Autonomous Micro-Power-Unit with Catalytic Combustion

Abstract

The role of catalytic combustion in conventional power devices has been limited in reducing emission or treatment of off-gas, and is not a major part of energy. However, if the size of the device is reduced to fingertips, the influence of surface on combustion becomes significant and catalytic combustion can be used effectively for power generation. In the present article, a micro-combustor of 10W class and its characteristics are introduced. The combustor has sintered catalyst layer, which sustains combustion in a narrow tube of sub-millimeter diameter and yields wide flammability. Using the micro-combustor, we developed a micro-power-unit which supplies heat and electricity. The generator part consists of thermoelectric conversion modules and the micro-combustor. The fuel, propane/butane, is supplied by its vapor pressure and the air is pumped into the combustor by a micro-blower driven by a part of the generated electricity. The developed micro-power-unit generated electricity of about 300mW with heat input of 15W. The final conversion efficiency reached 2%, which is state-of-the-art among these small power devices.