The Study of using Hot Water from the Solar-Exposed Water Pipeline for the Electricity Generation from the Thermoelectric Sets with and without the Underground Heatsink Unit

Abstract

This article had the objective to study the electricity generation from the water heat energy storage in the water pipeline laid above the ground for watering plant and vegetables in the morning and in the evening. During the day the water pipeline would get the energy from the sunlight, causing the water in the pipeline have nigh temperature - the useless thermal energy. The experimental sets consisted of the thermal exchange equipment of the water in the pipeline in the forms of 2 sets of the steel box pipe 76.20 mm. wide, 76.20 mm. high, 152.40 mm. long, and 1.8 mm. thick. Each set was installed with 2 thermoelectric Model SP1848-27145 connected in series, functioning to generate electricity with the 10-ohm electrical resistance load. Both steel box pipe sets were enclosed with the thermal foam insulator and shaded, so that they would not receive the thermal energy form the other sources. The first set was installed with the heatsink fin underground to cool the thermoelectric, but the second set was not. Both sets were assembled in parallel by connecting with the High-Density Polyethylene water pipe and the electrical voltage and temperature were recorded every 15 minutes from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. The research result found that the steel box pipe with the heatsink fin underground could generate the maximum electricity at 404.12 mV., higher than 60.16 mV. of the steel box pipe without the heat sink fin, at the solar density at 132,000 lux.