Revision as of 02:51, 10 July 2018

Efficiency

Cooling is low price - but we need TEG, not cooling. Cooling - $2 for 60W - or 3W at 5% efficiency - [8]
Specs - [9]

Best Resource as a Design Guide - tight packing fraction of modules appears to be a key requirement for higher power applications - [12] - as also seen in Firevolt.
DOE design report - 500w on a 200 degree differential from car exhaust - [13]

If accessible modules put out 3W (5% of 60W) and cost $2, then we have a 70 cent per watt cost in TEG modules at maximum efficiency. This translates to a practical 100W system at $70 in peltier cells, plus balance of system for heating and cooling. If a stove is used, and the cold water side is based on a simple radiator (which adds minimally to space heating) - the cost is feasible. Pump - [14] - 6W draw, but pump could probably be smaller. $20. Baseboard radiators for cool water heat rejection - $40x2. Aluminum heat sinks - that's the most expensive part - so use simple 1/8"x2"x2" square steel tubing at a dollar per pound. Should be doable at low cost of approximately $250 in parts, making this very competitive with PV prices. A 100W system can produce as much power as a 400W PV system that assumes 6 hrs of light per day. Equivalent PV cost of 65 cents per watt.

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 *Published report on a 150W initial design, which put out 14W in reality. -[http://www.harding.edu/olree/2009-10/senior%20design%20-%20final%20reports/thermoelectric%20generator/thermoelectric_generator_-_final_report.pdf
 *Design paper on TEGs - [http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs11664-012-2299-8#/page-1]
+*http://www.newelectronics.co.uk/electronics-news/high-power-thermoelectric-generator-utilises-thermal-difference-of-only-5c/175937/
 =Technical Design=