FULLY INTEGRATED THERMOELECTRIC DEVICES AND THEIR APPLICATION TO AEROSPACE DE-ICING SYSTEMS

• US 20170194545A1
• Filed: 11/07/2016
• Published: 07/06/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: L. Pierre De Rochemont
• Original Assignee: L. Pierre De Rochemont
• Inventors: de Rochemont, L. Pierre
• Granted Patent: US 10,593,855 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 15/12 by electric heating electric heating elements in general H05B
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 10/13 characterised by the heat-exchanging means at the junction
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 10/17 characterised by the structure or configuration of the cell or thermocouple forming the device
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 10/81 Structural details of the junction
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 10/852 comprising tellurium, selenium or sulfur
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 10/853 comprising arsenic, antimony or bismuth H10N10/852 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 10/855 comprising compounds containing boron, carbon, oxygen or nitrogen

Abstract

A thermoelectric module and methods for making and applying same provide an integrated, layered structure comprising first and second, thermally conductive, surface volumes, each in thermal communication with a separate respective first and second electrically conductive patterned trace layers, and an array of n-type and p-type semiconducting elements embedded in amorphous silica dielectric and electrically connected between the first and second patterned trace layers forming a thermoelectric circuit.

Claims

1. A thermoelectric module comprising:

an integrated, layered structure comprising;

first and second, thermally conductive, surface volumes, each in thermal communication with a separate respective first and second electrically conductive patterned trace layers; and

an array of n-type and p-type semiconducting elements embedded in amorphous silica dielectric and electrically connected between the first and second patterned trace layers forming a thermoelectric circuit.

2. The module of claim 1, wherein the amorphous silica dielectric includes distributed added crystalline compounds arranged to improve thermal insulation over that of pure amorphous silica.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the crystalline compounds include skutterudite crystals separated by atomic layers of alkali ions.

4. The module of claim 1, further comprising input and output ports providing external electrical connection to at least one of the first or second patterned trace layers.

5. The module of claim 1, wherein the n-type and p-type semiconductors are formed from materials selected from the group consisting of:

Skutterudites (AB3), complex Skutterudites (Z₂A₈B₁₃), elemental group IV semiconductor Si, Ge, alloyed group IV semiconductor consisting of Si, Ge, Sn, Bi, III-V compound semiconductor, II-VI compound semiconductor, IV-VI compound, metal oxide and mixed metal oxide semiconductor materials.

6. The module of claim 1, wherein the semiconducting elements have carrier concentrations in the range of 10¹⁷ to 10¹⁹ carriers-cm⁻

3.

7. The module of claim 1, further comprising ohmic contacts formed in the semiconductor elements having heavily doped layers in the range of 10¹⁹ to 10²¹ carriers-cm⁻

3, that electrically connect the semiconductor elements to the first and second patterned trace layers.

8. The module of claim 1, wherein the first and second surface volumes comprise a MAX-phase materials.

9. The module of claim 1, further comprising an insulating layer comprising an aluminum nitride MAX-phase material that electrically insulates the first and second surface volumes from their respective first and second patterned trace layers.

10. The module of claim 1, wherein the first or second surface volume forms a leading edge of an air-flow surface.

11. The module of claim 1, wherein the semiconducting elements have a polycrystalline microstructure wherein the size of polycrystalline grains is less than 100 nm.

12. The module of claim 1, wherein the polycrystalline grains form quantum dots comprising a semiconducting granular core with a chemically distinct grain boundary material.

13. An anti-icing or de-icing system, comprising a thermoelectric layer forming a leading edge of an aerodynamic surface.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the thermoelectric layer is pliable or conformal in its construction.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the thermoelectric layer is embedded in a carbon composite.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the thermoelectric layer includes area sections separated by parting strips, which parting strips are adapted to be powered separately from the area sections to reduce energy consumption for periods of time by just powering the parting strips rather than all or most of the thermoelectric layer.