Abstract
AbstractYear-round monitoring of Erebus volcano (Ross Island) has proved challenging due to the difficulties of maintaining continuous power for scientific instruments, especially through the Antarctic winter. We sought a potential solution involving the harvesting of thermal energy dissipated close to the summit crater of the volcano in a zone of diffuse hot gas emissions. We designed, constructed and tested a power generator based on the Seebeck effect, converting thermal energy to electrical power, which could, in principle, be used to run monitoring devices year round. We report here on the design of the generator and the results of an 11 day trial deployment on Erebus volcano in December 2014. The generator produced a mean output power of 270 mW, although we identified some technical issues that had impaired its efficiency. Nevertheless, this is already sufficient power for some monitoring equipment and, with design improvements, such a generator could provide a viable solution to powering a larger suite of instrumentation.
Highlights
Powering remote field instrumentation for long-duration scientific studies is a significant challenge faced by researchers across many disciplines
The aim of this study is to investigate the feasibility of using Thermoelectric generators (TEGs)-based systems to harvest thermal energy produced by Erebus volcano with the goal of providing a reliable power source for monitoring instruments deployed at the crater rim
We have presented a prototype system for harvesting geothermal energy from the flanks of Erebus volcano by exploiting the Seebeck effect, with the aim of powering volcano monitoring equipment year-round
Summary
Powering remote field instrumentation for long-duration scientific studies is a significant challenge faced by researchers across many disciplines. The problem is exacerbated by the several months of complete darkness encountered during the winter season, which preclude the use of photovoltaic solar panels to provide energy (Lawrence et al 2004, Bauguitte et al 2011). Its active phonolitic lava lake, the only one in the world, has made it of particular interest to volcanologists, and many scientific studies have been conducted there since the 1970s. Several of these have relied on measurements recorded by instruments situated at the crater rim
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