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Post by olhillbilly on Dec 25, 2005 5:45:02 GMT -6
Once upon a time, some time back, I was reading bouta heat powered fan. Couldnt ever find that artical again. I did know that Stirling engines were heat powered tho. But that wasnt what I was looking for. I still havent found what I was looking for. But I have found some sites that have fans that sit on yer woodstove an blow air. Powered by heat. No electricity. Kinda pricey tho. I'll post some links. www.thermalengines.com/about_heatwave.html This one is a site dedicated to stirling engines. www.bekkoame.ne.jp/~khirata/These are Not stirlings, but are still heat powered fans. www.caframo.com/ecofans.htmHava gander an see whatcha think. |
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Post by olhillbilly on Dec 25, 2005 5:51:24 GMT -6
Hey 12vman, I found the artical. Its for a Self Powered Pellet Burning Stove. It uses thermoelectric modules to generate electricity. Beins yer knowledge of electricity is way more better'n mine. Ya might have a look at this. www.westbioenergy.org/reports/pelletstove/pellets.htm |
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Post by olhillbilly on Dec 26, 2005 5:22:32 GMT -6
I been studying up on these thermocouplers a bit. They might be an good way to up yer power source, 12v.
Plus I'ma thinkin that on the cooling side of the fins, you might be able to run a water jacket of sorts to preheat yer water.
Seems if you reverse gears an put power back into the couplers, you can get a cooling effect.
I kinda understand how they can get cooling or heating outta one of them coleman thingys.
Am just tryin to soak in what this is all about. Kinda wish I'da took some algebra.
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Post by olhillbilly on Dec 26, 2005 5:40:04 GMT -6
Ok, Why cant we use this in a solar application? Ya gotta hot side (heated by the sun) and some means of cooling (various means comes to mind), and we just sit back and collect the energy caused by all the friction of the electrons runnin to the cold side.
Am I just battin my head against a wall?
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12vman
Junior Member
"This is Where it's At"
Posts: 93
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Post by 12vman on Dec 26, 2005 6:50:56 GMT -6
They produce small amounts of power.. maybe 2-3 volts max and the current is very low.. in the milliamps. It would take a bunch of them to make enough energy to do anything with..
The sun would have to be concentrated to achieve the needed heat to make them work. The top of a wood burner gets pretty hot! The heat is applied to one side of the junction then needs to be removed from the other. Maybe the cooling side could be used to heat water? Install some in the roof to operate some ceiling fans?
This isn't new stuff. Remember the old gas conversion furnaces? This idea was used for the thermostat circuit. It used the pilot light as the heat source to run the gas valve through the thermostat. It didn't need any outside power. Most didn't have any blowers on then because they were old coal furnaces..
I don't believe these are the same as the ones in coolers. The pelter panels use power to make them work. The ones in the fans make power with heat exchange from one side to the other. I don't know a bunch about either one but that's how I understand they work..
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Post by olhillbilly on Dec 26, 2005 8:01:52 GMT -6
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12vman
Junior Member
"This is Where it's At"
Posts: 93
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Post by 12vman on Dec 26, 2005 9:13:17 GMT -6
Well shoot fire! I'm gonna tear this piece of crap cooler I have here and play with the cooling thingie..
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Post by olhillbilly on Dec 27, 2005 0:47:01 GMT -6
Well, goody. I hope ya figger out all kinds of things. Cuz I gots all kinds of questions. Like why cant they be applied to solar? Use meybe a frensel lense. Or a reflector? And how come they gotta be so small? And if old Seebeck could build one back in 1800 an whatever, howcome we cant build one now? And why cant liquid be applied to the cooling side? (for both heating and cooling) Dang, I just went lookin to see how that stove worked an feel like a kid all over again.  |
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Post by olhillbilly on Dec 27, 2005 4:16:04 GMT -6
Here, I just found this on thermo photovoltic cells. Thermophotovoltaics (TPV) can succeed wherever the burning of fuel takes place. Photovoltaic cells convert thermal radiation emitted from a heat source into electricity. In principle, all fuels – gaseous, liquid and solid – can be used as the source. Efficient conversion of heat radiation is achieved by increasing the photovoltaic cell density. A solar cell the size of a postcard generates approximately 1.5 W, a thermo photovoltaic cell of the same size can theoretically generate 300 to 500 W. I havent found the makings for these yet. I figger sumthin tween peanutbutter fudge and a plexiglass bird house  |
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