week 19
- project presentation
Assignment: document a final project
What does it do? It is a Thermoelectric Generator that uses the Peltier's cell technology to transform heat in electricity. When providing a heat source on one of the two sides of the cell and keeping the other one cooled, the temperature difference will generate power. Bigger is the Delta T, higher is the power.
As all the devices in this field of energy harvesting, also this one produces a variable energy at a low voltage. As the goal is to deliver energy via USB to our devices, it is topic to boost and convert the electricity produced.
Who has done what beforehand?
There is a big community on the web applying this technology. In particular I've been close to this field from my experiences in permaculure. Energy harvesting is getting part of natural projects as it rise the level of efficiency of a project. Interesting is also the present: Automotive industry is planning to introduce these TEG modules also into the car for harvesting the amount of heat produced by the engines.
What did you design?
With Rhino I was able to design all the parts I need in one file: Setting the 80x80mm standard for cpu heatsink as the main parametric measure, I designed the aluminum components, the corck insulation frame and the PLA handle. I also designed the electronic main board.
What materials and components did you use?
Aluminum for the front plate and the central frame;
Corck as insulator (frame and rings);
Pla for the handle;
I recycled a cpu Heatsink;
Iron made screws;
Electronic equipments.
Where did they come from?
Aluminum and heatsink where found in the waste;
Corck was bough in a normal hardwaremart;
Screws as well in a big mart;
Pla has been provided in the LAB;
Peltier cell has been bought in Diotronic store.
How much did they cost?
Corck: 2 euro;
P Corck: 2 euro;
Peltier cell: 17,99 euro;
Pla (0,60 euro x 57cmq @ infill 30%): 13,77 euro;
screws: 1,5 euro;
Attiny44: 2,75 euro;
resistor 10k x3: 0,30 euro;
resistor 1k: 0,10 euro;
resistor 430 Homs: 0,10 euro;
resistor 0 Homs: 0,10 euro;
diode: 0,40 euro;
terminal x4: 4,80 euro;
capacito 1uf x2: 0,2 euro;
6 pin male header: 0,40 euro;
bolt: 0,5 euro;
resonator 20mHz: 0,20 euro;
thermistor ntc 10k x2: 2,22 euro;
dc/dc booster: 4,99 euro;
Total (with tax21%) 63,30 euro
What parts and systems have been made?
Handle;
Frame;
Front plate;
Electronics;
Insulation.
What processes where used?
The handle has ben 3d printed;
The electronic board has been completely produced in the Lab;
The aluminum has been milled with the Modela;
The corch has been laser cutted.
What question where answered?
I was asked two question basically: how does it works and if it works. Answering the first has been almost the whole presentation because to explain what it is, means also explain how it is made. The second quastion was very fast; For time oportunity and also safety I decided to answer this posting a video on my page.
How was it evaluated?
Surprise. At the end of the presentation, maybe for the simplicity and the essential design, which was one of my objectives, it didn't look so high tech. I suppose it was a good surprise.
What are the implications?
It is a field this of energy Harvesting, which will be every day more important in the future. I think This generetor needs to be improved as materials, components and design, in order to make it more powerful but also more portable and compact. I'm thinking at the moment another version in ceramic to subtitute the aluminum frame and the insulators. Ceramics also offer free form design oportunities.