A thermoelectric cap for seafloor hydrothermal vents
A thermoelectric cap for seafloor hydrothermal vents
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DOI：
10.1016/j.enconman.2015.12.003
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发表时间：
2016-02
影响因子：
10.4
通讯作者：
Yu Xie;Shi-jun Wu;Can-jun Yang
中科院分区：
文献类型：
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作者：
Yu Xie;Shi-jun Wu;Can-jun Yang
长期原位监测对于海底科学研究至关重要。在海底操作传感器的挑战之一是传感器的使用寿命。当潮汐能或太阳能等其他替代能源不可用时，此类传感器通常由电池供电。然而，电池的使用寿命有限，必须定期充电或更换，成本高昂且不切实际。热电帽是为了避免这些不便而开发的，它通过传导管收集热液的热能，并使用热电发电机将热量转化为电能。该热电帽与功率和温度测量系统相结合，使热电帽能够连续为发光二极管灯、电子负载 (60 Ω) 和 16 个热电偶供电。该热电帽在位于台湾东北部近海的龟山岛附近的浅层热液喷口现场进行了现场测试。通过利用热液和海水之间的热梯度，热电帽在现场测试中获得了 0.2-0.5 W 的持续功率。热电帽成功为 16 个热电偶供电，并在整个现场测试期间记录了热液的温度。我们的研究结果表明，热液的热能可以成为海洋学研究的替代可再生能源。
Long-term in situ monitoring is crucial to seafloor scientific investigations. One of the challenges of operating sensors in seabed is the lifespan of the sensors. Such sensors are commonly powered by batteries when other alternatives, such as tidal or solar energy, are unavailable. However, the batteries have a limited lifespan and must be recharged or replaced periodically, which is costly and impractical. A thermoelectric cap, which harvests the thermal energy of hydrothermal fluids through a conduction pipe and converts the heat to electrical energy by using thermoelectric generators, was developed to avoid these inconveniences. The thermoelectric cap was combined with a power and temperature measurement system that enables the thermoelectric cap to power a light-emitting diode lamp, an electronic load (60 Ω), and 16 thermocouples continuously. The thermoelectric cap was field tested at a shallow hydrothermal vent site near Kueishantao islet, which is located offshore of northeastern Taiwan. By using the thermal gradient between hydrothermal fluids and seawater, the thermoelectric cap obtained a sustained power of 0.2–0.5 W during the field test. The thermoelectric cap successfully powered the 16 thermocouples and recorded the temperature of the hydrothermal fluids during the entire field test. Our results show that the thermal energy of hydrothermal fluids can be an alternative renewable power source for oceanographic research.