THERMOELECTRIC POWER GENERATOR WITH INTERMEDIATE LOOP

• US 20100095996A1
• Filed: 10/14/2009
• Published: 04/22/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gentherm Incorporated
• Original Assignee: BSST LLC (Gentherm Incorporated)
• Inventors: BELL, LON E., Crane, Douglas Todd
• Granted Patent: US 8,445,772 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 136/201
• CPC Class Codes: F01P 2011/205 using heat-accumulators
• CPC Class Codes: F01P 9/06 by use of refrigerating apparatus, e.g. of compressor or absorber type
• CPC Class Codes: F02G 2260/00 Recuperating heat from exhaust gases of combustion engines and heat from cooling circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 10/13 characterised by the heat-exchanging means at the junction
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 20/14 Combined heat and power generation [CHP]

Abstract

A thermoelectric power generator is disclosed for use to generate electrical power from heat, typically waste heat. An intermediate heat transfer loop forms a part of the system to permit added control and adjustability in the system. This allows the thermoelectric power generator to more effectively and efficiently generate power in the face of dynamically varying temperatures and heat flux conditions, such as where the heat source is the exhaust of an automobile, or any other heat source with dynamic temperature and heat flux conditions.

Claims

1-11. -11. (canceled)

12. A thermoelectric power generation system comprising:

a thermoelectric generator having thermoelectrics with at least one cold side and at least one hot side, the TE generator configured to generate electrical power when a temperature gradient is present between the at least one cold side and the at least one hot side;

a first working fluid in thermal communication with at least one heat source;

a second working fluid separate from the first working fluid, the second working fluid in thermal communication with the at least one hot side, and in thermal communication with the first working fluid of such that heat is transferred from the first working fluid to the second working fluid; and

a flow control system adapted to control the flow of the second working fluid in response to changes in heat originating from the at least one heat source.

13. The thermoelectric power generation system of claim 12, wherein the first working fluid flows through the at least one heat source.

14. The thermoelectric power generation system of claim 12, further comprising a thermal storage.

15. The thermoelectric power generation system of claim 12, further comprising a heat exchanger in thermal communication with the first working fluid and in thermal communication with the second working fluid, and further comprising a heat exchanger bypass controllable via the controller, to cause some or all of the heat from the at least one heat source to bypass the heat exchanger.

16. The thermoelectric power generation system of claim 12, wherein the flow control system comprises a controller and one or more flow control devices operatively coupled to the controller, wherein the one or more flow control devices modify the flow of the second working fluid in response to signals from the controller.

17. A thermoelectric power generation system comprising:

a thermoelectric generator having thermoelectrics with at least one cold side and at least one hot side configured to generate electrical power when a temperature gradient is present across the at least one cold side and the at least one hot side;

a first working fluid in thermal communication with at least one heat source;

a second working fluid in thermal communication with the at least one cold side, the first working fluid and the second working fluid separate from one another, wherein heat is transferred from the second working fluid to the first working fluid; and

a controller in communication with flow control devices adapted to control the flow of the second working fluid in response to changes in operating conditions for the thermoelectrics.

18. The thermoelectric power generation system of claim 17, wherein the first working fluid flows through the at least one heat source.

19. The thermoelectric power generation system of claim 17, wherein the at least one heat source comprises an engine having a coolant system.

20. The thermoelectric power generation system of claim 19, wherein the second working fluid can be selectively placed in thermal communication with the coolant system of the engine, such that during engine warm-up, heat transferred from the thermoelectrics to the second working fluid is further transferred to the cooling system for the engine, thereby decreasing warm-up time for the engine.

21. The thermoelectric power generation system of claim 17, further comprising a heat exchanger in thermal communication with the first working fluid and in thermal communication with the second working fluid, and further comprising a heat exchanger bypass controllable via the controller, to cause some or all of the heat from the at least one heat source to bypass the heat exchanger.

22. The thermoelectric power generation system of claim 17, wherein the flow control system comprises a controller and one or more flow control devices operatively coupled to the controller, wherein the one or more flow control devices modify the flow of the second working fluid in response to signals from the controller.

23. A method of generating power from waste heat using a thermoelectric generator having thermoelectrics with at least one cold side and at least one hot side configured to generate electrical power when a temperature gradient is present across the at least one cold side and the at least one hot side, the method comprising:

transferring heat between a first working fluid and a second working fluid separate from the first working fluid, the first working fluid in thermal communication with at least one heat source, wherein the second working fluid is in thermal communication with either the at least one cold side wherein heat is transferred from the second working fluid to the first working fluid or the at least one hot side wherein heat is transferred from the first working fluid to the second working fluid; and

controlling the flow of the second working fluid in response to changes in operating conditions of the at least one heat source.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the first working fluid flows through the at least one heat source.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein the at least one heat source comprises an engine having a coolant system.

26. The method of claim 25, further comprising, during engine warm-up, transferring heat from the thermoelectrics to the second working fluid;

and transferring heat from the second working fluid to the cooling system for the engine, thereby decreasing warm-up time for the engine.

27. The method of claim 23, further comprising controlling the flow of heat from the at least one heat source to the second working fluid based on changing heat flux of the at least one heat source and the capacity of the thermoelectric generator.

28. The method of claim 23, further comprising storing thermal energy.

29. The method of claim 23, further comprising transferring heat from the first working fluid to a heat exchanger;

transferring heat from the heat exchanger to the second working fluid; and

controlling a heat exchanger bypass to cause some or all of the heat from the at least one heat source to bypass the heat exchanger.