What do you need to get energy?
- Heating pipe, temperature from 50 degrees.
- Mounting on a pipe - made by myself from various rubbish.
- Aluminium foil.
- The Peltier element -
- USB boost converter -
- Radiator -
- Load - LED flashlight -
The Peltier element:
First, we measure the temperature of the central heating pipe. Its temperature is 60, which is quite enough to get electricity.
I have assembled such a construction:
The radiator, then comes the mount to the battery, and between them is the Peltier thermoelectric module.
This is necessary so that the battery heats one side of the module, and the radiator with free convection cools the second side.
As a result of the temperature difference, the Peltier element will begin to generate electricity. And the greater the temperature difference between its sides, the more voltage will be output.
You need such a mount to attach the module to the battery.
First, of course, we fasten it to the radiator, and then only to the battery. For better heat transfer, we lubricate both surfaces to which the module touches with a thermally conductive paste.
The mount has a rectangular shape, and the pipe is round. To ensure good heat transfer, we will make a kind of gasket from the foil, which will take the form of both sides. We stuff the foil very tightly.
If you calculate the temperature difference that will be applied to the Peltier module, you get about 35-40 degrees Celsius. The output will be a small voltage, of the order of 0.5-1.5 volts. This tension, of course, is not enough. Although the voltage is low, it has a decent output current. Therefore, we connected a step-up voltage converter with stabilized input voltage to the output of the module.
Well, the load of the converter can be both a cell phone and an LED flashlight.
We connect our thermal power station to the battery. Gently tighten the screws. After some time, our alternative energy source should work.
I decided to use the received energy to illuminate the corridor at night. Held wires, hung an LED flashlight. Now, at night, you can calmly get up and go about your nightly business, not including general lighting and without disturbing anyone.
What application you find - you decide!
If the pipe to which you will connect your power plant will be in a place where the noise does not interfere, say in the toilet in the bathroom, in the kitchen. Then you can use a radiator with a cooler. Having powered the cooler from the converter. Then the capacity of the power plant will increase slightly.
There are a great many such power sources around the house. Yes, of course, the big minus is that everything will work only during the period of central heating, but still the experience is quite interesting. Although in the winter it is almost always dark and this home-made product will come to the rescue, in the summer it is almost always light and it is not so needed.
Go for it friends!
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