Thermopile
A thermopile or thermal chain is an electrical component that converts thermal energy into electrical energy. It consists of several thermocouples , which are connected thermally in parallel and electrically in series , whereby the very low thermal voltages are added.
history
The first thermopile was constructed from antimony and bismuth by Hans Christian Ørsted and Joseph Fourier two years after the description of the thermocouple by Thomas Johann Seebeck in 1823 . In 1826 Macedonio Melloni and Leopoldo Nobili developed their electric thermoscope , an improved thermopile, in the course of researching thermal radiation .
Around 1864, thermoelectric columns constructed according to the principle of Melloni were used on ships for the early location of icebergs .
During the First World War , the British Army had been using thermoelectric columns since early summer 1918 at the latest , which were arranged at the focus of a parabolic mirror in order to be able to locate individual enemy soldiers at night.
application
Thermopiles are used for heat flow or broadband radiation measurement in
or in reverse operation as a heat pump in
literature
- The thermoelectric batteries . In: Journal for electrical engineering . June 1, 1888, p. 256 ( ANNO - AustriaN Newspapers Online [accessed May 18, 2020]).
Individual evidence
- ↑ VDI / VDE guideline 3511 sheet 2: Technical temperature measurements - contact thermometer , 1996
- ↑ Frank Bernhard (Ed.): Technical Temperature Measurement Volume III: Physical and Metrological Basics , Springer, 2004, p. 765
- ^ Polytechnical communications . In: Illustrirte Zeitung . December 3, 1864, p. 394 ( ANNO - AustriaN Newspapers Online [accessed on May 18, 2020]).
- ↑ A sensational invention . A millionth of a degree Celsius can be measured. In: Neues Wiener Journal . February 24, 1920, p. 3 ( ANNO - AustriaN Newspapers Online [accessed on May 18, 2020]).