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EP-4170737-B1 - POWER GENERATION DEVICE

EP4170737B1EP 4170737 B1EP4170737 B1EP 4170737B1EP-4170737-B1

Inventors

  • JEON, JI HWAN
  • KIM, JUNG HO
  • AN, SANG HUN

Dates

Publication Date
20260513
Application Date
20210614

Claims (12)

  1. A power generation device comprising: a fluid flow part (1100) in which a flow path pipe is formed and which includes a first surface (1110), a second surface (1120) opposite to the first surface (1110), a third surface (1130) between the first surface (1110) and the second surface (1120), a fourth surface (1140) opposite to the third surface (1130), a fifth surface (1150) between the first surface (1110), the second surface (1120), the third surface (1130), and the fourth surface (1140), and a sixth surface (1160) opposite to the fifth surface (1150); and a first thermoelectric module (1200) disposed on the first surface (1110), wherein a fluid inlet (1132) and a fluid outlet (1134) are disposed in the third surface (1130), the flow path pipe is formed to connect from the fluid inlet (1132) to the fluid outlet (1134), the flow path pipe includes a plurality of first flow path parts (310) disposed in a first direction, a plurality of second flow path parts (320) disposed in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, and a plurality of bent parts (330) disposed between and connected to the plurality of first flow path parts (310) and the plurality of second flow path parts (320), a first section (Y1), a second section (Y2), and a third section (Y3) of the fluid flow part (1100) are sequentially disposed from the third surface (1130) to the fourth surface (1140), a plurality of through-holes (S1∼S4) passing through the first surface (1110) are formed in the fluid flow part (1100), characterized in that : the plurality of first flow path parts (310-3, 310-4, 310-5) disposed in the second section (Y2) and the bent parts (330-5, 330-6) connecting the plurality of first flow path parts (310-3, 310-4, 310-5) disposed in the second section (Y2) are disposed in a region defined by a virtual line connecting the plurality of through-holes (S1~S4), the fluid inlet (1132) and the fluid outlet (1134) are disposed spaced apart from each other in the first direction, and a distance (D1) between the fluid inlet (1132) and the fluid outlet (1134) is greater than or equal to a distance (D2) between the second flow path part (320-4) closest to the fifth surface (1150) among the plurality of second flow path parts (320) and the second flow path part (320-5) closest to the sixth surface (1160) among the plurality of second flow path parts (320).
  2. The power generation device of claim 1, wherein: the first thermoelectric module (1200) includes a first thermoelectric element (1210) disposed on the first surface (1110) and a first heatsink (1220) disposed on the first thermoelectric element (1220); the fluid configured to pass through the fluid flow part is a first fluid; a second fluid of which a temperature is different from a temperature of the first fluid is configured to pass the first heatsink (1220) in a direction from the fifth surface (1150) toward the sixth surface (1160); and the first direction is parallel to a direction in which the second fluid passes.
  3. The power generation device of claim 2, comprising a fourth section (X1) and a fifth section (X2) from the fifth surface (1150) to the sixth surface (1160).
  4. The power generation device of claim 3, wherein, in the flow path pipe, the first flow path part (310-1) connected to the fluid inlet(1132) and passing through the first section (Y1), the second flow path part (320-1) passing through the fifth section (X2), the first flow path part (310-2) passing through the third section (Y3), the second flow path part (320-2) passing through the fourth section (X1), the plurality of first flow path parts (310-3, 310-4, 310-5) passing through the second section (Y2), the second flow path part (320-3) passing through the fifth section (X2), the first flow path part (310-6) passing through the first section (Y1), the second flow path part (320-4) passing through the fourth section (X1), the first flow path part (310-7) passing through the third section (Y3), and the second flow path part (320-5) passing through the fifth section (X2) and connected to the fluid outlet (1134) are sequentially connected.
  5. The power generation device of claim 4, wherein: directions in which the first fluid is configured to pass through two first flow path parts (310-1, 310-6) passing through the first section (Y1) are opposite to each other, and directions in which the first fluid is configured to pass through two first flow path parts (310-2, 310-7) passing through the third section (Y3) are opposite to each other.
  6. The power generation device of claim 5, wherein a direction in which the first fluid is configured to pass through the first flow path part (310-1) disposed closer to the third surface (1130) among the two first flow path parts (310-1, 310-6) passing through the first section (Y1) and a direction in which the first fluid is configured to pass through the first flow path part (310-7) disposed closer to the fourth surface (1140) among the two first flow path parts (310-2, 310-7) passing through the third section (Y3) are the same as the direction in which the second fluid is configured to flow.
  7. The power generation device of claim 6, wherein: the first fluid in the plurality of first flow path parts (310-3, 310-4, 310-5) passing through the second section (Y2) is configured to pass in a direction which is the same as the direction in which the second fluid is configured to flow, to pass in a direction which is opposite to the direction in which the second fluid is configured to flow, and then to pass again in the direction which is the same as the direction in which the second fluid is configured to flow.
  8. The power generation device of claim 1, wherein: the fluid flow part (1100) and the first thermoelectric module (1200) are coupled by a plurality of coupling members disposed in the plurality of through-holes (S1∼S4).
  9. The power generation device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of second flow path parts(320) are disposed outside the region defined by the virtual line connecting the plurality of through-holes (S1~S4).
  10. The power generation device of claim 1, wherein a diameter of at least one of the plurality of bent parts (330) is greater than each of a diameter of at least one of the plurality of first flow path parts (310) and a diameter of at least one of the plurality of second flow path parts (320).
  11. The power generation device of claim 10, wherein a diameter of at least one of the plurality of bent parts (330) is 1.1 times or more of each of a diameter of at least one of the plurality of first flow path parts (310) and a diameter of at least one of the plurality of second flow path parts (320).
  12. The power generation device of claim 2, further comprising a second thermoelectric module (1300) including a second thermoelectric element (1310) disposed on the second surface (1120) and a second heatsink (1320) disposed on the second thermoelectric element (1310), wherein the second fluid is configured to pass the second heatsink (1320) in a direction from the fifth surface (1150) toward the sixth surface (1160).

Description

[Technical Field] The present invention relates to a power generation device, and more specifically, to a power generation device which generates power using a difference in temperature between a lower-temperature part and a high-temperature part of a thermoelectric element. [Background Art] A thermoelectric effect is a direct energy conversion phenomenon between heat and electricity that occurs due to the movement of electrons and holes in a material. A thermoelectric element is generally referred to as an element using a thermoelectric effect and has a structure in which P-type thermoelectric materials and N-type thermoelectric materials are disposed between and bonded to metal electrodes to form PN junction pairs. Thermoelectric elements may be divided into elements using a change in electrical resistance depending on a change in temperature, elements using the Seebeck effect in which an electromotive force is generated due to a difference in temperature, elements using the Peltier effect in which heat absorption or heating occurs due to a current, and the like. Thermoelectric elements have been variously applied to home appliances, electronic components, communication components, and the like. As an example, thermoelectric elements may be applied to cooling apparatuses, heating apparatuses, power generation devices, and the like. Therefore, the demand for the thermoelectric performance of the thermoelectric element is gradually increasing. Recently, there are needs to generate power using waste heat at high temperature generated by engines of vehicles, vessels, and the like and thermoelectric elements. In this case, a duct through which a first fluid flows may be disposed at a side of a lower-temperature part of a thermoelectric element, radiation fins may be disposed at a side of a high-temperature part of the thermoelectric element, and a second fluid having a higher temperature than the first fluid may pass through the radiation fins. Accordingly, electricity can be generated due to a difference in temperature between the lower-temperature part and the high-temperature part of the thermoelectric element, and the power generation performance may be changed according to a structure of a power generation device. WO 2019194595 A1 discloses a heat converter comprising: a plurality of unit modules respectively arranged in a first direction and a second direction that intersects the first direction; and a frame, which supports the plurality of unit modules, allows cooling water to flow in through one surface arranged in the first direction, and allows the cooling water to be discharged through the other surface arranged in the first direction, wherein each unit module includes: a cooling water passage chamber having first and second surfaces arranged to be spaced in the first direction, third and fourth surfaces arranged to be spaced in a third direction that intersects the first direction and the second direction, a fifth surface arranged to be spaced in the second direction such that cooing water flows therein, and a sixth surface from which cooling water is discharged; a first thermoelectric module arranged on the first surface; and a second thermoelectric module arranged on the second surface, the first thermoelectric module includes a plurality of group thermoelectric elements, each group thermoelectric element includes a plurality of thermoelectric elements, which have the same minimum spacing distance from the fourth surface in the third direction, and the plurality of thermoelectric elements in at least one group thermoelectric element of the plurality of group thermoelectric elements are electrically connected to each other. [Disclosure] [Technical Problem] The present invention is directed to providing a power generation device which generates electricity using a difference in temperature between a lower-temperature part and a high-temperature part of a thermoelectric element. [Technical Solution] One aspect of the present invention provides a power generation device including a fluid flow part in which a fluid passes through a flow path pipe formed in the fluid flow part and which includes a first surface, a second surface opposite to the first surface, a third surface between the first surface and the second surface, a fourth surface opposite to the third surface, a fifth surface between the first surface, the second surface, the third surface, and the fourth surface, and a sixth surface opposite to the fifth surface and a first thermoelectric module disposed on the first surface, wherein a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet are disposed in the third surface, the flow path pipe is formed to connect from the fluid inlet to the fluid outlet, the flow path pipe includes a plurality of first flow path parts disposed in a first direction, a plurality of second flow path parts disposed in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, and a plurality of bent parts disposed between and connected