Theoretical investigation of a novel electrochemical electricity generator driven by diurnal temperature variation

Abstract

Diurnal temperature variation is ubiquitous and abundant, which is an untapped energy source generated by intermittent solar radiation. Tapping into this vast energy with energy-efficient and cost-effective technologies may provide a promising approach for transitioning to an energy-sustainable economy and society. In this study, a novel temperature-induced electrochemical power generator is proposed and investigated to harvest the thermal energy brought by the diurnal temperature variation. The novelty of such a power generator lies in its separate electrochemical and heat exchange processes. The mathematical models are established and functionalized to simulate the performance of the proposed generator in practical application. To investigate and prove the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed generator, several essential environmental parameters and working condition factors are studied. The results show that the proposed generator is workable for generating electricity empowered by the diurnal temperature variation, which could generate 3.27 kWh of electricity at a standard working condition in one diurnal period. Whereas ambient temperature is marginal to its net energy output, other parameters, i.e., solar radiation, wind velocity, and cells’ area, have significant effects on the performance. The net energy outputs of the proposed generator grow significantly from 0.69 kWh to 7.10 kWh with the solar radiation increasing from 200 W/m2 to 1200 W/m2, which is acceptable to provide electricity for the domestic daily demand, otherwise can be scalable to meet the needs. Furthermore, annual average energy conversion efficiencies of the generator are more than 2% in different typical weather conditions. This paper may enrich the renewable and sustainable power generation technology, as well as guide the design, optimization and application of the novel temperature-induced electrochemical power generator driven by the diurnal temperature variation to expedite the net zero.