In this article we gonna learn how to generate electricity to charge a smartphone with nothing but, heat energy from a candle flame.
This project works by converting heat energy into direct current which can reliably charge your phone. This project is also called a thermoelectric generator.
It's not as fast as fast phone chargers, but at least it will charge it up. The speed of charging depends on the amount of current it produces. Much current can be gotten from the generator by connecting much peltier elements in series and parallel, and then by using an high current gain buck converter.
|Materials & Components.
1. 10 pieces of peltier elements
2. USB cord
3. Metal container
4. Metal sheets
5. Silicone paste
6. Soldering iron
7. Solder lead
8. Clamp
9. Black and red wires
10. 12-5v bulk converter.
11. Candles.
|Let's make it.
Follow the steps below to build your own thermoelectric generator which can reliably charge your smartphone.
• Step1.
Make sure you glue the elements together side by side with opposite polarity. i.e the negative or black wire is placed next the positive or red wire of the other peltier element.
•Step2.
Connect all the 10 peltier elements together in series by soldering the connections or if you don't have a soldering iron, you can just twist them together.
•Step3.
Connect the first five Peletier elements you've connected in series to the other opposite five in series. This will make a total of ten Peletier elements connected together in series.
•Step4.
Get a metal sheet and cut a sheet of metal out, which you will use to make the DC-DC bulk converter support or stand on which you will attach it on.
•Step5.
Bend the edges of the metal sheet you cut out and fit onto the metal container.
•Step6.
Connect the positive and negative wires to the 24v-5v, DC-DC bulk converter by screwing down the wires to the board.
•Step7.
Glue a metal sheet to the other side of the peltier elements with a silicone glue. The silicone glue helps to draw heat from the peltier element to the metal sheet which is then cooled.
•Step8.
•Step9.
Place ten candles on base. If you can't get this type of candle, you can make a short candle by cutting a whole candle wax into halves. Light the candles up and follow step 10.
•Step10.
Place the metal plate with the Peltier elements glued to it, onto the candle flames on the base you've made as demonstrated. Make sure the candle flames isn't close to the thermoelectric generator because, it will cause it to be covered with soot.
•Step11.
Now, add cold water into the metal plate for it to cool down the other side of the peltier element. In seconds, as the heat radiated from the candle flame gets to thermocouples, the buck converter circuit will come to live with it's LED powering on.
•Results.
The voltage produces is more than five volts, the current and voltage produced will increase as one side of the thermocouples get hotter while the other side is cooled. Now you can plug in your smartphone and charge via a USB cord.
|How does it works?
The thermoelectric generator simply works by converting heat energy directly into direct current by means of peltier elements.
Peltier elements are thermocouples which are fabricated from Semiconductors like silicon and germanium. The peltier element works based on the seeback effect, in which EMF is produced across the terminals of the element when one side is cooled and the other side is heated or warmed. Current flows from the hot side to the cold side of the element, the amount of current and voltage produced depends on the temperature difference between the two sides. The higher the temperature difference the larger the current produced.
Now, in this project, the voltage produced is more than 12v. The heat produced is generated from the candles why the other side is cooled with cold water poured into the plate. The generator can charge up two 6 hours.
If you successfully made the project give a nice comment below and if you also like this project don't forget to give this article a thumb up. Have a nice project 😊.
Tags:
DIY