High power density thermoelectric systems

• US 6,959,555 B2
• Filed: 08/18/2003
• Issued: 11/01/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/09/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Gentherm Incorporated
• Original Assignee: BSST LLC (Gentherm Incorporated)
• Inventors: Bell, Lon E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Jones, Melvin
• Application Number:
  US10/642,773
• Publication Number:
  US 20040076214A1
• Time in Patent Office: 806 Days
• Field of Search: 62/32, 62/33, 62/37, 622/592, 165/80.3, 165/80.4
• US Class Current: 62/3.7
• CPC Class Codes: F02G 1/043 the engine being operated by expansion and contraction of a mass of working gas which is heated and cooled in one of a plurality of constantly communicating expansible chambers, e.g. Stirling cycle type engines
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 21/02 using Peltier effect; using Nernst-Ettinghausen effect
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 21/04 reversible
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2321/021 Control thereof
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 33/00 Boilers; Analysers; Rectifiers boiler-absorbers F25B35/00
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 10/00 Thermoelectric devices comprising a junction of dissimilar materials, i.e. devices exhibiting Seebeck or Peltier effects integrated devices or assemblies of multiple devices H10N19/00
• 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

Abstract

A number of compact, high-efficiency and high-power density thermoelectric systems utilizing the advantages of thermal isolation are described. Such configurations exhibit high system efficiency and power density. Some configurations exhibit a substantial reduction in the amount of thermoelectric material required.

Claims

1. A thermoelectric system comprising:

a plurality of thermoelectric modules; and

a plurality of first and second heat transfer devices, at least some of the first heat transfer devices sandwiched between at least two thermoelectric modules, and at least some of the second heat transfer devices sandwiched between at least two thermoelectric modules, so as to form at least one stack of thermoelectric modules with alternating first and second heat transfer devices, wherein at least some of the first heat transfer devices and at least some of the second heat transfer devices project away from the at least one stack in differing direction, and wherein at least some of the first or second heat transfer devices are arranged to provide thermal isolation in the direction of a working medium movement.

2. The thermoelectric system of claim 1, further comprising a current source electrically coupled to the stack, the current traversing at least some of the heat transfer devices and thermoelectric modules in series.

3. The thermoelectric system of claim 1, wherein the heat transfer devices thermally isolate at least some of the thermoelectric modules from at least some other of the thermoelectric modules.

4. The thermoelectric system of claim 1, wherein the working medium comprises a working fluid.

5. The thermoelectric system of claim 1, wherein at least some of the heat transfer device are heat exchangers having a plurality of heat exchanger elements.

6. The thermoelectric system of claim 1, wherein at least some of the first heat transfer devices are constructed of an electrode portion electrically isolated from and thermally coupled to a shunt portion.

7. The theremoelectric system of claim 1, wherein at least some of the thermoelectric modules comprise thermoelectric elements.

8. The thermoelectric system of claim 7, wherein the thermoelectric elements comprise alternating P-type and N-type thermoelectric elements.

9. The theremoelectric system of claim 1, wherein the direction of working medium movement is from a first stack to a second stack.

10. The thermoelectric system of claim 1, wherein the direction of working medium movement is generally in the direction of the at least one stack.

11. A thermoelectric system comprising:

a plurality of the electric modules; and

a plurality of first heat transfer devices and a plurality of second heat transfer devices, at least some of the first heat transfer devices sandwiched between at least two thermoelectric modules, and at least some of the second heat transfer devices sandwiched between at least two thermoelectric modules, so as to form at least one stack of thermoelectric modules with alternating first and second heat transfer devices, wherein at least some of the first heat transfer devices and at least some of the second heat transfer devices project away from the at least one stack and wherein at least the first or second heat transfer devices accept at least one medium, the medium being a liquid and/or a solid.

12. The theremoelectric system of claim 11, wherein at least some of the first heat transfer devices and at least some of the second heat transfer devices project away from the at least one stack in differing directions.

13. The thermoelectric system of claim 11, wherein at least some of the first heat transfer devices accept a first medium and at least some of the second heat transfer devices accept a second medium, the first medium being a liquid and/or a solid, and the second medium selected from group consisting of a liquid, a solid, a gas or any combination of a liquid, a solid and a gas.

14. The thermoelectric system of claim 11, wherein the first medium is liquid and the second medium is a gas.

15. The thermoelectric system of claim 11, wherein the at least one medium moves, and least some of the first or second heat transfer devices are arranged to provide thermal isolation in the direction of the at least one medium movement.

16. The thermoelectric system of claim 11, further comprising a current source electrically coupled to the stack, the current flowing through the heat transfer devices and thermoelectric modules.

17. The thermoelectric system of claim 11, wherein at least some of the first thermoelectric modules comprise P-type thermoelectric elements and at least some of the second thermoelectric modules comprise N-type thermoelectric elements, and wherein the heat transfer device thermally isolate at least some of the P-type thermoelectric elements from at least some of the N-type thermoelectric elements.

18. The thermoelectric system of claim 11, wherein the at least one medium is a moving working medium.

19. The thermoelectric system of claim 11, wherein the at least one heat transfer devices are heat exchangers having heat exchanger elements.

20. The thermoelectric system of claim 11, wherein at least some of the first heat transfer devices are constructed of an electrode portion electrically isolated from and thermally coupled to a shunt portion.

21. A thermoelectric system comprising:

a plurality of thermoelectric modules, wherein at least some of the thermoelectric modules are sized to provide high power density operation; and

a plurality of first heat transfer devices and a plurality of second heat transfer devices, at least some of the first heat transfer devices sandwiched between at least two of the thermoelectric modules, and at least some of the second heat transfer devices sandwiched between at least two of the thermoelectric modules, so as to form a stacked configuration of thermoelectric modules with alternating first and second heat transfer devices, wherein at least some of the plurality of thermoelectric modules are N-type thermoelectric elements and at least some of the thermoelectric modules are P-type thermoelectric elements, wherein at least some of the N-type and or P-type thermoelectric elements are between 5 microns and 1.2 millimeters thick with relatively large ratio of area to the length in the direction of current flow of the thermoelectric elements.

22. The theremoelectric system of claim 21, wherein the ratio is about 6 to 1.

23. The thermoelectric system of claim 21, wherein at least some of the N-Type and or P-type thermoelectric elements are between 20 microns and 300 microns thick.

24. The thermoelectric system of claim 21, wherein at least some of the N-Type and or P-type thermoelectric elements are between 20 microns and 200 microns thick.

25. The thermoelectric system of claim 21, wherein at least some of the N-Type and or P-type thermoelectric elements are between 20 microns and 100 microns thick.

26. The thermoelectric system of claim 21, wherein at least some of the N-Type and or P-type thermoelectric elements are between 100 microns and 600 microns thick.

27. A thermoelectric system comprising:

a plurality of the thermoelectric modules, wherein at least some of the thermoelectric modules are sized to provide high power density operation; and

a plurality of first heat transfer devices and a plurality of second heat transfer devices, at least some of the first heat transfer devices sandwiched between at least two of the thermoelectric modules, and at least some of the second heat transfer devices sandwiched between at least two of the thermoelectric modules, so as to form a stacked configuration of thermoelectric modules with alternating first and second heat transfer devices, wherein at least some of the first or second heat transfer devices are arranged to provide thermal isolation in the direction of a working medium flow.

28. A thermoelectric system comprising:

a plurality of thermoelectric modules, wherein at least some of the thermoelectric modules are sized to provide high power density operation;

a plurality of first heat transfer devices and a plurality of second heat transfer devices, at least some of the first heat transfer devices sandwiched between at least two of the thermoelectric modules, and at least some of the second heat transfer devices sandwiched between at least two of the thermoelectric modules, so as to form a stacked configuration of thermoelectric modules with alternating first and second heat transfer devices; and

a current source electrically coupled to the stack, the current traversing through the heat transfer devices and thermoelectric modules in series.

29. A thermoelectric system comprising:

a plurality of the thermoelectric modules, wherein at least some of the thermoelectric modules are sized to provide high power density operation; and

a plurality of first heat transfer devices and a plurality of second heat transfer devices, at least some of the first heat transfer devices sandwiched between at least two of the thermoelectric modules, and at least some of the second heat transfer devices sandwiched between at least two of the thermoelectric modules, so as to form a stacked configuration of thermoelectric modules with alternating first and second heat transfer devices, wherein at least some of the plurality of thermoelectric modules are N-type thermoelectric elements and at least some of the thermoelectric modules are P-type thermoelectric elements, wherein the heat transfer devices thermally isolate a least some of the P-type thermoelectric elements from at least some of the N-type thermoelectric elements.

30. A thermoelectric system comprising:

a plurality of thermoelectric modules, wherein at least some of the thermoelectric modules are sized to provide high power density operation; and

a plurality of first heat transfer devices and a plurality of second heat transfer devices, at least some of the first heat transfer devices sandwiched between at least two of the thermoelectric modules, and at least some of the second heat transfer devices sandwiched between at least two of the thermoelectric modules, so as to form a stacked configuration of thermoelectric modules with alternating first and second heat transfer devices, wherein at least some of the first heat transfer devices are constructed of an electrode portion electrically isolated from and thermally coupled to a shunt portion.