Thermoelectric generator

Claim 2

AN EFFICIENT METHOD FOR DIRECTLY CONVERTING HEAT TO ELECTRICITY FROM THERMOELECTRIC ELEMENTS ARRANGED IN ELECTRICAL CONNECTION TO PRODUCE ELECTRICAL POWER COMPRISING THE STEPS OF PASSING HEATED AND COOL FLUID STREAMS IN OVERALL COUNTERFLOW DIRECT HEAT EXCHANGE RLATIONSHIP WITH EACH OTHER TO GENERATE A TEMPERATURE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PASSES OF THE DIRECT HEAT EXCHANGING FLUID STREAMS, WITH SAID COOL FLUID STREAM CAPTURING A SUBSTANTIAL PORTION OF THE HEAT ENERGY IN THE HEATED FLUID STREAM BY HEAT TRANSFER TO THE COOL FLUID STREAM, EXPOSING OPPOSITE SIFES OF SAID THERMOELECTRC ELEMENTS IN HIGH HEAT CONDUCTIVE RLATIONSHIP TO RESPECTIVE PASSES OF SAID DIRECT HEAT EXCHANGING STREAMS TO SUBJECT THE ELEMENTS TO A TEMPERATURE DIFFERENCE FOR THE EFFICIENT PRODUCTION OF ELECTRICAL POWER FROM THE ELECTRICALLY CONNECTED THERMOELECTRIC ELEMENTS.

Claim 3

The efficient method of directly converting heat to electricity as claimed in claim 1 and further including the steps of heating said cool fluid stream to which the heat is transferred to a temperature sufficient for its return as a heated cool fluid stream and returning said heated cool fluid stream through the passes in heat exchange relationship with the cool fluid stream.

Claim 4

An electric generator wherein electricity is produced by the direct conversion of heat to electricity with thermoelectric elements such as thermocouples and the like comprising a heat exchanger, said heat exchanger including means for passing heated and cool fluid streams in direct heat exchange relationship to each other for highly efficient heat transfer from the heated fluid stream to the cool fluid stream, said heat exchanger being constructed to provide a multiple of said heated and cool fluid stream passes across the heat exchanger to produce a different average temperature for respective passes, resulting in a temperature gradient across the heat exchanger, a multiple of thermoelectric elements of dissimilar materials, said elements being arranged and selectively electrically connected to form electrically interconnected electricity producing couples, said thermoelectric elements being distributed throughout the heat exchanger in high heat conductive relationship with and alongside the heated and cool fluid stream passes, said thermoelectric elements being disposed with a plurality of thermoelectric elements having each one side effectively in high heat conductive relationship with one heated and cool fluid stream pass and maintained at a temperature determined by the direct exchange of heat within said one pass and its other side being effectively in high heat conductive relationship with another different pass of heated and cool fluid streams and maintained at a temperature determined by the direct exchange of heat within said other pass, whereby the opposite sides of said plurality of thermoelectric elements are maintained at different temperatures for an efficient generation of electricity.

Claim 5

An electric generator wherein electricity is produced by the direct conversion of heat to electricity with thermoelectric elements such as thermocouples and the like comprising a heat exchanger, said heat exchanger including means for passing heated and cool fluid streams in direct heat exchange relationship to each other for highly efficient heat transfer from the heated fluid stream to the cool fluid stream, said heat exchanger being constructed to provide a multiple of said heated and cool fluid stream passes across the heat exchanger to produce a different average temperature for respective passes, resulting in a temperature gradient across the heat exchanger, a multiple of thermoelectric elements of dissimilar materials, said elements being arranged and selectively electrically connected to form electrically interconnected electricity producing couples, said thermoelectric elements being distributed throughout the heat exchanger in high heat conductive relationship with and alongside the heated and cool fluid stream passes, said thermoelectric elements being disposed with a plurality of thermoelectric elements having each one side effectively in high heat conductive relationship with one heated and cool fluid stream pass and maintained at a temperature determined by the direct exchange of heat within said one pass and its other side being effectively in high heat conductive relationship with another different pass of heated and cool fluid streams and maintained at a temperature determined by the direct exchange of heat within said other pass, whereby the opposite sides of said plurality of thermoelectric elements are maintained at different temperatures for an efficient generation of electricity.

Claim 6

The thermoelectric generator as claimed in claim 3 wherein the passing means includes a high heat conducting wall located in each pass and interposed between counterflowing heated and cool fluid streams for direct heat exchange between the streams across said high heat conducting wall to recapture the heat energy in said heated fluid stream.

Claim 7

The thermoelectric generator as claimed in claim 4 wherein each of said thermoelectric elements in said plurality of elements has one side directly coupled in high heat conducting relationship with the common high heat conducting wall in one pass and the other side, opposite to said One side, directly coupled in high conducting relationship to the high heat conducting wall in another pass.

Claim 8

The thermoelectric generator as claimed in claim 5 wherein the high heat conductive wall is electrically isolated from the thermoelectric elements.

Claim 9

The thermoelectric generator as claimed in claim 5 wherein the high heat conductive wall is electrically connected to the thermoelectric elements.

Claim 10

The thermoelectric generator as claimed in claim 3 wherein each of said heated and cool fluid stream passes are formed of a plurality of heat exchanging elements, each heat exchanging element being arranged to form parallel separated passages sized to enable said heated and cool fluid streams to pass therethrough for heat transfer between them through walls of said heat exchanging elements, said heat exchanging elements in each of said passes being electrically isolated from one another and aligned with each other to form longitudinal adjacent passages through which the heated and cool fluid streams are passed, with said plurality of thermoelectric elements disposed in heat exchanging contact with and between said heat exchanging sections.

Claim 11

The thermoelectric generator as claimed in claim 3 wherein said heated and cool fluid stream passes include a plurality of heat exchanging fin sections, each heat exchanging fin section being shaped to define parallel passages sized to respectively enable said heated and cool fluid streams to pass therethrough in overall counterflow direct heat exchange relationship, with said plurality of thermoelectric elements being in high heat conductive relationship with said heated and cool fluid streams.

Claim 12

A self contained thermoelectric generator formed of thermoelectric elements to directly convert heat to electricity comprising a housing and a burner having a combustion chamber, said burner mounted to the housing, means for supplying fuel to the burner to produce a high temperature combustion gas in said burner chamber, a heat exchanger having a cool gas inlet port, a cool gas outlet port, a heated gas inlet port and a heated gas outlet port, said heated gas inlet port and said cool gas outlet port being in gas flow communication with the burner chamber, said heat exchanger including means for passing a cool gas stream from the cool gas inlet port and a heated gas stream from the heated gas inlet port in direct heat exchanging relationship to each other for highly efficient overall counterflow heat transfer from the heated gas stream to the cool gas stream, said heat exchanger being constructed to provide a multiple of said direct heat exchanging heated and cool overall counterflow gas stream passes, said multiple passes being coupled to one another to advance the cool gas stream to the cool outlet port at the burner chamber and the heated gas stream to the heat outlet port and produce a different average temperature for respective passes resulting in an overall temperature gradient across the heat exchanger, with said cool gas stream being heated by the heat transfer from the heated gas stream and being further heated in the burner chamber, means for producing said heated and cool gas streams, a multiple of thermoelectric elements of dissimilar materials, said elements being arranged and selectively electrically connected to form electrically interconnected electricity producing couples, said thermoelectric elements being distributed throughout the heat exchanger in high heat conducting relationship with the direct heat exchanging heated and cool overall counterflow gas stream passes, and maintain opposite side of said thermoelectric elements at different temperatures respectively determined by different direct heat exchanging heated and cool overall counterflow gas stream passes for an efficient direct conversion of heat to electricity by the thermoelectric elements with the preservation of the heat energy in the heated fluid stream by heat transfer to the cool Fluid stream.

Claim 13

A self contained thermoelectric generator formed of thermoelectric elements to directly convert heat to electricity comprising a housing and a burner having a combustion chamber, said burner mounted to the housing, means for supplying fuel to the burner to produce a high temperature combustion gas in said burner chamber, a heat exchanger having a cool gas inlet port, a cool gas outlet port, a heated gas inlet port and a heated gas outlet port, said heated gas inlet port and said cool gas outlet port being in gas flow communication with the burner chamber, said heat exchanger including means for passing a cool gas stream from the cool gas inlet port and a heated gas stream from the heated gas inlet port in direct heat exchanging relationship to each other for highly efficient overall counterflow heat transfer from the heated gas stream to the cool gas stream, said heat exchanger being constructed to provide a multiple of said direct heat exchanging heated and cool overall counterflow gas stream passes, said multiple passes being coupled to one another to advance the cool gas stream to the cool outlet port at the burner chamber and the heated gas stream to the heat outlet port and produce a different average temperature for respective passes resulting in an overall temperature gradient across the heat exchanger, with said cool gas stream being heated by the heat transfer from the heated gas stream and being further heated in the burner chamber, means for producing said heated and cool gas streams, a multiple of thermoelectric elements of dissimilar materials, said elements being arranged and selectively electrically connected to form electrically interconnected electricity producing couples, said thermoelectric elements being distributed throughout the heat exchanger in high heat conducting relationship with the direct heat exchanging heated and cool overall counterflow gas stream passes, and maintain opposite side of said thermoelectric elements at different temperatures respectively determined by different direct heat exchanging heated and cool overall counterflow gas stream passes for an efficient direct conversion of heat to electricity by the thermoelectric elements with the preservation of the heat energy in the heated fluid stream by heat transfer to the cool Fluid stream.

Claim 14

The self contained thermoelectric generator as claimed in claim 10 wherein said means for producing said gas streams includes a gas compressor operating to deliver a cool air stream to the burner chamber, said burner chamber being normally closed, with combustion gases being discharged through said heated gas inlet port and through the heat exchanger to the heated gas outlet port.

Claim 15

An electricity generator wherein heat is directly converted to electricity with thermoelectric elements comprising a heat exchanger, said heat exchanger including a first pass of direct heat exchanging counterflowing heated and cool fluid streams, a first layer of thermoelectric elements mounted adjacent said first pass with one side thereof in high heat conductive relationship with said first pass, a second pass of direct heat exchanging counter-flowing heated and cool fluid streams located alongside the other opposite sides of the thermoelectric elements and in high heat conductive relationship therewith, a second layer of thermoelectric elements located alongside the second pass opposite said first layer of thermoelectric elements and having one side in high heat conductive relationship with said second pass, a third pass of direct heat exchanging counterflowing heated and cool fluid streams located along the other opposite side of thermoelectric elements in said second layer and in high heat conductive relationship with said other opposite sides of thermoelectric elements in said second layer, and means producing additional passes of direct heat exchanging counterflowing heated and cool fluid streams and means producing additional layers of thermoelectric elements having opposite sides in high heat conductive relationship with said passes, means for coupling said first, second, third and additional passes to one another to form a temperature gradient across the heat exchanger with the heat energy in the heated fluid stream being recaptured by the cool fluid stream and said respective passes at different average temperatures to expose thermoelectric element in respective layers to temperature differentials, and means for electrically interconnecting said thermoelectric elements to produce a thermoelectric generator voltage

Claim 16

An electricity generator wherein heat is directly converted to electricity with thermoelectric elements comprising a heat exchanger, said heat exchanger including a first pass of direct heat exchanging counterflowing heated and cool fluid streams, a first layer of thermoelectric elements mounted adjacent said first pass with one side thereof in high heat conductive relationship with said first pass, a second pass of direct heat exchanging counter-flowing heated and cool fluid streams located alongside the other opposite sides of the thermoelectric elements and in high heat conductive relationship therewith, a second layer of thermoelectric elements located alongside the second pass opposite said first layer of thermoelectric elements and having one side in high heat conductive relationship with said second pass, a third pass of direct heat exchanging counterflowing heated and cool fluid streams located along the other opposite side of thermoelectric elements in said second layer and in high heat conductive relationship with said other opposite sides of thermoelectric elements in said second layer, and means producing additional passes of direct heat exchanging counterflowing heated and cool fluid streams and means producing additional layers of thermoelectric elements having opposite sides in high heat conductive relationship with said passes, means for coupling said first, second, third and additional passes to one another to form a temperature gradient across the heat exchanger with the heat energy in the heated fluid stream being recaptured by the cool fluid stream and said respective passes at different average temperatures to expose thermoelectric element in respective layers to temperature differentials, and means for electrically interconnecting said thermoelectric elements to produce a thermoelectric generator voltage

Claim 17

The electricity generator as claimed in claim 12 wherein said first, second, third and additional passes of direct heat exchanging heated and cool fluid streams are provided with a separating wall located to define separated heat and cool fluid passages, said wall being formed of high heat conductive material to provide an efficient exchange of heat between the heated and cool fluid streams in said passes.

Claim 18

The electricity generator as claimed in claim 13 wherein said thermoelectric elements in selective ones of said layers are electrically isolated from one another and with said wall being formed of a high electrically conductive material and sized to electrically contact opposite thermoelectric elements in opposing layers to form thermoelectric elements which are electrically connected in series with one another along the thermal gradient.

Claim 19

The electricity generator as claimed in claim 12 wherein said thermoelectric elements in said layers have opposing sides provided with heat exchange fins protruding in high heat conductive relationship into respectively adjacent passes for efficient maintenance of temperature differentials across said thermoelectric elements.

Claim 20

The electricity generator as claimed in claim 15 wherein said first, second, third and additional passes are provided with a separating wall located to define separated heated and cool fluid passages, said wall being formed of a high heat conductive material to provide an efficient exchange of heat between the counterflowing heated and cool fluid streams in said passes, said wall being electrically isolated from opposing thermoelectric elements and provided with heat exchange fins protruding into adjacent heatEd and cool fluid passages.

Claim 21

A self contained electricity generator wherein electricity is produced by the direct conversion of heat to electricity with thermoelectric elements comprising heat to electricity with thermoelectric elements comprising means producing a source of heat, a heat exchanger having a plurality of fluid passages in direct heat exchanging relationship to produce a temperature gradient across the heat exchanger, means for passing a cool fluid through selected ones of said fluid passages to the heat producing means for heating thereby and return the heated fluid through selected others of said fluid passages in counterflow relationship with the cool fluid for direct heat exchange between said heated and cool fluids and produce said temperature gradient across the heat exchanger with said counterflowing heated and cool fluid streams forming a multiple of passes at different average temperatures throughout the heat exchanger, a plurality of thermoelectric elements distributed throughout said heat exchanger and formed of dissimilar materials, said thermoelectric elements being selectively electrically connected to form electricity producing couples with a multiple of said thermoelectric elements having opposite sides in high heat conducting relationship with direct heat exchanging heated and cool fluids in said passes maintained at respectively different temperatures for an efficient generation of electricity from said thermoelectric elements by the efficient recapturing of heat energy in the heated fluid with said cool fluid.

Claim 22

A self contained electricity generator wherein electricity is produced by the direct conversion of heat to electricity with thermoelectric elements comprising heat to electricity with thermoelectric elements comprising means producing a source of heat, a heat exchanger having a plurality of fluid passages in direct heat exchanging relationship to produce a temperature gradient across the heat exchanger, means for passing a cool fluid through selected ones of said fluid passages to the heat producing means for heating thereby and return the heated fluid through selected others of said fluid passages in counterflow relationship with the cool fluid for direct heat exchange between said heated and cool fluids and produce said temperature gradient across the heat exchanger with said counterflowing heated and cool fluid streams forming a multiple of passes at different average temperatures throughout the heat exchanger, a plurality of thermoelectric elements distributed throughout said heat exchanger and formed of dissimilar materials, said thermoelectric elements being selectively electrically connected to form electricity producing couples with a multiple of said thermoelectric elements having opposite sides in high heat conducting relationship with direct heat exchanging heated and cool fluids in said passes maintained at respectively different temperatures for an efficient generation of electricity from said thermoelectric elements by the efficient recapturing of heat energy in the heated fluid with said cool fluid.

Claim 23

An electricity generator wherein heat is directly converted to electricity with thermoelectric elements comprising a heat exchanger, said heat exchanger being formed of a single continuous conduit arranged to form a multiple of direct heat exchanging fluid stream passes between opposite ends of the conduit to produce a temperature difference across the heat exchanger produced by heated and cool fluid streams alternately passed through the conduit from respectively opposite ends of the conduit, and thermoelectric elements of dissimilar materials, said elements being arranged and selectively electrically coupled to form electrically interconnected electricity producing couples, said thermoelectric elements being distributed throughout the heat exchanger in high heat conductive relationship with and alongside the single continuous conduit, with one side of thermoelectric elements in high heat conductive relationship with one pass of said single continuous conduit and maintained at a temperature determined by the direct exchange of heat within said one pass, and with the other side of said thermoelectric elements in high heat conductive relationship with another pass of said single continuous conduit and maintained at a temperature determined by the direct exchange of heat within said other pass, whereby opposite sides of said thermoelectric elements are maintained at different temperatures for an efficient generation of electricity.

Claim 24

An electricity generator wherein heat is directly converted to electricity with thermoelectric elements comprising a heat exchanger, said heat exchanger being formed of a single continuous conduit arranged to form a multiple of direct heat exchanging fluid stream passes between opposite ends of the conduit to produce a temperature difference across the heat exchanger produced by heated and cool fluid streams alternately passed through the conduit from respectively opposite ends of the conduit, and thermoelectric elements of dissimilar materials, said elements being arranged and selectively electrically coupled to form electrically interconnected electricity producing couples, said thermoelectric elements being distributed throughout the heat exchanger in high heat conductive relationship with and alongside the single continuous conduit, with one side of thermoelectric elements in high heat conductive relationship with one pass of said single continuous conduit and maintained at a temperature determined by the direct exchange of heat within said one pass, and with the other side of said thermoelectric elements in high heat conductive relationship with another pass of said single continuous conduit and maintained at a temperature determined by the direct exchange of heat within said other pass, whereby opposite sides of said thermoelectric elements are maintained at different temperatures for an efficient generation of electricity.

Claim 25

In an electricity generator wherein heat is directly converted to electricity with thermoelectric elements, the improvement comprising heat exchange elements formed of corrugated segments which define passages for heated and cool fluid streams, said corrugated segments being formed of high heat conductive and low electrically resistant material, said corrugated segments further being connected in pairs with a pair located in both electrical and heat conductive relationship with and between successively located thermoelectric elements to form temperature differentials across the thermoelectric elements and provide electrical interconnection of the thermoelectric elements for a high conversion efficiency of the thermoelectric generator.

Claim 26

In an electricity generator wherein heat is directly converted to electricity with thermoelectric elements, the improvement comprising heat exchange elements formed of corrugated segments which define passages for heated and cool fluid streams, said corrugated segments being formed of high heat conductive and low electrically resistant material, said corrugated segments further being connected in pairs with a pair located in both electrical and heat conductive relationship with and between successively located thermoelectric elements to form temperature differentials across the thermoelectric elements and provide electrical interconnection of the thermoelectric elements for a high conversion efficiency of the thermoelectric generator.

Claim 27

In an electric generator wherein electricity is produced by the direct conversion of heat to electricity with thermoelectric elements such as thermocouples and the like, comprising A plurality of thermoelectric legs formed of thermoelectric elements and heat exchange elements, with at least a pair of thermoelectric elements in each leg being separated by a pair of heat exchange elements in high heat conductive and heat exchange relationship, said heat exchange elements being arranged to conduct separate streams of respectively heated and cool fluid streams, said pair of heat exchange elements being electrically conductive to form an electrically conductive thermoelectric leg; said plurality of thermoelectric legs being arranged to align corresponding heat exchange elements with each other to form a thermoelectric generator in the form of a heat exchanger interspersed with thermoelectric elements.

Claim 28

In an electric generator wherein electricity is produced by the direct conversion of heat to electricity with thermoelectric elements such as thermocouples and the like, comprising A plurality of thermoelectric legs formed of thermoelectric elements and heat exchange elements, with at least a pair of thermoelectric elements in each leg being separated by a pair of heat exchange elements in high heat conductive and heat exchange relationship, said heat exchange elements being arranged to conduct separate streams of respectively heated and cool fluid streams, said pair of heat exchange elements being electrically conductive to form an electrically conductive thermoelectric leg; said plurality of thermoelectric legs being arranged to align corresponding heat exchange elements with each other to form a thermoelectric generator in the form of a heat exchanger interspersed with thermoelectric elements.

Claim 29

The thermoelectric generator as claimed in claim 20 wherein said thermoelectric elements are encapsulated in an electrically conductive material having a conductance selected lower than the encapsulated thermoelectric material to provide continued electrical conduction of the thermoelectric leg upon failure of a thermoelectric element therein for enhanced reliability of the thermoelectric generator.

Claim 30

The thermoelectric generator as claimed in claim 21 wherein the electrically conductive material has a conductance of the order of about five percent of the conductance of the thermoelectric material encapsulated thereby.

Claim 31

A thermoelectric element for use in a thermoelectric generator and an electrically conductive sheath coupled in electrical parallel relationship with the thermoelectric material to form an electrically conductive bypass for enhanced reliability of the thermoelectric element.

Claim 32

A thermoelectric element for use in a thermoelectric generator and an electrically conductive sheath coupled in electrical parallel relationship with the thermoelectric material to form an electrically conductive bypass for enhanced reliability of the thermoelectric element.

Claim 33

The improved thermoelectric element as claimed in claim 23 wherein the sheath provides encapsulation of the thermoelectrical material.

Claim 34

The improved thermoelectric element as claimed in claim 23 wherein the electrically bypassing sheath has a conductance which is lower than that of the thermoelectric material and is sufficiently high to carry bypassing electrical currents upon failure of the thermoelectric material.

Claim 35

An electric generator wherein electricity is produced by the direct conversion of heat to electricity with thermoelectric elements such as thermocouples and the like comprising a multiple of thermoelectric elements of dissimilar materials, said elements being arranged and selectively electrically connected to form electrically interconnected electricity producing couples; a heat exchanger, said exchanger including means for forming a pass of heated and cool fluid streams in direct heat exchange relationship with each other for an efficient heat transfer from the heated fluid stream to the cool fluid stream; said thermoelectric elements being distributed throughout the heat exchanger in layers separated by said pass of heat exchanging heated and cool fluid streams, with said layers of thermoelectric elements having one side in heat conducting relationship with said pass to maintain said one side at a temperature determined by the heat exchange within the pass, with the other side of said layers being respectively in heat conducting relationship with a heated and cool fluid stream for establishing a temperature difference across said layers of thermoelectric elements for the generation of electricity.

Claim 36

An electric generator wherein electricity is produced by the direct conversion of heat to electricity with thermoelectric elements such as thermocouples and the like comprising a multiple of thermoelectric elements of dissimilar materials, said elements being arranged and selectively electrically connected to form electrically interconnected electricity producing couples; a heat exchanger, said exchanger including means for forming a pass of heated and cool fluid streams in direct heat exchange relationship with each other for an efficient heat transfer from the heated fluid stream to the cool fluid stream; said thermoelectric elements being distributed throughout the heat exchanger in layers separated by said pass of heat exchanging heated and cool fluid streams, with said layers of thermoelectric elements having one side in heat conducting relationship with said pass to maintain said one side at a temperature determined by the heat exchange within the pass, with the other side of said layers being respectively in heat conducting relationship with a heated and cool fluid stream for establishing a temperature difference across said layers of thermoelectric elements for the generation of electricity.

Claim 37

A thermoelectric heat pump utilizing the Peltier effect comprising a multiple of thermoelectric elements of dissimilar materials, said elements being arranged and selectively electrically connected to form thermocouples; a heat exchanger, said heat exchanger including means for passing hot and cool fluid streams in direct heat exchange relationship to each other for an efficient heat transfer from the hot fluid stream to the cool fluid stream, said thermoelectric elements being distributed in separated layers throughout the heat exchanger with the heat exchanger constructed to locate a pass of heat exchanging hot and cool fluid streams between consecutive layers of thermoelectric elemenTs, said pass of heat exchanging fluid streams being in heat conducting relationship with said respective layers of thermoelectric elements for an efficient conversion of electricity.

Claim 38

A thermoelectric heat pump utilizing the Peltier effect comprising a multiple of thermoelectric elements of dissimilar materials, said elements being arranged and selectively electrically connected to form thermocouples; a heat exchanger, said heat exchanger including means for passing hot and cool fluid streams in direct heat exchange relationship to each other for an efficient heat transfer from the hot fluid stream to the cool fluid stream, said thermoelectric elements being distributed in separated layers throughout the heat exchanger with the heat exchanger constructed to locate a pass of heat exchanging hot and cool fluid streams between consecutive layers of thermoelectric elemenTs, said pass of heat exchanging fluid streams being in heat conducting relationship with said respective layers of thermoelectric elements for an efficient conversion of electricity.