Homemade solar cell or thermocouple?

[optix]

Hello  I have made some experiments with silicium solar cell, it works, but they get very hot.

So I want to build other type of solar cell, perhaps with amorfe solar cell or I have read something about thermocouple, that I also will try. But I don´t get the principle enough to build one.

I have read in other question: For a copper/constantan thermocouple the voltage at a 30C temperature difference is about 1.2mV. So if you wanted to charge a 12v battery you'd want at least 12,000 junction pairs to get 14.4v.

Have you a link to a drawing or photo?

What if I get 50,  100 or 150 C temperature difference?

How long can there be between the 2 layers?

In the first time I will make some kind of solar cell which give about 50 W, and so later more power. And not some small one which give  0,000015 W, it must be something with some power!

Have you homemade some solar cell, and which kind?

Or have you some links to build powerful solarcell or thermocouples, in my garage?

Torben    Denmark

[wooferhound]

Thermocouples work on a temperature difference, I think a thermocouple wants a 50 degree difference before they start making good power.

Better to search on "thermopile" which are clusters of thermocouples in one unit.

Or here are some excellent Links...

http://www.thermonamic.com/Pspec.html

http://www.varmaraf.is/engl/prod.htm

http://www.powerchips.gi/

http://www.dts-generator.com/

http://www.hi-z.com/

http://www.remote-site.com/thermo.html

[optix]

Hi   thanks for your good links.

Do you know what the thermopile are made of, also between the 2 layers, are that cobber?

Can I then make one, it seem to be simple?

Torben

[wooferhound]

A thermocouple and a peltier Junction are the same thing operating backwards from each other.

 A thermocouple takes Heat & Cold and makes Voltage

 A Peltier junction takes Voltage and makes Heat & Cold

But inside they are both exactly the same thing. Here are some more links that explain it all more clearly and show you how to make everything.

http://www.wordiq.com/definition/Thermocouple

http://hop.concord.org/h1/mess/h1mc.html

http://web.engr.oregonstate.edu/~aristopo/temper.html

http://www.coolingzone.com/Guest/News/NL_FEB_2002/Tony/Feb_2002_TK.html

[BSparky]

I've been tooling around with thermocouples, amd extension wire. K yel and red insulation, and J types wht and red insulation.  Found that the J type has little more voltage output than the K's. I've cut extension wires into two inch lengths, fold each wire into a u shape twisted it with the differing wire and weld the junctions. It's looks like a spiraling daisy. Still working on it, hopefully find some time to finish it. Goal is 3 volts. Could post a picture if you want.

Bob  

[iFred]

I made a small web page on this this, check it out at my web page under thermocouples.

Good Luck!

www.internetfred.com