ENHANCED THERMALLY ISOLATED THERMOELECTRICS
First Claim
1. A thermoelectric system comprising at least one cell comprising:
- a first plurality of electrically conductive shunts extending along a first direction;
a second plurality of electrically conductive shunts extending along a second direction non-parallel to the first direction; and
a first plurality of thermoelectric (TE) elements comprising;
a first TE element between and in electrical communication with a first shunt of the first plurality of shunts and a second shunt of the second plurality of shunts;
a second TE element between and in electrical communication with the second shunt and a third shunt of the first plurality of shunts; and
a third TE element between and in electrical communication with the third shunt and a fourth shunt of the second plurality of shunts, wherein current flows substantially parallel to the first direction through the first shunt, through the first TE element, substantially parallel to the second direction through the second shunt, through the second TE element, substantially parallel to the first direction through the third shunt, through the third TE element, and substantially parallel to the second direction through the fourth shunt.
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Accused Products
Abstract
In certain embodiments, a thermoelectric system includes at least one cell. The at least one cell can include a first plurality of electrically conductive shunts extending along a first direction, a second plurality of electrically conductive shunts extending along a second direction non-parallel to the first direction, and a first plurality of thermoelectric (TE) elements. The first plurality of TE elements can include a first TE element between and in electrical communication with a first shunt of the first plurality of shunts and a second shunt of the second plurality of shunts, a second TE element between and in electrical communication with the second shunt and a third shunt of the first plurality of shunts, and a third TE element between and in electrical communication with the third shunt and a fourth shunt of the second plurality of shunts.
85 Citations
22 Claims
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1. A thermoelectric system comprising at least one cell comprising:
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a first plurality of electrically conductive shunts extending along a first direction; a second plurality of electrically conductive shunts extending along a second direction non-parallel to the first direction; and a first plurality of thermoelectric (TE) elements comprising; a first TE element between and in electrical communication with a first shunt of the first plurality of shunts and a second shunt of the second plurality of shunts; a second TE element between and in electrical communication with the second shunt and a third shunt of the first plurality of shunts; and a third TE element between and in electrical communication with the third shunt and a fourth shunt of the second plurality of shunts, wherein current flows substantially parallel to the first direction through the first shunt, through the first TE element, substantially parallel to the second direction through the second shunt, through the second TE element, substantially parallel to the first direction through the third shunt, through the third TE element, and substantially parallel to the second direction through the fourth shunt. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A thermoelectric system comprising:
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a first heat transfer structure having a first portion and a second portion, the second portion configured to be in thermal communication with a first working medium; a second heat transfer structure having a first portion and a second portion, the second portion configured to be in thermal communication with a second working medium; a third heat transfer structure having a first portion and a second portion, the second portion configured to be in thermal communication with the first working medium; a first plurality of thermoelectric (TE) elements sandwiched between the first portion of the first heat transfer structure and the first portion of the second heat transfer structure; and a second plurality of TE elements sandwiched between the first portion of the second heat transfer structure and the first portion of the third heat transfer structure, so as to form a stack of TE elements and heat transfer structures, the second portion of the first heat transfer structure and the second portion of the third heat transfer structure projecting away from the stack in a first direction, the second portion of the second heat transfer structure projecting away from the stack in a second direction generally opposite to the first direction. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22-43. -43. (canceled)
Specification