Thermoelectric Power Generation Using LNG Cold Energy and Flue Gas Heat

Abstract

In this study, semiconductor thermoelectric power generation technology is applied to an LNG air-heated vaporizer. A new type of finned tube with a thermoelectric generation device is designed and the flue gas from natural gas combustion is introduced as the heat source to improve the power generation performance. The results indicate that a gasification tube with a flue gas heat source gives a gasification process of 2.02m, which is 15.8% of the value obtained with an air-heated gasification tube. In case of the vaporizer with a thermoelectric power generation device, an outside wall temperature of 42 °C ensures that frosting problems do not arise along the entire length. The power generation efficiency in the liquid-phase region and two-phase region is about 3.48%. Compared with the air-heated vaporizer with a thermoelectric power generation device, the length of gasification process for the proposed device decreased by 77.6%, while the total output increased by 3.24 times.