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Rural TEG ?

Submitted by BertilLindstrom on Tue, 2007-03-13 09:38
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Hi!

I am new to this forum, but I have been intersted in thermoelectricity since I was a kid.

Now I am trying to find a way for people in third world (Kenya) to generate power for their simple radios and LED-lamps.

I remember reading in a magazine in the 60:s about a (Russian) kerosenelamp with an TEG
mounted. That picture have been with me since then. I have never seen it again since then.

Now to the question:
Is it possible at all to build an TEG producing 3V and 500mA from "scrap" metals avaiable in africa (Iron, Cupper, Aluminium, Lead)??

The people are using small stoves ("Jiko") heated by chaircoal fire. I was thinking something made of two metals series connected and cooled by water. Heated by an Jiko!

Am I dreaming or what?

Best regards
Bertil Lindstrom
SWEDEN

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Hi all! Thanks for the

Submitted by BertilLindstrom on Mon, 2007-03-19 09:30.

Hi all!

Thanks for the links! They gave me aswers to some questions however it also rose more questions:

So my next question is how to obtain the metals needed,
Zn Sb and constantan.

I think the Sb is avaiable as an alloy with Pb in automobile wheel balances. But is it possible to separate?? Or possibly use the alloy as it is??

I am looking for simple methodes of produce TEG:s for the people in the third world. By using exsisting materials and simple village technology.

It must be possible for the village blacksmith to produce them!

I know that by using simple metals will give wery low efficiency, so by using some alloys meybe?

Best regards
Bertil Lindstrom

Great! Thanks a lot, this

Submitted by BertilLindstrom on Fri, 2007-03-16 04:03.

Great!

Thanks a lot, this might push me in the right direction.

I will check the site and see if it possible to make it with the help of
"Village technology".

I am very interested in trying to solve the third world problem with the help of modenr solutions adapted to their local avaiable resources and capabilites.

I have (off topic) a ventilation system for a local goldmine for a village in western Kenya. among other things...

Once again, thanks for the input. I will come back to report on the progress.

/Bertil

Bertil,  Your memory of the

Submitted by ITSadmin on Thu, 2007-03-15 07:48.

Bertil,

 Your memory of the small Russian TEGs is good.  They made thousands of these generators during WWII which could produce 2-4 Watts (just about what you are looking for) from a cooking fire [1].  There are some decent drawings and even an old photo at the Komatsu website.  The materials they used were ZnSb and constantan (which is just 50% copper and 50% nickel).

Russian TGK-3 TE generator (from Komatsu website) Photo of WWII era TEG from the Komatsu website

If I were going to try to make such a thing today I'd consider the iron-silicide materials mentioned on the Komatsu page.  These are relatively easy and inexpensive to make but perform better than the materials the Russians used back then.

 1.    Iordanishvili, E.K., Thermoelectric Power Supplies (Termoelecktricheskiye Istochniki Pitaniya). 1968: Sovetskoye Radio, Moscow (English Translation by the US Air Force, document Number FTD-MT-24-53-69). 1-184.