Using TECs in reverse
Using TECs in reverse
(OP)
Hello everyone
I'm not sure if this is the correct forum, but I am wondering about the feasibility of using thermoelectric cooling devices to generate a current instead of applying the power to them. We have a heat source at around 600 C and ambient air to provide the delta - would placing a TEC (like this http://www.melcor.com/ultratec.html) across this gradient result in a significant electrical potential? Any other ways to approach this?
Thanks for any help
I'm not sure if this is the correct forum, but I am wondering about the feasibility of using thermoelectric cooling devices to generate a current instead of applying the power to them. We have a heat source at around 600 C and ambient air to provide the delta - would placing a TEC (like this http://www.melcor.com/ultratec.html) across this gradient result in a significant electrical potential? Any other ways to approach this?
Thanks for any help





RE: Using TECs in reverse
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RE: Using TECs in reverse
The units that IRstuff linked to have a listed max. Thot of 260 C, so I would bet they are also BiTe materials, though with a high-temp. solder used in their construction.
All that said, IF you have a way to ensure the heat flux thru the TEC remains fairly stable (control of the hot and cold side temperatures and/or fluid flowrates), you may be able to engineer the mounting hardware to keep the hot side below the TE chips' temperature limits. But, if (e.g.) a cooling fan fails, you fry the chip. There is a Swedish company that makes a fan to sit atop your wood stove at home, and it has been engineered as described...
ht
There are thermopiles that can live at 600C, or even hotter, but they are made from metal alloys (e.g. thermocouple alloys), they are more expensive to fabricate and typically have lower efficiencies and output power than do BiTe TEC's.
Finally, you can also look into thermionic devices.
The above should give you a wealth of search terms you can google.
RE: Using TECs in reverse