First of all, I understand that I’m insane - I always want to build things, make things and solve problems. The big thing, however, is that I’m not very intelligent and although I have the will, I don’t, necessarily, have the brains!
Now, don’t laugh-
I need help to validate an idea that I have about generating thermoelectric energy to build an off grid power supply.
First off we must establish what we need.
Hot water
Cooling for refrigeration
Electricity to power appliances
Home heating
What is a peltier device
A peltier device does two very convienient things :-
If it is heated on one side and cooled on the other it creates a current (electricity)
If it is supplied with electricity it cools on one side, sufficiently to freeze water.
What we need, then is a two pronged system :-
On the one hand we need a system set up to generate electricity to keep the one side of the peltier device cold. (This electricity on this system can also be used for refrigeration)
On the other hand, once we’ve got a constant supply of ice, we need to heat an array of peltier devices so that electricity is generated.
The system
The idea is to use black pipes mounted on a stand for heating water. This water will flow into a metal tray over which a number of peltier devices are arrayed. Above this array on an aluminum sheet another tray will be used to store ice. The difference in temperature between the trays generates electricity. The hot water then flows through another coil of black pipes into the household system for tap use, and can be set up to run along inside walls for free home heating. (A cheap solar pump could be used to create a closed system.)(the tray system must be in the shade)
To keep the ice cold a separate peltier system would be used to create enough electricity to cool the surface of the peltier device which will freeze water for refrigeration and to keep the ice cold above the electricity generators. The system would, obviously, need to be set in motion with ready made ice.(once only)
The electricity generated from the peltier generator would be used to drive all appliances in a household during the day. It would also be used to charge a battery to store electricity for use during the night or on cloudy days.
Additionally, if push comes to shove in emergency situations the system can run off a wood burning flame. (The majority of people on earth create heat to cook or heat their homes via an open fire. So if you don’t use hot water to power the system, you can use candles or a wood burning stove).
Where could this be used
The system is best suited to hot climates that have many sunshine hours. Weirdly, it is these countries that have the lowest distribution of electricity. Most of these countries stay hot enough, even after the sun goes down to generate electricity from this type of system.
I’m not an engineer and I know very little (other than the science) about electricity and electronics. What I want to know is, does this make sense? There must be a few engineers on Hive who could help me figure this out.
