Harvesting energy potential from air conditioner compressor of hot gas receiver tank using thermoelectric generator
Fire safety signage like emergency light and exit sign that are used all year round at buildings consume electricity for operation of signage and must function during emergency situation, therefore this can be costly in terms of maintenance cost. The DC voltage that is generated by thermoelectric...
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Main Author: | |
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Format: | Thesis |
Language: | English |
Published: |
2016
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Subjects: | |
Online Access: | http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/67135/1/FK%202016%20145%20IR.pdf |
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Summary: | Fire safety signage like emergency light and exit sign that are used all year round at
buildings consume electricity for operation of signage and must function during
emergency situation, therefore this can be costly in terms of maintenance cost. The
DC voltage that is generated by thermoelectric generator (TEGs) is enough to
operate this signage as alternative for its original batteries. The facilities and state
institutions as well as residential complexes are using large numbers of air
conditioner units. The air conditioner hot receiver tank rejects large amount of waste
heat to the environment. The aim of this study is concerned with experimental test
for (TEG) circuit arrangement for reducing waste heat by converting waste heat into
electrical power. Specific objectives are to determine the primary design of TEG
parameters with high power efficiency, which is able to produce ≥ 4 volt, then to
verify the primary design results with experimental validation. Also, the research
study the effect of weather properties on the cooling process of TEG. The system
has built-in the electrical circuit as a battery charger to save (DC) electrical energy
for operate four pieces of 12V LED in a (KELUAR) sign. Figure of Merit (FOM)
and heat transfer approach based on the first law of thermodynamics are considered
in arrangement of TEG. A total of 18 pieces of thermoelectric generator with
dimensions of (40 mm × 40 mm × 3.4mm) with Bismuth Telluride inside material are fixed on aluminum frame which carries thermoelectric generator
and sandwiched between air conditioner hot gas receiver tank and cool heat sink.
Double heat sink per one thermoelectric generator piece are used to improve heat
transfer. The TEG are arranged in three lines, each line consists of 6 pieces of TEGs
connected in series to increase voltage, while the three lines of TEGs are connected
in parallel to increase amount of power current. Electrical circuit built for charging
3.5V battery and connected with (KELUAR) sign lights was successfully fabricated.
The circuit equipped with two convertor, (0.9V to 5V DC-DC) convertor for
increase voltage. The experimental test shows that the output electrical power is
extremely dependent on weather properties e.g ambient temperature, air velocity and relative
humidity (RH), and it shows that the maximum open circuit voltage obtained
in this research is 5.16V at 0.17m/s of air velocity, 73% of RH and 30.4 ℃ of
ambient temperature. Experimental result shows that the maximum thermoelectric
generator efficiency is 46% at temperature difference of 29.2℃ and dimensionless
Figure of Merit ≃1. The system is able to harvest waste heat into electricity (DC)
and charge the battery which serves as reservoir. |
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