Several years ago (2003???) I posted a few thermo-couple threads here. I think those where in reference to any kind of useful power-generation being possible with them in a solar application and I think the answer was no, I needed a very large temp delta to make anything close to usable power. Does anyone know if this has changed? I can find 600W @12v thermo-couples for $15 on ebay, maybe I should put one on my 48" solar concentrator with a heat-sink and just see what happens.
BUT thats not the point of this thread, Using that same 600W peltier (thermo-couple) Or using a few of them in series if needed, is it possible to get enough effeciency
to get some real work done in a diversion load situation? Or even just straight up powering it?
600 watts of hot/cold or I guess you could of think of it as 300 watts of heat and 300 of cold in 100% efficient/dissipative environment. If I had a use for the heat AND the coolth (I love that word) How do they stack up compared to a normal resistive heating element and a traditional compressor?
I've been envisioning constructing a funky apparatus that was a small cooler/refrigerator on one side (using perhaps some aluminum plates on bottom and sides to dissipate the cold into the box/food) the thermo-couple mounted in between and some type of a heat-pipe to send the heat from the hot side into a water chamber.
I know the quality of design would have a huge impact on how well it worked, but if its a diversion load, hey its 'free', If it really does work, why not actually put this into the mix of day to day life. a timer could control the duty cycle to the thermo-couple to control the power drain to keep it under control.
I used to use these a lot in computing, and its amazing what they can do, this is back when a 120W was the biggest you could imagine, and they could make icicles and burn you at the same time, I can't imagine 600watts....
What do you think?