold end temperature; The cold end thermoelectric conversion cold plate (101) uses a hollow metal heat exchange plate for fluid heat exchange. The cold end fluid is driven by a cold end circulation pump (7) and enters the cold end heat exchange plate from the pump outlet through a pipeline. The heat brought by the hot end of the thermoelectric conversion experimental object device (1) that cannot be converted into electrical energy is taken out. After being cooled step by step by the cooler (4) and the chiller (5), the heat enters the water tank (6) and returns to the cold end circulation pump (7) from the water tank (6) to form a cold end circulation.

9. The thermoelectric conversion experimental method according to claim 8, characterized in that: The hot end thermoelectric conversion heat plate (102) uses a hollow metal heat exchange plate for fluid heat exchange. Driven by the hot end circulation pump (2), the fluid flows from the outlet of the hot end circulation pump (2) through the electric heater (3), the thermoelectric conversion heat plate (102) and back to the inlet of the hot end circulation pump (2) to form a cycle. During the circulation process, the fluid is heated by the electric heater (3) and the hot end circulation pump (2), and the temperature rises. Part of the energy of the hot fluid is converted into electrical energy through the thermoelectric conversion device array (103) in the thermoelectric conversion experimental object equipment (1).

10. The thermoelectric conversion experimental method according to claim 8, characterized in that: The hot-end thermoelectric conversion hot plate (102) uses an electric heating plate, and an electric heating power source (9) is connected to a heating element in the thermoelectric conversion hot plate (102) via a cable to heat the thermoelectric conversion hot plate (102). Part of the energy of the thermoelectric conversion hot plate (102) is converted into electrical energy through the thermoelectric conversion device array (103) in the thermoelectric conversion experimental object equipment (1).

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