GUIDE: Prof.

SAJU SEBASTIAN PRESENTED BY: AMAL MICHAEL SAJI

DEPT. OF MECHANIACL AJC16ME023
S7 ME-A
 MICROCOMBUSTOR
• Micro-electromechanical system (MEMS)
• Miniature device that burns hydrocarbon fuels
• Converts heat generated by combustion into
electric power
Fig(1) Microcombustor
• Used for the generation of electrical power
• Portable power generating units that could
replace batteries
• Greater energy density than lithium-ion
batteries
 MICROCOMBUSTOR
• Toroidal counterflow heat exchanger forms the basis
• Central combustion region with openings to a reactant gas
channel and an exhaust gas channel.
• Includes a thermoelectric active wall
• Active wall includes multiple series connected pairs of n-type
and p-type elements
• Thermoelectric active wall includes fins

Fig.(2) Top view of microcombuster

TOROIDAL COMBUSTOR

Fig.(c) cutaway view of a toroidal combustor

CROSS SECTIONAL DIAGRAM
 PARTS OF A MICROCOMBUSTOR
• Combustion chamber-serves as combustion region
• Reactant gas port and spiral reactant channel
• Exhaust gas port and spiral exhaust channel
• Outside wall and supporting substrate with thermal isolation
stilts
• Ignition system
• Thermoelectric active wall
• Fins

Fig.(d) cross sectional view

 CONSTRUCTION DETAILS
• Topology of combustor is referred to as a toroid
• Outer diameter of the toroid is about 15 mm
• Combustion region has a characteristic
dimension less than 1 mm
• Inner diameter is about 2 mm
• Height is between about 1 and about 6 mm
• Combustor includes a partition wall
(electrically insulating material)
• Combustor is preferably formed of an
electrodeposited metal
Fig.(e) Cutaway view
 CONSTRUCTION DETAILS

• Width of reaction and exhaust channel

ranges between about 100 µm and 1 mm
• Combustion chamber dimensions are
larger than the width of the reaction or
exhaust channels
Fig.(f) Flow channels
• Small scale of the channels dictates to a
low Reynolds number
• T-shaped metal fins are incorporated along
the walls
 FABRICATION

COMBUSTOR
• Structural material of which the microgenerator is
composed is a conductive metal
• Electrodeposited platinum is used as structural material
• LIGA process can be used

Fig.(g) LIGA process

 FABRICATION

IGNITION SYSTEM

• Partition wall is used to facilitate ignition

• Resistive elements and electrical leads
connected are sandwiched between Fig.(h) Partition wall
electrically insulating material
• Include projections on either side,
commonly termed glow-plugs
• Spark plugs distributed around the
combustion chamber
Fig.(i) Annular ignitor
 FABRICATION

THERMOELECTRIC ACTIVE WALL

• Consists of elements of n-type and p-type conductivity
thermoelectric material
• Thermoelectric active wall is limited to the cooler outermost
channel wall
• Thermoelectric materials that can be electrodeposited are
used
• N-type material is bi₂te₃, p-type material is bi₂₋ₓsbₓt₃
• Lead telluride, zinc antimonide, cobalt antimonide and
related ternary compounds
 FABRICATION
FINS
• Fins composed of thermally and electrically
conductive material
• Fins are configured to increase the temperature
differential across the thermoelectric elements
• T-shaped, base portion separates an n-type
element and p-type element
• Additionally includes L-shaped fins and
asymmetric T-shaped fins
• Ratio of H:W of about 8:1 is expected to provide
Fig.(j) Fins
excellent thermo electric performance
 FUEL

• Commercially available hydrocarbon fuels can be used

• Fuels should be :
 Liquid at low storage pressure and room temperature
 Gaseous at atmospheric pressure and room temperature

• Butane, propane and methylacetylene

• Non-hydrocarbon fuels such as hydrogen and ammonia can
be used
• Heat recirculating design
• Possible to use mixtures not flammable outside the combustor
• Provides failsafe in event of leakage
 WORKING

• The microcombustor is equipped with miniature

fuel tank
• Fuel is stored under pressure
• Oxidant used for combustion is air
• Unpressurised air is entrained by the flow
momentum of gaseous fuel
• Well mixed by diffusion Fig(k) Combustion
chamber
• Fuel injection nozzles can also be used
 WORKING

• The charge flows through reactant channel and reaches the

combustion chamber
• Partition wall is used to facilitate ignition
• Ignition elements are resistively heated to ignite combustion
• The charge is combusted, releasing heat energy
• Attains temperatures over 1000°C
• The exhaust gas flows out through exhaust channel
• Homogeneous combustion yields up to 18,000 kwh/kg
TEMPERATURE DISTRIBUSTION
 GENERATION OF ELECTRIC POWER
• Thermoelectric walls are incorporated on the
channel walls
• Consists of n-type and p-type elements
• Fins are used to increase temperature
differential across the elements
• Elements are aligned in series to provide an
increase in voltage across each element Fig.(l) Electrical connection

• Thus maximize the total voltage output of the

device
• Electrical interconnections are made as per
fig.(j)
 THERMOELECTRIC POWER GENERATION

• Conversion of heat flux directly into electrical energy

• Phenomenon is called the Seebeck effect
• Conversion of heat directly into electricity at the junction of
different types of wire
• Materials must have both high electrical conductivity (σ) and
low thermal conductivity (κ)

Fig.(m) Thermoelectric circuit

 BENEFITS
• Greater energy and power density
• Provides enormous advantages over batteries in terms of :
 Energy storage per unit mass
 Power generation per unit volume
• Hydrocarbon fuels provide an energy storage density between
40 and 50 MJ/kg
• Lithium ion batteries provide only 0.4 MJ/kg
• Non toxic by products (CO₂ & H₂O)
• Higher temperatures than normally possible with catalytic
combustion
 APPLICATIONS

• Designed for applications where a lot of power is needed

quickly, in a small package
• Consumer portable systems-laptop computers, wireless
phones
• Military portable systems-Irvine sensors
• Microreactors
• Source of propulsive energy for micro air vehicles and
microsatellites
 CONCLUSION

• Microcombustor can provide higher energy density than a

battery
• Submillimetre sized MEMS increase operational lifetime
• Reduce system weight
 REFERENCES

• Adam L. CohenPaul, RonneyUri FrodisLars SitzkiEckart MeiburgSteffen

Wussow “Microcombustor and combustion-based thermoelectric
microgenerator”-US 6,613,972 B2 (2003)
• Upendra W, TaywadeAnil A ,Deshpande, Sudarshan Kumar “Thermal
performance of a micro combustor with heat recirculation” (2012)
• S.K. Chou, W.M. Yang, K.J. Chua , J. Li K.L. Zhang,” Development of micro
power generators – A review”, Applied Energy 88 (2011)
• Najmeddin Shafrei Tehrany, Chien Shung Lin, Jeongmin Ahn, Konstantin
Matveev “Development of Combustion-driven Small Thermoacoustic
Engine” (2008)