A Power Management System for Thermoelectric Generators Used on Spindle Units of Machine Tools

Abstract:

Thermoelectric energy harvesting is emerging as a promising alternative energy source for drive wireless sensors in mechanical structure monitoring. Typically, the waste heat from spindle units of machine tools creates obvious potential for thermoelectric generation. However, the problem of power gap between the power level needed by wireless sensor and what thermoelectric generators (TEGs) can provide is likely to arise in the application of thermoelectric generation. Therefore, a power management system (PMS) is needed to accumulate TEG energy first and then drive the load intermittently. This study proposes a power management system to enhance the energy harvesting and usage efficiency using three capacitors. A rotating spindle platform is set up to test the PMS, and the experimental result shows that the proposed PMS worked well when the spindle speed is 3000 rpm.

• Periodical: Applied Mechanics and Materials (Volumes 365-366)
• Pages: 955-958
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.4028/www.scientific.net/AMM.365-366.955
• Online since: August 2013
• Authors: Qing Hui Zeng, Sheng Li, Xin Hua Yao, Jian Zhong Fu
• Keywords: Capacitor, Power Management System, Spindle Bearing, Thermoelectric Generator

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