Development of liquid-turbine power generator due to convective flow of mercury induced by low-temperature waste heats

2013 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 24656135
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Research Field: Thermal engineering
• Research Institution: Nagoya University
• Principal Investigator: DEGUCHI Seiichi 名古屋大学, 工学(系)研究科(研究院), 講師 (50283411)
• Project Period (FY): 2012-04-01 – 2014-03-31
• Keywords: エネルギー創生 / 廃熱発電 / 液タービン / 相変化 / 強制流

Research Abstract

As a new energy harvesting system from waste heats below 100 degreeC, liquid-turbine power generator had been proposed due to liquid convective flow. In this work, theoretical feasibility study to check the proposal, manufacture of prototype apparatus and demonstrations were done.
Firstly, mercury was considered the most promising medium for the proposed power generator since it has the heaviest relative density among any liquids under room temperature, expecting the higher momentum. However, it had been clarified from theoretical calculations that the convective flow rates were relatively low, and then efficient momentum could not be obtained if mercury had been utilized. To adopt enforced flow due to phase changes of medium to the proposed power generator, surveying any liquids reached NOVEC with a low boiling temperature, higher density and insolubility to water. Finally, power generation could be achieved with using NOVEC/water biphasic medium according to assumed processes.