Cryogenic thermoelectric generator
First Claim
1. A device for generating electric power, the device comprising at least one thermoelectric transducer having a cold side and a hot side, and a heat source and a cold source both selectively thermally coupled to said hot side and to said cold side, said cold source selectively inducing a temperature differential between said cold and hot sides of the thermoelectric transducer when said hot side is at a temperature of at least ambient, the thermoelectric transducer producing electric power in response to the temperature differential.
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Abstract
A cryogenic thermoelectric generator preferably includes a thermoelectric transducer and a cold source (i.e., anything having a below-ambient temperature) thermally coupled to the "cold side" of the transducer. The cold source preferably includes a vessel adapted for containing a cryogen (i.e., a substance having a temperature no greater than 0° C.). The vessel is operatively connected to the cold side of the thermoelectric transducer for thermally coupling a cryogen contained by the vessel to said cold side of the thermoelectric transducer, thereby inducing a temperature differential across the hot and cold sides of the thermoelectric transducer when the vessel contains a cryogen. The thermoelectric transducer produces electric power in response to the temperature differential. The thermoelectric transducer is preferably a semiconductor device, the cryogen is preferably a substantially pure liquid such as liquid nitrogen or liquid hydrogen, and the vessel is preferably a Dewar vessel.
69 Citations
41 Claims
- 1. A device for generating electric power, the device comprising at least one thermoelectric transducer having a cold side and a hot side, and a heat source and a cold source both selectively thermally coupled to said hot side and to said cold side, said cold source selectively inducing a temperature differential between said cold and hot sides of the thermoelectric transducer when said hot side is at a temperature of at least ambient, the thermoelectric transducer producing electric power in response to the temperature differential.
- 7. A device for generating electric power, the device comprising at least one thermoelectric transducer having a hot side and a cold side, a vessel containing a cryogen, the vessel being operatively connected to the thermoelectric transducer for thermally coupling the cryogen contained by the vessel to said cold side, and a dispenser operatively connected to said vessel for controlling the amount of cryogen thermally coupled to said cold side, whereby a temperature differential is induced across the hot and cold sides of the thermoelectric transducer and the thermoelectric transducer produces electric power in response to the induced temperature differential when the cryogen, is thermally coupled to said cold side and the hot side is at a temperature greater than zero degrees Celsius.
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18. A system comprising at least one thermoelectric transducer having a hot side and a cold side, a cold source thermally coupled to the cold side of the thermoelectric transducer for inducing a temperature differential between said hot and cold sides, the thermoelectric transducer producing an electric current in response to said temperature differential, and an electrical device powered by said electric current, the hot side of the thermoelectric transducer being thermally coupled to heat produced by said electrical device.
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24. A method for producing electric power with a thermoelectric transducer having at least a hot side and a cold side, the method comprising the step of:
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creating a temperature differential across said thermoelectric transducer by inducing a below-ambient temperature at the cold side of said thermoelectric transducer via a cold source comprising a cryogen, wherein at least some of said cryogen boils off into a gas; burning said gas to produce heat; and providing said heat to the hot side of said thermoelectric device. - View Dependent Claims (29, 31, 32)
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34. A device comprising:
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at least one thermoelectric transducer having a hot side and a cold side; a cryogen thermally coupled to the cold side of the thermoelectric transducer for inducing a temperature differential between the cold side and the hot side; and an electric motor energized with electric power produced by the thermoelectric transducer in response to the temperature differential. - View Dependent Claims (35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40)
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41. A method of producing electric power using a thermoelectric transducer having a hot side, and a cold side, the method comprising the steps of:
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dispensing a cryogen from a vessel; coupling the thermal energy of the dispensed cryogen to the cold side of the thermoelectric transducer to induce a temperature differential between the cold side and the hot side of the thermoelectric transducer, the thermoelectric transducer producing electric power in response to the temperature differential; and controlling the amount of said thermal energy that is coupled to the cold side to thereby control the temperature differential and the amount of electric power produced by the thermoelectric transducer.
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Specification