Hi Ron
Your concept of using the wasted heat from anywhere has got me thinking.
If I remember my physics correctly, pairs of thermocouples can provide
this result. Solid state chiller boxes use this principle in reverse
(refrigerators without compressors). These thermocouples consist of
dis-similar metals connected electrically, and are used in pairs. In
the chiller set up, one of the thermocouple joints is inside the box
whilst the other is outside. The thermocouples are connected in
series and are then connected to a battery of suitable voltage. The
current flowing through the series system causes the joint temperature
to change, one becoming hotter, the other colder. Most of the simple
chiller boxes have a 'heat' option which is derived by reversing the
connections. Theoretically, it is possible to reverse the process
so that a current is produced when the thermocouples are held at
different temperatures. One could be under a solar panel whilst the
other half of the pair could be attached to a skin fitting which would
hold it at water temperature. The parts could be obtained by
disassembling a chiller box. Usually the thermocouples are attached
to heat sinks, one being placed inside the box with the other outside.
I have not tried this but expect it would work although the current
generated would be of a similar order to that used to run the chiller.
Bill Grace
NZ
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