Technology for developing devices for converting thermal energy into electrical energy

Abstract

The aim of the research is to develop the technology and construction of thermoelectric converters consisting of strings of bi-component wires welded together by an active resistance method based on the Joule–Lenz effect, occurring when pulsed electric current passes through their contact areas, and subsequently assembled according to specific schemes into panels embedded in bodies with heat radiation absorption properties. The scientific outcome of the research consists in the development of a manufacturing technology for micro-couples and the construction of a new class of devices for converting thermal energy into electrical energy, based on couples formed by micro-welded metal wires of different natures, obtained by applying pulsed electric discharge machining (PEDM). The active energy conversion element consists of a converter that comprises a row of bi-component wires welded together using the PEDM method. The construction of the active element enables the transformation of thermal radiation energy into electrical energy through the Peltier–Seebeck effect.