Power generation by integrating a thermally regenerative electrochemical cycle (TREC) with a biofuel stove

Abstract

This paper proposes a system that aims to extract the wasted energy from biofuel stoves using a thermally regenerative electrochemical cycle (TREC). While the biofuel stove heats the space, the wasted heat will be extracted to heat the TREC device. A metal heat sink is used to cool down the TREC device. A theoretical model was developed and validated for the first time for the integrated system to test three types of fuel (Wood, peat, and manure) and three different cooling types (natural convection, forced convection, and evaporative cooling). Based on the parametric study, the net electrical power produced and the efficiency of the system depend on fuel type and mass flow rate, water inlet temperature and mass flow rate, the cooling type used in the heat sink, and the ambient temperature. The efficiency of the TREC varies 0.13%–7.48% based on the operating conditions. A comparison between the new TREC device and the conventional thermoelectric generator (TEG) to extract the wasted heat from the stove is carried out under the same operating conditions. Using the TREC is three times more efficient than TEG. The system represents a simple and low-cost suitable solution for the energy problem in remote areas.