Power generation system

Abstract

We provide a power generation system that efficiently utilizes the thermal energy of snow to generate electricity. [Solution] This power generation system 1 comprises a thermoelectric power generation device 10 that generates electricity based on the temperature difference between a high-temperature heat source 11 and a low-temperature heat source 12; a chilled water storage unit 20 capable of storing chilled water used as the low-temperature heat source 12; a hot water storage unit 50 capable of storing hot water sent out after passing through the thermoelectric power generation device 10; a water spraying unit 90 that sprays water from the hot water storage unit 50; a recovery unit 110 that recovers the cooled water and melted snow water as chilled water by melting snow with the sprayed water; and a circulation unit 120 that returns the chilled water recovered in the recovery unit 110 to the chilled water storage unit 20.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a power generation system.

Background Art

[0002] In areas with a large amount of snow accumulation, a snow melting system for melting snow may be installed to prevent the road surface from freezing. On the other hand, proposals have also been made regarding a power generation system that utilizes the thermal energy (mainly latent heat) of the accumulated snow during snow melting. As a specific example of this type of power generation system, the one described in Patent Document 1 below is known. This power generation system mainly includes a laminate composed of a snow accumulation layer and a heat insulating material (such as straw or rice husk), and a heat collection pipe laid in this laminate. It is said that the thermal energy of the accumulated snow can be recovered through the heat collection pipe and utilized by other power generation devices or the like.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, the device according to Patent Document 1 above stores and utilizes the snow that fell in winter, and there is a problem that the cold heat of the snow cannot be efficiently utilized in winter.

[0005] Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of these points, and an object thereof is to provide a power generation system that efficiently utilizes the energy of the cold heat of snow to generate electricity.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] A power generation system according to one aspect of the present invention comprises: a thermoelectric power generation device that generates electricity based on the temperature difference between a high-temperature heat source and a low-temperature heat source; a chilled water storage unit capable of storing chilled water used as the low-temperature heat source; a hot water storage unit capable of storing hot water sent out after passing through the thermoelectric power generation device; a water spraying unit that sprays water from the hot water storage unit; a recovery unit that recovers the water and snowmelt water cooled by melting snow with the sprayed water as chilled water; and a circulation unit that returns the chilled water recovered in the recovery unit to the chilled water storage unit.

[0007] The above power generation system may further include a foaming device that generates fine bubbles in the water sprayed from the water spraying unit.

[0008] The aforementioned collection unit may be a gutter member installed on the ground, or a gutter member attached to a building.

[0009] The gutter member may be installed at a lower position than the watering section.

[0010] The above power generation system further includes a pump for spraying water from the watering unit, and the pump may be driven by the electricity generated by the thermoelectric power generation device.

[0011] The above power generation system may further include a heating unit that generates thermal energy to be used as the high-temperature heat source by burning fuel pellets.

[0012] The above power generation system further comprises a detection unit for detecting the amount of water stored in the hot water storage unit, and a control device for controlling the operation of a pump for spraying water from the spraying unit based on the detection result of the detection unit, wherein the control device does not need to operate the pump if the amount of water stored is less than a predetermined threshold.

[0013] The above power generation system further includes a monitoring unit that monitors the snow accumulation in the watering area, and the control device does not need to operate the pump if it determines, based on the detection results of the monitoring unit, that there is no amount of snow in the watering area exceeding a threshold. [Effects of the Invention]

[0014] The present invention provides a power generation system that efficiently utilizes the thermal energy of snow to generate electricity. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0015] [Figure 1] This is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a power generation system according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a power generation system according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] This is a functional block diagram of the control unit. [Figure 4] This is a schematic diagram showing modified examples of the gutter member and the watering section. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0016] <First Embodiment> (overview) The power generation system according to this embodiment will be described below. The detailed configuration will be described later with reference to the drawings, but the main features of the power generation system according to this embodiment are as follows. That is, this power generation system is equipped with a thermoelectric power generation device (a Stirling engine as an example) that generates electricity by utilizing the temperature difference between a high-temperature heat source and a low-temperature heat source. Hot water heated by the high-temperature heat source is sprayed from a spraying unit, and the sprayed water melts the snow. The cold water and snowmelt water produced when the hot water cools down as the snow melts are recovered by a recovery unit, and their cold energy is utilized by the low-temperature heat source. In this way, the power generation system according to this embodiment can be made to generate electricity by efficiently utilizing the cold energy of snow.

[0017] (Configuration of the power generation system 1) Hereinafter, the configuration of the power generation system 1 will be described with reference to FIG. 1. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the power generation system 1 according to the present embodiment. As shown in the figure, this power generation system 1 includes a thermoelectric power generation device 10, a cold water storage unit 20, a cold water line 30, a first pump 40, a hot water storage unit 50, a hot water line 70, a second pump 80, a water spraying unit 90, a foaming device 100, a recovery unit 110, a circulation unit 120, and a heating unit 130.

[0018] In the following description, with respect to a certain object, the side where water flows may be referred to as the "upstream side", and the opposite side may be referred to as the "downstream side". The expressions "cold water" and "hot water" in this specification indicate that there is a relative temperature difference between the two. In this embodiment, an example is shown in which the medium circulating in the power generation system 1 is water, but the water may contain an antifreeze component for preventing freezing.

[0019] (Thermoelectric power generation device 10) The thermoelectric power generation device 10 generates electricity based on the temperature difference between the high-temperature side heat source 11 and the low-temperature side heat source 12. The thermoelectric power generation device 10 has a device main body 10-1 and a generator G. Although the device main body 10-1 and the generator G are separately drawn in FIG. 1, they may be housed inside one housing.

[0020] The device main body 10-1 is, for example, a Stirling engine. The device main body 10-1 has a flow path through which a liquid (water in this embodiment) flows, and has a water outlet 10a through which water is discharged and a water inlet 10b through which water flows in. Although not shown in detail, the Stirling engine mainly has a cylinder and a piston that reciprocates in the cylinder. By heating and cooling the fluid in the cylinder by the high-temperature side heat source 11 and the low-temperature side heat source 12, the volume of the fluid changes, and the piston reciprocates. The energy related to the reciprocating motion of this piston can be taken out to the outside.

[0021] As will be described in detail later, heat energy from the heating unit 130 is used as the high-temperature heat source 11. Cold water is used as the low-temperature heat source 12. The flow path through which the cold water flows is provided so that the cold water is thermally connected to the working fluid in the cylinder. As an example, heat exchange occurs between the cold water flowing through the flow path formed around the cylinder and the working fluid. By this heat exchange, the cold water is heated.

[0022] The generator G is a generator driven by a Stirling engine. As an example, a storage battery (not shown) is connected to the generator G, and the storage battery is charged by the power from the generator G. The power of this storage battery is supplied to any device within the power generation system 1 or any device outside the power generation system 1.

[0023] (Cold water storage unit 20) The cold water storage unit 20 is a container capable of storing water. The cold water storage unit 20 is, for example, a container placed on the ground. As an example, it is desirable that a heat insulating material for ensuring heat insulation from the outside is attached to the cold water storage unit 20. This is because the temperature of the cold water stored inside can be kept low.

[0024] (Cold water line 30 · First pump 40) The cold water line 30 connects the recovery unit 110 and the water inlet 10b of the thermoelectric generator 10. The circulation unit 120, details of which will be described later, is a part for returning the cold water recovered by the recovery unit 110 to the cold water storage unit 20. A part of the cold water line 30 constitutes the circulation unit 120. The first pump 40 is provided on the cold water line 30.

[0025] The first pump 40 pumps water from the chilled water line 30 from the recovery unit 110 toward the chilled water storage unit 20. The first pump 40 can be any type that is appropriate, such as a centrifugal pump or an axial flow pump. The power to drive the first pump 40 is supplied by the power generated by the thermoelectric power generator 10 described above (including the power stored in the battery). With this configuration, in which the first pump 40 is driven by the power generated by the thermoelectric power generator 10, it is possible to reduce the power consumption of the entire power generation system 1 and improve energy efficiency compared to, for example, providing another power source.

[0026] (Hot water storage section 50) The hot water storage unit 50 is a container capable of storing the hot water sent out after passing through the thermoelectric power generation device 10. The hot water storage unit 50 is, for example, a container located on the ground. Similar to the cold water storage unit 20, it is desirable that the hot water storage unit 50 be fitted with insulating material, as this helps to maintain a high temperature of the hot water stored inside.

[0027] (Hot water line 70, second pump 80) The hot water storage unit 50 is, for example, located on the hot water line 70. The hot water line 70 connects the high-temperature side heat source 11 of the thermoelectric power generator 10 to the water spraying unit 90, which will be described later. A second pump 80 is provided on the hot water line 70. The second pump 80 pumps the water in the hot water line 70 from the thermoelectric power generator 10 toward the water spraying unit 90. The second pump 80 can be of any suitable type, such as a centrifugal pump or an axial flow pump. The power to drive the second pump 80 is, for example, supplied in part or all by the power generated by the thermoelectric power generator 10 described above.

[0028] According to the above configuration, the second pump 80 is driven by the electricity generated by the thermoelectric power generator 10. This makes it possible to reduce the overall power consumption of the power generation system 1 and improve energy efficiency compared to, for example, providing a separate power source.

[0029] (Sprinkler section 90) The watering section 90 is the part that sprays water from the hot water storage section 50 onto a watering area Z, such as a road surface. In this embodiment, the watering section 90 includes a spraying member 91 having a number of openings 91a formed therein. The spraying member 91 is, for example, a hose or a pipe. The spraying member 91 may be placed above ground or partially buried underground. Multiple openings 91a are arranged at intervals along the longitudinal direction of the spraying member 91. When hot water is sprayed from these openings, the snow on the road surface reaches its melting point and turns into water (snowmelt water).

[0030] The watering area Z is ground with a slope (see angle α in the figure) sufficient for water to flow. Water on the watering area Z flows naturally from the watering section 90 towards the collection section 110 due to gravity associated with the slope. The watering area Z may or may not be paved with concrete or asphalt. The watering area Z may be the land of a residential or commercial facility, or it may be a road.

[0031] (Foaming device 100) The foaming device 100 generates microbubbles in the water sprayed from the water spraying unit 90. Here, "microbubbles" refer to bubbles with a diameter of 1 μm or less, and are synonymous with nanobubbles as defined by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). Any device capable of generating microbubbles can be used as the foaming device 100. For example, the foaming device 100 is positioned between the second pump 80 and the water spraying unit 90 on the hot water line 70.

[0032] With the above configuration, the foaming device 100 can generate fine bubbles in the water. Therefore, a higher snow-melting effect can be obtained. The position of the foaming device 100 is arbitrary, but in this embodiment, the foaming device 100 is positioned directly in front of the water spraying unit 90, which helps to suppress the disappearance of fine bubbles in the water sprayed by the water spraying unit 90.

[0033] (Recovery unit 110) The recovery unit 110 recovers the water cooled by melting snow with water sprayed from the water spraying unit 90, as well as the melted snow water, as cold water. The recovery unit 110 is positioned to recover the water that has flowed through the water spraying area Z. Specifically, the recovery unit 110 is installed at a lower position than the water spraying unit 90. Thus, since the gutter member 111 is installed at a lower position than the water spraying unit 90, the water sprayed from the water spraying unit 90 and the melted snow water naturally flow towards the gutter member 111 due to their own weight. Therefore, according to the configuration of this embodiment, there is no need to provide a separate device for water recovery, which can reduce the introduction cost and operating cost of the power generation system 1. In addition, since the number of devices requiring power can be reduced, the overall energy efficiency of the power generation system 1 can also be improved.

[0034] A specific example of the collection unit 110 is a gutter member 111 installed on the ground, such as a road surface. Preferably, the gutter member 111 has a cross-sectional shape such as a semi-cylindrical or U-shaped form. The gutter member 111 may be made of concrete, resin, or metal. By arranging such a gutter member 111 with its opening exposed upwards, it is possible to receive and collect water flowing down the road surface. A mesh-like member may be placed above the gutter member 111 to prevent debris from entering it. The collection unit 110 may also be, for example, a pipe buried underground, but in the case of a gutter member 111 installed on the ground as described above, the work required to install the member is easy, resulting in excellent workability. From the viewpoint of ease of installation, it is preferable that the height of the gutter member 111 is, for example, 50 cm or less or 30 cm or less.

[0035] (Circulation Department 120) The circulation section 120 is the part that returns the chilled water recovered in the recovery section 110 to the chilled water storage section 20. In this example, the circulation section 120 consists of the chilled water line 30 described above and the first pump 40. In the power generation system 1, as described above, the section from the hot water line 70 to the water spraying section 90, the section from the water spraying area Z to the recovery section 110, the circulation section 120, and the section including the thermoelectric power generation device 10 are connected in a loop to form a single circulation path. By operating the first pump 40 and the second pump 80, it is possible to circulate water within this circulation path.

[0036] With this configuration, according to the power generation system 1 of this embodiment, after melting snow by spraying hot water, the water cooled by the snow and the cold water containing the melted snow are recovered by the recovery unit 110. Furthermore, the cold water is returned to the cold water storage unit 20 by the circulation unit 120. After that, the cold water is reused as the low-temperature side heat source 12 of the thermoelectric power generation device 10. In this way, it becomes possible to generate electricity by efficiently utilizing the cold energy of snow.

[0037] (Heating section 130) The heating unit 130 is a part that generates thermal energy used as a high-temperature heat source. The heating unit 130 generates thermal energy by, for example, concentrating sunlight. The heating unit 130 may be provided as part of the thermoelectric power generation device 10, but in this embodiment it is provided separately from the thermoelectric power generation device 10.

[0038] The heating unit 130 may be a device that generates thermal energy by burning fuel pellets derived from organic waste. Such a heating unit 130 may include, for example, a pellet forming machine and a boiler. The pellet forming machine produces fuel pellets from organic waste. The organic waste may be, for example, food residue from kitchens in homes or restaurants, or waste paper such as cardboard. The boiler generates thermal energy by burning the fuel pellets.

[0039] Furthermore, if a certain temperature difference is maintained between the high-temperature heat source 11 and the low-temperature heat source 12 in the thermoelectric power generation device 10, it is also possible to omit the heating unit 130.

[0040] If the heating unit 130 generates thermal energy by burning fuel pellets derived from organic waste such as food residue generated in households and restaurant kitchens, as described above, then it becomes possible to effectively utilize waste from the residence or store where the power generation system 1 is installed as energy.

[0041] (Operation of power generation system 1) The power generation system 1, configured as described above, is used when snow is accumulated in the watering area Z. The thermoelectric power generator 10 is driven, and the heating unit 130, which supplies a high-temperature heat source to the thermoelectric power generator 10, is also driven. The initial state of the power generation system 1 does not necessarily require that the water stored in the hot water storage unit 50 be warm enough to be called hot water. By driving the second pump 80, the water in the hot water storage unit 50 is sprayed from the watering unit 90 through the hot water line 70.

[0042] Water from the watering unit 90 flows over the watering area Z, melting the snow accumulated in the watering area Z. The cooled water and melted snow are collected by the recovery unit 110 and returned to the chilled water storage unit 20 via the circulation unit 120. The thermoelectric power generator 10 is supplied with thermal energy from the high-temperature side heat source from the heating unit 130. Chilled water introduced into the thermoelectric power generator 10 from the water inlet 10b is used as the cold-side heat source of the thermoelectric power generator 10. Specifically, the chilled water loses heat through heat exchange between the working medium inside the cylinder and the chilled water, causing its temperature to rise, and is sent out from the thermoelectric power generator 10 as hot water. When enough of this hot water has accumulated in the hot water storage unit 50, hot water is sprayed from the watering unit 90 to melt snow with hot water.

[0043] As described above, the power generation system 1 of this embodiment uses hot water from the thermoelectric power generator 10 to melt snow, and the water sprayed for snow melting and the melted snow water are recovered as cold water, which is then reused as the low-temperature heat source 12 of the thermoelectric power generator 10. In this way, it becomes possible to generate electricity by efficiently utilizing the cold energy of snow.

[0044] Furthermore, since a trough member 111 installed on the ground is used as the recovery section 110, the configuration is simpler compared to a configuration in which, for example, a tank or water storage tank is buried underground. As a result, it becomes possible to reduce the manufacturing cost and operating cost of the power generation system 1.

[0045] Furthermore, since the gutter member 111 is installed at a lower position than the watering unit 90, the water sprayed from the watering unit 90 and the melted snow water flow towards the gutter member 111. Therefore, there is no need to install a separate device for water recovery, which reduces the manufacturing and operating costs of the power generation system 1.

[0046] Furthermore, in a configuration where the pump is driven by electricity generated by the thermoelectric power generator 10, it is possible to reduce the overall power consumption of the power generation system 1 and improve energy efficiency compared to, for example, a case where a separate power source is provided to drive the pump.

[0047] Furthermore, if the heating unit 130 generates thermal energy by burning fuel pellets derived from organic waste such as food residue generated in households and restaurant kitchens, and this thermal energy is used as the high-temperature heat source 11 of the thermoelectric power generation device 10, then waste in the residence or store where the power generation system 1 is installed can be effectively utilized as energy.

[0048] <Second Embodiment> Figure 2 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a power generation system according to a second embodiment of the present invention. The power generation system 1A in Figure 2 differs from the system in Figure 1 in that it is equipped with a detection unit 60, a monitoring unit 140, and a control device 150A. A description of the components common to the power generation system 1 in Figure 1 will be omitted.

[0049] (Detection unit 60) The detection unit 60 detects the amount of hot water (storage volume) stored inside the hot water storage unit 50. The detection unit 60 is, for example, a sensor attached to a part of the tank of the hot water storage unit 50. Specifically, a liquid level meter or a liquid level sensor is preferably used as the detection unit 60. The detection unit 60 outputs a signal as a detection result that is used to detect the amount of water stored in the hot water storage unit 50.

[0050] (Monitoring Department 140) The monitoring unit 140 is a device that monitors the snow accumulation conditions on the road surface (watering area Z) as described above. Specifically, the monitoring unit 140 may be an imaging device such as a CCD camera or an infrared camera. For example, the monitoring unit 140 captures images of the road surface and sends image data such as still images or videos to the control device 150A, which will be described later. The monitoring unit 140 may also be a device such as a sensor that can detect the presence or absence of snow accumulation.

[0051] (Control device 150A) The control device 150A is a device that controls one or more components that constitute the power generation system 1A. The control device 150A controls the operation of the first pump 40 and the second pump 80 based on the detection result of the detection unit. Figure 3 is a functional block diagram of the control device 150A according to this embodiment. As shown in the figure, the control device 150A has a control unit 150 and a storage unit 155. The control unit 150 has a storage amount acquisition unit 151, a snow depth acquisition unit 152, a determination unit 153 and a drive unit 154.

[0052] The memory unit 155 has storage media such as ROM (Read Only Memory), RAM (Random Access Memory), and SSD (Solid State Drive). The memory unit 155 stores programs executed by the control unit 150. The memory unit 155 stores various threshold values, image data, etc.

[0053] The control unit 150 includes, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit). By executing a program stored in the memory unit 155, the control unit 150 functions as a storage amount acquisition unit 151, a snow depth acquisition unit 152, a determination unit 153, and a drive unit 154.

[0054] The storage amount acquisition unit 151 acquires the detection results from the detection unit 60 described above. The snow depth acquisition unit 152 acquires images of the road surface, etc. (sprinkling area Z) from the monitoring unit 140 described above. The determination unit 153 also makes various determinations based on the information acquired by the storage amount acquisition unit 151. The determination unit 153 makes various determinations based on the information acquired by the snow depth acquisition unit 152. The drive unit 154 drives the first pump 40 and the second pump 80 based on the determination results of the determination unit 153.

[0055] (Operation control according to the remaining amount in the hot water storage unit 50) The determination unit 153 calculates the amount of hot water stored based on the detection results from the detection unit 60 and determines whether the amount of hot water stored is below a predetermined threshold. In the power generation system 1, it is expected that if there is not enough hot water stored in the detection unit 60, a sufficient snow-melting effect cannot be expected even if water is sprayed. Therefore, the drive unit 154 does not operate the first pump 40 and the second pump 80 if the determination unit 153 determines that the amount of hot water stored in the hot water storage unit 50 is below a predetermined threshold.

[0056] With the above configuration, if the amount of hot water stored falls below the threshold, watering will not occur. Therefore, when the amount of stored water is low and it is expected that watering will not provide sufficient snow-melting effect, unnecessary watering can be prevented.

[0057] (Operation control based on the presence of snow) The determination unit 153 determines, based on the detection results of the monitoring unit 140, whether or not there is an amount of snow in the watering area Z that exceeds a threshold. Specifically, the determination unit 153 performs image analysis based on images acquired by the snow depth acquisition unit 152 to determine whether or not there is an amount of snow in the target watering area Z that exceeds a threshold. In the power generation system 1, for example, the snow in the watering area Z may have already melted due to the action of watering or the rise in daytime temperature. Therefore, if the determination unit 153 determines that there is no amount of snow in the watering area Z that exceeds a threshold, the drive unit 154 does not operate the first pump 40 and the second pump 80. With the above configuration, if there is no amount of snow in the watering area Z that exceeds a threshold, watering is not performed, thus preventing unnecessary watering.

[0058] (Operation control that takes outside temperature into consideration) The power generation system 1 can melt snow in the watering area Z by spraying water. Snow melting by watering is useful when the temperature is above a certain level, but if the temperature drops significantly, for example, the sprayed water may freeze, and instead of melting the snow, it may actually make it more difficult to melt. Therefore, the control unit 150 may be configured to stop watering (i.e., stop the operation of the second pump 80) when the outside temperature falls below a predetermined threshold.

[0059] (Operation control that takes water temperature into consideration) The temperature of the water stored in the hot water storage section 50 is affected by the operating status of the power generation system 1 and the ambient temperature. On the other hand, it is assumed that the snow-melting effect is higher when the water temperature is higher and lower when the water temperature is lower. Therefore, the control unit 150 may operate the second pump 80 so that a first flow rate (relatively low flow rate) is delivered when the water temperature in the hot water storage section 50 is above a first threshold (relatively high temperature), and may operate the second pump 80 so that a second flow rate (relatively high flow rate) greater than the first flow rate is delivered when the water temperature in the hot water storage section 50 is below the first threshold.

[0060] <Variation> Figure 4 is a schematic diagram showing a modified example of the gutter member 111 and water sprinkler 90 according to the embodiment. As shown in the figure, the power generation system according to the present invention can also be configured such that the gutter member 111 and water sprinkler 90 are attached to the roof 201 of a building 200 such as a house, and water is sprinkled onto the roof 201. In this case, the water sprinkler 90 is positioned at a relatively high position on the roof 201, and the gutter member 111 is positioned to receive water from the roof 201. Thus, the power generation system according to the present invention may also sprinkle snow from the roof, and even with such a configuration, the cold energy of the snow is utilized in the thermoelectric power generation device 10, making it possible to efficiently utilize the energy of the cold energy of the snow to generate electricity.

[0061] In the configuration shown in Figure 4, the chilled water that moves downward from the trough member 111 due to gravity may be stored directly in the chilled water storage section 20. In this case, the first pump 40 (see Figure 1) is not required.

[0062] In one embodiment of the present invention, it is also possible to adopt a configuration without the foaming device 100 described above. However, the configuration with the foaming device 100 is advantageous in that it improves the snow melting effect.

[0063] In one embodiment of the present invention, either the first pump 40 or the second pump 80 may be omitted. It is also possible to adopt a configuration that does not include the control device 150A, detection unit 60, and monitoring unit 140 described above. Regarding the positional relationship between the watering unit 90 and the hot water storage unit 50, the watering unit 90 may be provided below the container of the hot water storage unit 50. With such a configuration, even if a pump is not provided, water from the hot water storage unit 50 will be sprayed from the watering unit 90 by gravity. The start and stop of watering may be performed, for example, by switching a valve provided in or upstream of the watering unit 90. The valve may be switched manually or automatically by a switching device.

[0064] In one embodiment of the present invention, the thermoelectric power generation device 10, the heating unit 130, and the generator G may be configured to be mounted on the cargo bed of a single vehicle.

[0065] Although the present invention has been described above using embodiments, the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the scope described in the above embodiments, and various modifications and changes are possible within the scope of its gist. For example, all or part of the apparatus can be configured by functionally or physically distributing and integrating in any unit. Furthermore, new embodiments resulting from any combination of multiple embodiments are also included in the embodiments of the present invention. The effects of the new embodiments resulting from the combinations are combined with the effects of the original embodiments. [Explanation of symbols]

[0066] 1…Power generation system 10… Thermoelectric power generation device 11… High-temperature heat source 12… Low-temperature heat source 20...Cold water storage section 30…Cold water line 40...First Pump 50…Hot water storage section 60...Detection unit 70... Hot water line 80... Second pump 90... Sprinkler unit 100... Foaming device 110... Recovery Department 111...Gutter parts 120...Circulation section 130...Heating section 140...Monitoring Department 150...Control device 151...Storage volume acquisition unit 152…Snowfall amount acquisition section 153…Judgment section 154…Drive unit 155...Storage section 200... Buildings 201...Roof G... Generator Z…watering area Z1...Wall part

Claims

1. A thermoelectric power generation device that generates electricity based on the temperature difference between a high-temperature heat source and a low-temperature heat source, A chilled water storage section capable of storing chilled water used as the low-temperature heat source, A hot water storage unit capable of storing the hot water sent out after passing through the aforementioned thermoelectric power generation device, A sprinkler unit for sprinkling water from the hot water storage unit, A recovery unit that recovers the water and snowmelt water cooled by melting snow with the water that has been sprayed, as the cold water, A circulation unit that returns the chilled water recovered in the recovery unit to the chilled water storage unit, A power generation system equipped with the following features.

2. The power generation system according to claim 1, further comprising a foaming device for generating fine bubbles in the water sprayed from the water spraying unit.

3. The aforementioned collection unit is a gutter member installed on the ground, or a gutter member attached to a building. The power generation system according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The gutter member is installed at a lower position than the sprinkler section. The power generation system according to claim 3.

5. The system further includes a pump for spraying water from the aforementioned watering unit, The pump is driven by the electricity generated by the thermoelectric power generator. The power generation system according to claim 1 or 2.

6. The power generation system according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a heating unit that generates thermal energy to be used as the high-temperature heat source by burning fuel pellets.

7. A detection unit for detecting the amount of water stored in the hot water storage unit, A control device that controls the operation of a pump for spraying water from the watering unit based on the detection result of the detection unit, Furthermore, The power generation system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the control device does not operate the pump when the storage amount is less than a predetermined threshold.

8. It further includes a monitoring unit that monitors the snow cover conditions in the watering area. If the control device determines, based on the detection results of the monitoring unit, that there is no amount of snow in the watering area exceeding a threshold, it will not operate the pump. The power generation system according to claim 7.

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