Open AccessThermodynamic Assessment on the Integration of Thermo-Electric Modules in a Wood Fireplace
Author(s) -
Andrea Baldini,
Luca Cerofolini,
Daniele Fiaschi,
Giampaolo Manfrida,
Lorenzo Talluri
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
civil and environmental engineering reports
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2450-8594
pISSN - 2080-5187
DOI - 10.2478/ceer-2019-0056
Subject(s) - stove , electricity , combustion , process engineering , renewable energy , thermoelectric generator , heat transfer , mechanical engineering , funnel , electricity generation , biomass (ecology) , thermoelectric effect , engineering , waste management , environmental science , electrical engineering , chemistry , power (physics) , thermodynamics , physics , organic chemistry , oceanography , geology
The growing demand for electricity produced from renewable sources and the development of new technologies for the combustion of biomass, arose a growing interest on the possible coupling of thermoelectric modules with stove-fireplaces. The current thermoelectric generators have a solid structure, do not produce noise, do not require maintenance and can be used for the recovery of waste heat or excess, at the same time they hold a very low conversion efficiency and they need an adequate cooling system. Nevertheless, they still hold a cost, which is still too high to make them attractive. Nonetheless, if the modules are applied to a heat source which otherwise would be wasted, the attractiveness of the solution certainly rises. In this study, a thermodynamic analysis of a stove-fireplace is presented, considering both combustion process and the flame – walls heat transfer of the. A design solution for a concentrator device to funnel the wasted heat from the fireplace to the thermo-electric modules is also presented.