Thermoelectric Powered Fan

By

Mary Jean D. Bo

Jan Nicole E. Dorosan

Geraldine R. Eran

Tin Sen S. Festin

Andrea A. Rodriguez

Submitted to:

Mrs. Reynalda Manlangit

 RESEARCH PLAN

Title: Thermoelectric Powered Fan

A. Rationale:

The Philippines is located near the equator. Tropical countries like Philippines
experiences wet and dry seasons. Wet seasons brought typhoons, flashfloods, landslides. While
the latter brings hot weather. These seasons bring good and bad effects to everyone.

Farmers plant rice during rainy seasons; children plays outdoor activities on the rain.
Laundries are dried up faster when dry season comes; many tourists visit the country to have a
vacation. Filipino citizen looks for solution to beat up the heat they feel during summer season.
Many cooling appliances are used at home, school, and other facilities just to stay cool and fresh.
This is why most of the electric bills are increasing during summer months. But, instead, this
portable fan will not use electricity and battery to power it up. The researchers will use
thermoelectric process, wherein, the heat of the human body will be converted into electricity.
This is a good way to conserve energy and feel cool during summer.

For example, there is no electricity in the school and in houses. The students will not feel
hot because they can use the thermoelectric powered fan, which does not need electricity and
battery. They will only use the power in their hands to feel cool and comfortable anywhere.
People will not be tired on fanning themselves because of the heat. The researchers want to be
conservative on every way to help decreasing the effect of climate change, to save energy and to
lessen the problems of Filipinos no matter how big or small it is. It is every one's responsibility
for the generation and the next to have a better future. A future where they can rely on things
without hesitation. With the world improving the technology.
 B. Problem, Goals, Expected Outcomes, and Hypothesis

 Research question:

If the electricity generated from the human body is not enough, how will the portable fan
be powered?

 Research hypothesis:

If the human body can generate thermal energy that gives enough electricity, then, it can
power the portable fan.

 Engineering goals:

The researchers want to make a device which will help to conserve energy and which will
help on lessening the heat felt by the people during warm season.

 Expected outcome:

It will be more efficient and it will help the economy, save money and the world. Having
this kind of equipment, it will lessen the burden of work by making people feel better. It will
reduce the usage of battery and electricity at home. It helps to conserve electricity everyday.
Many people expect that it can help our whole life. But it’s not, instead it can just reduce burdens
of life.
 C. Methods and Conclusions

 Procedure:

First, the materials needed should be prepared. Next, the handle will be improvised

the electricities to turn on the portable fan by the thermoelectric process. Where, when
someone's palm touch this tile it will collect the heat from the palm and the cold air from the
environment will enter the aluminum heat sink. Then, the step up transformer will be placed
inside the aluminum together with the upper part of the fan. The step up transformer will be
connected to the wire where it is connected to the fan. The voltage of it will increase to its
maximum measurement, the portable fan is capable of. Lastly, the thermoelectric process will do
its duty to produce electricity and travel to the step up transformer to the fan and produce air.
There will be a number of testing, so that the portable fan will work properly and effectively.

 Risk and safety:

The researchers should wear protective garments when making tge device and also to
prevent dangerous effect that may occur.

 Data analysis:

To power the portable fan by the thermoelectric process, the researchers will adjust the
number of voltage which will be needed to produce enough current to make the portable fan
work. The heat from the human body will be transformed into a higher voltage to make it work.
Table of Contents
Introduction

When summer season approaches temperature increases making many people to suffer
from extreme heat. People in this season tend to stay inside their houses to use electric fans or air
condition. They rather stay inside their houses to use electronic devices to lower the temperature
than go outside to enjoy the summer days because of the burning heat cause of the worldwide
problem Climate Change. Every people don’t like this kind of situation every summer or even
every day, because people don’t want to be a victim of heatstroke while they’re outside the
burning heat.

When people go outside with a hot weather, people start to take out their fans and use it
to lessen the hot temperature they feel, but to make the fan work, hands are needed but still it’s
very tiring to continuously move your hand back and forth plus it can add to the hotness they
feel. That’s why mini fans are invented, it’s much easier to use, because it is battery-operated.
Thus you won’t get tired anymore and it’s rechargeable.

Those mini fans use batteries that need a very large amount of energy. This may cost a lot
due to its charging ability and are powered by batteries which are needed to be replaced when it
is not working anymore. So the researchers came up with an idea of powering a mini fan by the
use of body heat. No need of batteries and electrical charge.

Thomas Johann Seebeck was a Baltic German physicist who discovered the
thermoelectric effect in the year 1812. He found out that voltage is produced when a thermal
gradient is formed between two dissimilar conductors. In the year 1834, a French physicist Jean
Charles Athanase Peltier discovered that when two dissimilar conductors when run by an electric
current would be used as a heater or cooler. Due to the facts about the Seebeck and Peltier effect,
thermoelectric materials can now be used as heaters, coolers and generators.

Thermoelectric materials are often used in factories to regenerate electricity from waste
heat, temperature controllers. Thermoelectric coolers are used in the industry for manufacturing
like some of the applications with include thermoelectric air conditioners or coolers, laser
equipment, industrial electronics and telecommunications, automotive, mini refrigerators or
incubators, IT enclosures, military cabinets and more. Thermoelectric modules look like a
sandwich with P- and N-dope bismuth telluride semiconductors in between two metallized
ceramic plates. These plates add the electrical insulation to the system and are tough which
unable the material to be bent.

The thermoelectric process happens when one side of the plate is applied with heat and
which is then transferred to the inside layer of the tile where the heat sink or heat insulator is
located. The heat sink absorbs the heat from the peltier while the cool temperature in the
environment will enter inside and this will then produces electricity.

Converting body heat into electricity was an idea of the scientists for a lot of years. A
man resting can produce 100 to 120 watts of energy which is enough to drive electronic devices
people often use such as cellphone, which is about 1 watt and your laptop about 45 watts,
because human body itself gives of 80% of power as an excess heat. Changing body heat into
electricity produces more or less mill watts or a thousand of watts. Thermoelectric device when
placed on your palm or skin can generate electricity as long as the surrounding air temperature is
lower than the body temperature. The idea behind the concept of turning body heat into
electricity is the thermoelectric device. It’s usually a thin object that exploits the temperature
contrast between the two different sides to produce electricity, but there are such devices that
works opposite, the one side of the device gets very hot while the other one gets very cold.

The human body is actually capable of generating electricity. The signals that are sent to
the brain are electrical charges which are delivered from one cell to another. The body produces
electricity which is needed for survival, it allows the cells to exchange and execute basic
biological functions. A normal person spends 8.37x106 joules of energy a day. This energy is
withdrawn from us in the form of heat. And because watt is just joules per second this heat that
comes out from the body is equal to 100watt light bulb. Thus, it is possible to make a mini fan
powered by the heat of the human body.

It will be very efficient for everyone. It is thrift, it does not need to be recharged nor
replace the battery just for it to work. The peltier module will collect the warm air and transfer it
to the other side; while it cools down the other side will stay warm and these two poles with
different temperature produces the electricity. With the help of thermoelectric process, from
thermal energy it becomes mechanical energy that will generate electricity to power the fan.
Background of the Study

The Philippines belongs to the tropical countries wherein it experiences only wet and dry
seasons. On wet seasons, massive rains, storms and tropical depressions are brought during this
period. And when the dry season comes extreme heat is experienced.

Filipinos complain a lot during summer. The Philippines experience severe temperature
during summer. Citizens sweat a lot and feel very hot, and sometimes they take more than 1 bath
a day just to relieve the heat from their body.

Previous studies say that the human body releases heat energy from our body. This heat
can produce or generate electricity. It can power a 100 watts bulb for 24 hours. And because of
this, the researches came up with the idea of powering a portable fan by the use of
thermoelectricity.

This thermoelectric powered fan will not be needing batteries which adds up to the
reasons why climate change happens. The researchers aim a conservative future where things
and gadgets are reliable and could not be dangerous to the humans. Since it is not rechargeable
and does not use batteries, it is a way to save up energy and save our planet from the effects of
the climate change.

During time when there is no electricity in schools and in houses, the students will be
feeling very hot and uncomfortable and would prefer not to be attentive on the class. They would
be just fanning themselves to feel comfortable and cool. And even if they use a rechargeable fan
would be very consuming on electricity but if there is really no present electricity rechargeable
fan cannot be recharge and it would be very useless.

Thermoelectric powered fan would be consuming energy, thus, would save up money and
make life to be very comfortable.
 Background (new)

Energy consumption of every Filipino increases as time flew by. Many people are getting
shock every time they see their monthly due at a high cost. That is why there are now many
sources of energy which can be converted into electricity. Like solar energy, wind energy,
geothermal energy, nuclear energy, hydrothermal energy, fossil fuels, hydropower, thermal
energy and many more. The human body is capable of producing electricity because the body
releases heat which is the thermal energy. It can be an alternative source of energy human can
use for their small devices like a portable fan.

Rechargeable batteries consist of dangerous chemicals which are potassium hydroxide

which converts the energy into free electrons; some are used while the rest return to the cell,
creates the current inside the battery. Nickel hydroxide which is the compound that surrenders
hydrogen atoms and becomes nickel oxyhydroxide and water, that frees up the electrons when
the battery is charging and when it is discharged, the process is reversed. Misch metal, zinc,
aluminum that limits the corrosion, cobalt, and manganese.

Batteries can be very dangerous when in contact with extreme heat. It is also should be
prevented from short circuit because it can overheat and start fire. Also to peoples health,
chemicals are poisonous that can affect skin, breathing and other parts of the body that can easily
be irritated. Batteries need electricity to operate, It increases electric bills in homes. Instead of
using batteries, A scientist discovered body heat as a generator of electricity so the
Thermoelectric powered fan was conducted to decrease the usage of electricity and dry cells.

During time when there is no electricity in schools and in houses, the students will be
feeling very hot and uncomfortable and would prefer not to be attentive on the class. They would
be just fanning themselves to feel comfortable and cool. And even if they use a rechargeable fan
would be very consuming on electricity but if there is really no present electricity rechargeable
fan cannot be recharge and it would be very useless.

Thermoelectric powered fan would be consuming energy, thus, would save up money and
make life to be very comfortable. This thermoelectric powered fan will not be needing batteries
which adds up to the reasons why climate change happens. The researchers aim a conservative
future where things and gadgets are reliable and could not be dangerous to the humans. Since it
is not rechargeable and does not use batteries, it is a way to save up energy and save our planet
from the effects of the climate change. It has a big contribution to people’s daily living, it aims to
help people lessen exhaustness they feel during hot weather, especially to travelers that can’t
bring

Statement of the Problem

The study was conducted to determine the effectiveness of body heat to generate
electricity for powering a fan.

Objectives

Specifically it sought to answer the following:

1. Describe how the thermal energy could make the fan work.

2. Determine the use of the Thermoelectric powered fan and how it works.

Hypothesis

Null- There is no significant difference between the rechargeable fan and thermoelectric
powered fan.

Alternative- There is a significant difference between the rechargeable fan and

thermoelectric powered fan.

Significance of the Study

 Summer time is near; the demand of the people in the use of the electricity is high so the
researchers decided to make a device that could lessen the use of electricity.

This device will help the people reduce the use of electricity in their homes.

Students will be more comfortable at school and will be more attentive in class. They
won’t be bothered about recharging their mini fans before going to school especially when there
is no current in the school.

Parents will be relieved because their electric bills will be decrease even if in small
amount, surely they would be very thankful for this kind of innovations.

Scope Delimitation

This research will be conducted from February 10, 2018 to , 2018 at Jose
Panganiban National High School. The materials needed to make the device will be ordered at
Lazada online shopping.
 REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE AND RELATED STUDIES

Review of Related Literature

During summer seasons, electric fans and air conditioner is in a constant use. The hot
weather causes the people to use a high amount of electricity, so, many people invented portable
fans to lessen their use of electricity and also to make it more easier to use. There are also fans
before that were used in old buildings and retro-style buildings that were driven by a belt
systems, this fan doesn’t use electricity. In the vintage system the belt used in the fan were
sometimes driven up by flowing water (streams or waterwheels) or perhaps a wind mill.

Improvision of this device keeps on moving, fans are now easier to use and it’s also more
efficient, like a solar powered fan, it works through the use of the energy coming from the sun.
People don’t have to plug their electric fan, during daytime because there is a solar panel.

Instead of using an electric fan, some people prefer to use the solar powered fan because
it lessens their expenses at home. But the researcher thinks for a more cost-efficient product.
They think of a device that doesn’t need electricity for it to work. A thermoelectric powered fan,
it is driven by the heat coming from the human body and people doesn’t need to waste money for
buying a solar panel, there are same characteristics of this product that gives advantages to the
users like:

 A more cost-efficient product

 A product that is easier to use
 Nature friendly appliance

Peltier discovers that passing an electric current through two dissimilar materials
produces heating or cooling at their junction. This is known as "Peltier effect," and will later be
used to make refrigerators.

William Thomson, also known as Lord Kelvin, finds that the Seebeck and Peltier effects
are related, indicating that any thermoelectric material can be used to either generate power in a
temperature gradient or pump heat with an applied current.
 Altenkirch correctly derives the maximum efficiency of a thermoelectric generator (1909)
and performance of a cooler (1911), which later developed into the 'thermoelectric figure of
merit' z.

Ioffe begins to develop the modern theory of semiconductor physics in order to describe
thermoelectric energy conversion. This opens up the understanding of how to engineer
thermoelectric materials, as well as providing the basis for understanding the physics of
transistors and microelectronics.

The first radio powered by thermoelectrics is publicized.

Maria Telkes constructs the first thermoelectric power generator with an efficiency of
5%. H. Julian Goldsmid cools a surface to 0° C using a thermoelectric Peltier cooler based on
Bismuth telluride (Bi Te ).

Westinghouse unveils a full-size home refrigerator based on Bismuth Telluride (Bi Te )

Peltier thermoelectrics. While commercially unsuccessful, later thermoelectric refrigerators
would become prevalent as wine coolers for homes.

US President Dwight D. Eisenhower unveils the first Radioactive Thermoelectric

Generator (RTG) "SNAP III," launched two years later in the first RTG-equipped spacecraft,
Transit 4A, to orbit earth as a navigational satellite.

Seiko introduces the Thermic watch, the first watch powered from body heat, which has
in it a Bismuth Telluride (Bi Te ) thermoelectric generator.

Voyager 1 becomes the first manmade object to exit the solar system and enter
interstellar space after being continuously powered by a thermoelectric generator for 36 years.
Review of Related Studies

Ann Makosinski is a Canadian Inventor whose objective is to help people who lives in
places that can’t be reach by the electricity. She also found that heat inside the body can produce
electricity that can possible power source devices. That’s why she came up the crazy idea of
inventing flashlights that only body heat can power without the use of electricity or even the
batteries.

It worked through the use of what you called thermoelectric process where when heat that
came from the body is absorbed by the peltier tiles and the cold temperature from outside will
enter inside the aluminum heat sink, the electricity will be produced that can power or the
flashlight through the only use of your hand. This is what you call Hollow Thermoelectric
Flashlight. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yrnNmzSSn0w)

When heat that came from the body is absorbed by the peltier tile and the cold
temperature from outside will enter inside the aluminum heat sink the electricity will be
produced thus can power on the flashlight through the use of your hand.

Seebeck discovers that a circuit made from two dissimilar materials produced a voltage
when their junctions were at different temperatures. It is later understood that a voltage will be
induced in any material in a temperature gradient, known as the "Seebeck effect," which will be
used to create thermoelectric power generators.
Definition of Terms

 Peltier tile- Thermoelectric cooling uses the Peltier effect to create a heat flux between
the junction of two different types of materials. A Peltier cooler, heater,
or thermoelectric heat pump is a solid-state active heat pump which transfers heat from
one side of the device to the other, with consumption of electrical energy, depending on
the direction of the current. Such an instrument is also called a Peltier device, Peltier
heat pump, solid state refrigerator, or thermoelectric cooler (TEC). It can be used
either for heating or for cooling. Although in practice the main application is cooling. It
can also be used as a temperature controller that either heats or cools.
 Heat sink- A heat sink (also commonly spelled heatsink) is a passive heat exchanger that
transfers the heat generated by an electronic or a mechanical device to a fluid medium,
often air or a liquid coolant, where it is dissipated away from the device, thereby allowing
regulation of the device's temperature at optimal levels. In computers, heat sinks are used
to cool central processing units or graphics processors. Heat sinks are used with high-
power semiconductor devices such as power transistors and optoelectronics such as lasers
and light emitting diodes (LEDs), where the heat dissipation ability of the component
itself is insufficient to moderate its temperature.
 Portable Fan- A portable fan is simply a fan that is not permanently affixed to the wall or
ceiling. Portable fans come in all shapes and sizes, from tiny battery-powered fans that
can be held in the hand, to large box fans meant to ventilate a whole room. Using a
portable fan can be a great way to keep the air moving, moderate the temperature of a
room, and supplement the use of an air conditioner to save power.
 Thermoelectric Effect- The thermoelectric effect is the direct conversion of temperature
differences to electric voltage and vice versa via a thermocouple. A thermoelectric device
creates voltage when there is a different temperature on each side. Conversely, when a
voltage is applied to it, it creates a temperature difference.
 METHODOLOGY

Materials and Equipment

The researchers used the following materials and equipment: Peltier Tiles, Aluminum
heat sink, step up transformer, and Portable Fan.

Procedure

First, the aluminum heat sink will be rolled and it serves as the outer part of the handle of
the portable fan.
Next, the peltier tiles will be placed and put outside the aluminum heat sink. These peltier
tiles will be the part which will make the electricity’s to turn on the portable fan by the
thermoelectric process. Where, when someone’s palm touches this tile it will collect the heat
from the palm and the cold air from the environment will enter the aluminum heat sink.
Then, the step up transformer will be placed inside the aluminum together with the upper
part of the fan. The step up transformer will be connected in the wire where it is connected to the
fan. The voltage of it will increase to its maximum measurement; the portable fan is capable of.
Lastly, the thermoelectric process will do its duty to produce electricity and travel to the
step up transformer to the fan and produce air.

There will be a number of testing, so that the portable fan will work properly and
effectively.
 Conceptual Framework

Input Process Output

 Gathering the spare

parts for the handle
The use of
 Making the handle Thermoelectricity could
Thermoelectric Powered be used to power a
Fan  Testing the voltage portable fan. It is very
needed for the efficient that the
portable fan thermoelectric powered
fan works well without
 Reassembling the the use of batteries.
handle
 Flowchart of methodology

Gathering the materials

When the electricity is

The aluminum heat sink produce and the portable
is rolled and is the outer fan turned on, then the
part of the handle device is completed.

The peltier tiles will be The step up transformer

put inside the heat sink will raise the voltage
for the thermoelectric enough to power the
process. portable fan.