Thermal analysis of novel polar thermal energy generating equipment

To address the power supply needs of small scientific expedition equipment in the Arctic region, a 100W polar thermal energy generating equipment is proposed. This equipment harnesses the temperature difference between the cold polar air (averaging -34°C) and the seawater under the ice layer (averaging 0.12±0.18°C) to generate electricity. This paper provides a detailed explanation of the thermal cycle principles and the selection of working fluids, along with a thermal analysis of the equipment. The analysis reveals that the thermal efficiency of the system and the output work per unit of working fluid flow initially increase and then decrease as the turbine inlet pressure rises, with the inflection point occurring near the saturation pressure of the working fluid. The circulating thermal efficiency and output work per kilogram of working fluid flow are unaffected by the turbine inlet temperature but decrease significantly with rising condensing temperature. Under the same working conditions, R134a outperforms R227ea and R1234yf.