power generation equipment

Abstract

To provide a power generator capable of generating power even in the rain.SOLUTION: A power generator 10 has an adsorption heat generation part 11 which generates heat by adsorption, a drying module 12 which holds the adsorption heat generation part 11 and has heat collection parts 12a, 12b for collecting heat on the adsorption heat generation part 11 to dry it, and a thermoelectric generation unit 13 which performs thermoelectric generation on the basis of the temperature difference between a first heat transfer part 13b for transferring heat to outside and a second heat transfer part 13a for thermally contacting with the adsorption heat generation part 11 on the opposite side of the first heat transfer unit 13b.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a power generation device such as an energy harvesting device that is mainly installed outdoors. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, this type of power generating device is disclosed, for example, in FIG. 7 of Patent Document 1, which uses wind, rain, snow, etc. to rotate a propeller and generate electricity. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2007-054676 A (Fig. 7) Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, the conventional power generating device described above has a problem in that it cannot generate electricity under conditions such as drizzle, in which the power generated is insufficient to rotate the propeller.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems of the prior art, and has as its object to provide a power generating device that can generate power even in rainy weather. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The power generation device of the present invention is characterized by having an adsorption heat generating section that generates heat through adsorption, a drying module that holds the adsorption heat generating section and has a heat collecting section that collects heat from the adsorption heat generating section and dries it, and a thermoelectric power generation unit that has a first heat transfer section that transfers heat to the outside and a second heat transfer section that is in thermal contact with the adsorption heat generating section on the opposite side of the first heat transfer section, and generates thermoelectric power by the temperature difference between the first heat transfer section and the second heat transfer section. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the power generating device of the present invention, it is possible to provide a power generating device that can generate electricity even in rainy weather. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view conceptually showing a power generating device of a first embodiment. [Figure 2] 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the power generating device taken along line xx in FIG. 1. [Figure 3] 3 is a cross-sectional view conceptually showing the operation of the power generating device of the first embodiment. FIG. [Figure 4] 3 is a cross-sectional view conceptually showing the operation of the power generating device of the first embodiment. FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view conceptually showing a power generating device according to a second embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view conceptually showing the operation of the power generating device of the second embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view conceptually showing the operation of the power generating device of the second embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] Hereinafter, a power generating apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the embodiments, components having substantially the same functions and configurations are designated by the same reference numerals, and redundant description will be omitted.

[0010] (First Example) (Configuration explanation) Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing a power generating device 10 of a first embodiment. Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the power generating device 10 taken along line xx in Fig. 1.

[0011] The power generating device 10 according to this embodiment includes an adsorption heat generating section 11 , a drying module 12 that holds the adsorption heat generating section 11 , and a thermoelectric power generating unit 13 attached to the drying module 12 .

[0012] [Adsorption heat generation section 11] The adsorption heat generating unit 11 includes zeolite particles ZLP that generate heat by adsorbing water such as rainwater, and an upper mesh NTU and a lower mesh NTL that are water permeation devices that sandwich, hold, and house the zeolite particles ZLP and allow rainwater to permeate the entire unit. This embodiment utilizes the phenomenon in which the zeolite particles ZLP react with water to generate heat.

[0013] Zeolite particles (ZLP) are crystalline compounds composed mainly of silicon (Si), aluminum (Al), oxygen (O), etc., with minute pores at the molecular level. They are porous bodies with pores specific to their structure, typically with micropore diameters equivalent to molecular diameters of 0.2 to 1.0 nm.

[0014] Zeolite particles (ZLP) can be natural (zeolite) or artificially synthesized (by hydrothermal synthesis, in which raw materials such as sodium silicate or sodium aluminate are heated in a sealed pressure vessel together with water, by modifying natural oxides, or by a template method, in which an organic template is used during synthesis and then eliminated).Zeolite particles (ZLP) can be in the form of pellets, crushed bodies, granules (spheres, etc.), powder, hollow fibers, tiles, etc.

[0015] The heat of adsorption, which is the enthalpy change that occurs when water molecules or other molecules are adsorbed, is expressed as the amount per 1 mole of adsorbed molecules. The heat of adsorption is generally heat generated and varies depending on the amount of adsorption or the surface coverage (the proportion of adsorption points on the solid surface that are covered with adsorbed molecules). The magnitude of the heat of adsorption varies depending on the nature of the adsorption bond; physical adsorption generates heat of about 10 kJ / mol, while chemical adsorption reaches 50-500 kJ / mol. Zeolite particles ZLP have a high surface coverage with adsorbed water molecules, which causes heat of adsorption.

[0016] [Drying Module 12] The power generation device 10 includes a drying module 12 that holds the adsorption heat generating section 11 and has a heat collecting section that collects heat from the adsorption heat generating section 11 to dry it.

[0017] The drying module 12 has a collector mirror 12a and an irradiation mirror 12b fixed to a predetermined position on the collector mirror 12a. The collector mirror 12a is fixed to a fixed object such as the ground with aggregates (not shown). When viewed from above, the collector mirror 12a has a hollowed-out circular shape so that the adsorption heat generating unit 11 in the center is exposed. When viewed from above, the irradiation mirror 12b also has a circular shape. The upper mesh NTU and lower mesh NTL of the adsorption heat generating unit 11 are fixed to the collector mirror 12a.

[0018] The collecting mirror 12a has a parabolic antenna shape and reflects and collects sunlight toward the irradiation mirror 12b. The irradiation mirror 12b has a heat collecting structure that irradiates the collected sunlight onto the entire zeolite particles ZLP (adsorption heat generating section 11). The sunlight collected by the parabolic antenna shape is irradiated by the irradiation mirror 12b, so that the zeolite particles ZLP are efficiently heated and dried.

[0019] The collecting mirror 12a may have a parabolic antenna shape, or may have a spherical, polyhedral, prismatic or cylindrical shape, etc. The irradiation mirror 12b may also have any shape as long as it is a heat collecting part that collects heat to the adsorption heat generating part 11.

[0020] [Thermoelectric power generation unit 13] The thermoelectric power generation unit 13 has a low-temperature side heat transfer section 13b of the first heat transfer section for cooling, which is exposed to the outside from the drying module 12 and transfers heat, and a high-temperature side heat transfer section 13a of the second heat transfer section for receiving heat, which is in thermal contact with the adsorption heat generating section 11 on the opposite side, and generates thermoelectric power by the temperature difference between the high-temperature side heat transfer section 13a and the low-temperature side heat transfer section 13b.

[0021] The thermoelectric power generation unit 13 has a thermoelectric power generation element 13c that is in thermal contact with and sandwiched between the high-temperature side heat transfer portion 13a and the low-temperature side heat transfer portion 13b, and a heat sink 13d that is in thermal contact with the low-temperature side heat transfer portion 13b. The heat sink 13d has an uneven surface on the opposite side (shaded side) of the low-temperature side heat transfer portion 13b, which prevents the temperature difference between both sides (high-temperature side heat transfer portion 13a and low-temperature side heat transfer portion 13b) of the thermoelectric power generation element 13c from being lost.

[0022] For example, as shown in Fig. 1, the lower mesh NTL is hollowed out only in the area of ​​the thermoelectric power generating element 13c (high-temperature side heat transfer portion 13a), so that the zeolite particles ZLP and the high-temperature surface of the thermoelectric power generating element 13c are in direct contact. The low-temperature surface of the thermoelectric power generating element 13c is fixed to a heat sink 13d, and the heat sink 13d is fixed to a protective mesh NTP. The thermoelectric power generating element 13c and the heat sink 13d are held by the protective mesh NTP in a manner that allows ventilation and drainage.

[0023] Any thermoelectric generating element 13c that can convert thermal energy into electrical energy can be used. Each thermoelectric generating element 13c utilizes the Seebeck effect, which is achieved by joining two different types of metals or semiconductors and generating an electromotive force when a temperature difference is created between the two ends. A Peltier element, which combines multiple p-type and n-type semiconductors to generate a large potential difference, is preferred as the thermoelectric generating element.

[0024] Even when the high-temperature side heat transfer section 13a of the adsorption heat generating section 11 becomes hotter than the air temperature due to sunlight on a sunny day, the heat sink 13d allows the air on the shaded side of the collecting mirror 12a to cool the low-temperature side heat transfer section 13b, thereby generating electricity in the thermoelectric power generation unit 13.

[0025] [Electronic devices, etc.] The thermoelectric generating element 13c of each thermoelectric generating unit 13 is connected to a predetermined electronic device 14 such as an IoT (Internet of Things) device by a lead wire LW (wiring of positive and negative electrodes). The thermoelectric generating element 13c is connected to a power supply circuit 14a of the electronic device 14, and the power supply circuit 14a supplies power to the storage circuit 14b or the device circuit 14c as needed.

[0026] The electronic device 14, the lead wires LW, and the thermoelectric generating element 13c are each waterproofed from the outside, and are completely waterproof.

[0027] (Explanation of operation) Figure 3 shows the power generation operation of the power generation device 10 during rainy weather. Rainwater moves toward the center of the collector mirror 12a, reaches the zeolite particles ZLP spread across the adsorption heat generation section 11, passes through the upper mesh NTU, and reaches the adsorption heat generation section 11. The zeolite particles ZLP then heat up. That is, the zeolite particles ZLP generate heat when they come into contact with the falling rain (moisture). The heat is transferred to the high-temperature surface (high-temperature side heat transfer section 13a) of the thermoelectric power generation element 13c.

[0028] The high-temperature side heat transfer portion 13a of the thermoelectric generating element 13c is maintained at a heat generation temperature, and the low-temperature side heat transfer portion 13b is maintained at an ambient temperature by the heat sink 13d, and a temperature difference occurs between the high-temperature side and the low-temperature side, causing the thermoelectric generating element 13c to generate electricity. The generated power is transmitted to the electronic device 14 by the lead wire LW. The thermoelectric generating element 13c is connected to the electronic device 14 and serves as a power source.

[0029] Furthermore, when a large amount of zeolite particle ZLP is used, the inner surface of the collector mirror 12a is inclined toward the center so that rain that has strayed from the center is directed toward the zeolite particle ZLP, and the rain flows along the inner surface and comes into contact with the zeolite particle ZLP, causing further exothermic reactions. The collector mirror 12a collects rain that falls over a wide area in one place, allowing for the collection of more moisture.

[0030] In an exothermic reaction, when the reaction becomes saturated, excess water passes through the lower mesh NTL and the protective mesh NTP and is discharged to the outside.

[0031] Figure 4 shows the operation of the power generation device 10 on a sunny day, i.e., the drying operation to return the state of the zeolite particles ZLP in the adsorption heat generating unit 11 to the state before the exothermic reaction on a sunny day so that the power generation device 10 can repeatedly generate electricity. The concentrating mirror 12a and the irradiating mirror 12b irradiate the collected sunlight onto the entire zeolite particles ZLP. This collects heat, and the zeolite particles ZLP are efficiently heated and dried, returning them to the state before the exothermic reaction. This allows for repeated power generation.

[0032] Furthermore, during and after drying of the zeolite particles ZLP, when the adsorption heat generating section 11 becomes hotter than the air temperature due to solar radiation, the low-temperature side heat transfer section 13b is cooled more than the high-temperature side heat transfer section 13a by the heat sink 13d on the shaded side of the collecting mirror 12a, and a temperature difference occurs between the high-temperature surface and the low-temperature surface of the thermoelectric generating element 13c, allowing electricity to be generated.

[0033] (Explanation of effect) As described above, according to the first embodiment, the thermoelectric power generation unit 13 can generate thermoelectric power by adsorption in rainy weather, and can generate thermoelectric power efficiently using thermal energy including sunlight in fine weather.

[0034] (Second Example) 5 is a cross-sectional view conceptually illustrating a power generation device 10 of a second embodiment. This embodiment is the same as the first embodiment, except that instead of the vertical drying module 12 of the first embodiment, a horizontal drying module 22 is used, which separates the rainwater intake port (rainwater hopper HP) and the sunlight intake port (condensing lens 22a).

[0035] In the adsorption heat generating section 11, the zeolite particles ZLP are held at the top and bottom by the upper mesh NTU and lower mesh NTL in Fig. 5, which are fixed to the housing, at the left and right by the diffuser lens 22c and the high-temperature side heat transfer section 13a of the second heat transfer section of the thermoelectric power generating unit 13, and at the front and back by the housing itself. A heat sink 13d is in contact with and fixed to the low-temperature side heat transfer section 13b of the first heat transfer section for cooling the thermoelectric power generating element 13c.

[0036] A rainwater hopper (water collection device) HP is provided around the upper mesh NTU of the adsorption heat generating unit 11. The rainwater hopper HP acts as a canopy that extends over the heat sink 13d, shading the heat sink 13d. As a result, when the adsorption heat generating unit 11 is dried by sunlight on a sunny day and becomes hotter than the air, the air on the shaded side of the rainwater hopper HP cools the heat sink 13d, allowing the thermoelectric power generating unit 13 to generate electricity.

[0037] The diffusion lens 22c has a concave lens shape that allows sunlight collected on clear days to be irradiated onto the entire zeolite particles ZLP (adsorption heat generating section 11). As a result, more of the collected sunlight is irradiated from the side by the irradiation mirror 12b and the diffusion lens 22c, and the zeolite particles ZLP are efficiently heated and dried.

[0038] Figure 6 shows the power generation operation of the power generation device 10 during rainy weather. Rainwater is collected by the rainwater hopper HP, and the moisture that permeates the upper mesh NTU raises the temperature of the zeolite particles ZLP. That is, when the zeolite particles ZLP of the power generation device 10 generate heat, the high-temperature side heat transfer section 13a of the thermoelectric power generation element 13c becomes hot.

[0039] The high-temperature side heat transfer portion 13a of the thermoelectric generating element 13c is maintained at a heat generation temperature, and the low-temperature side heat transfer portion 13b is maintained at an ambient temperature by the heat sink 13d, and a temperature difference occurs between the high-temperature side and the low-temperature side, causing the thermoelectric generating element 13c to generate electricity. The generated power is transmitted to the electronic device 14 by the lead wire LW. The thermoelectric generating element 13c is connected to the electronic device 14 and serves as a power source.

[0040] When the exothermic reaction of the zeolite particles ZLP becomes saturated, excess water passes through the lower mesh NTL and is discharged to the outside.

[0041] Figure 7 shows the power generation operation of the power generation device 10 on a sunny day. To enable the power generation device 10 to repeatedly generate power, a drying operation is performed on a sunny day to return the state of the zeolite particles ZLP in the adsorption heat generating section 11 to the state before the exothermic reaction. The condenser lens 22a, the irradiation mirror 22b, and the diffusion lens 22c irradiate the collected sunlight onto the entire zeolite particles ZLP. This collects heat, and the zeolite particles ZLP are efficiently heated and dried, returning them to the state before the exothermic reaction. This allows for repeated power generation.

[0042] Furthermore, during and after drying of the zeolite particles ZLP on sunny days, the high-temperature side heat transfer section 13a on the adsorption heat generation section 11 side becomes hotter than the air temperature due to solar radiation, and the low-temperature side heat transfer section 13b is cooled by the heat sink 13d in the shade of the rainwater hopper HP, causing a temperature difference between the high-temperature and low-temperature sides of the thermoelectric power generation element 13c, allowing electricity to be generated. [Explanation of symbols]

[0043] 10 Power generating equipment 11 Adsorption heat generation part 12, 22 Drying module 12a Condenser mirror 12b Irradiation mirror 13 Thermoelectric power generation unit 13a High temperature side heat transfer section 13b Low temperature side heat transfer section 13c Thermoelectric power generation element 13d Heatsink 14 Electronic equipment 22a Condenser lens 22b Irradiation mirror 22c Diffused Lens LW lead wire NTU upper network NTL lower network ZLP Zeolite Particles

Claims

1. An adsorption heat generating section that generates heat by adsorbing water; a drying module that holds the adsorption heat generating unit and has a collecting mirror as a heat collecting unit that collects heat from sunlight on the adsorption heat generating unit and dries the adsorption heat generating unit; a thermoelectric power generation unit including a first heat transfer section that transfers heat to the outside and a second heat transfer section that is on the opposite side of the first heat transfer section and is in thermal contact with the adsorption heat generating section, and that generates thermoelectric power using a temperature difference between the first heat transfer section and the second heat transfer section; A power generating device comprising:

2. An adsorption heat generating section that generates heat by adsorbing water; a drying module that holds the adsorption heat generating unit and has a condenser lens as a heat collecting unit that collects heat from sunlight on the adsorption heat generating unit and dries the adsorption heat generating unit; a thermoelectric power generation unit including a first heat transfer section that transfers heat to the outside and a second heat transfer section that is on the opposite side of the first heat transfer section and is in thermal contact with the adsorption heat generating section, and that generates thermoelectric power using a temperature difference between the first heat transfer section and the second heat transfer section; A power generating device comprising:

3. The adsorption heat generating section has a water permeation device that allows rainwater to permeate the adsorption heat generating section.

3. The power generating device according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The adsorption heat generating section contains zeolite particles that are in thermal contact with the second heat transfer section.

4. The power generating device according to claim 1, wherein the power generating device is a power generating device.

5. a heat sink in thermal contact with the first heat transfer portion; 5. The power generating device according to claim 1, wherein the power generating device is a power generating device.

6. A water guide device for collecting rainwater above the adsorption heat generating section is provided. The power generating device according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

Images