Energy harvesting devices
First Claim
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1. An energy harvesting device on an aircraft, comprising:
- an aircraft crease beam, said crease beam comprising a base mounted in a wall interior between an interior cabin wall portion and an exterior aircraft skin portion, said base in thermally conductive contact with an interior surface of said exterior aircraft skin portion, and a flange extending from said base into said wall interior;
a thermoelectric element having a first side disposed in thermally-conductive contact with said flange; and
a heat exchanger disposed in thermally-conductive contact with a second side of said thermoelectric element, said heat exchanger adapted to exchange heat with aircraft cabin air when it flows into said wall interior.
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Abstract
Energy harvesting devices, wherein one illustrative embodiment includes a crease beam, a thermoelectric element disposed in thermally-conductive contact with the crease beam and a heat exchanger disposed in thermally-conductive contact with the thermoelectric element. An energy harvesting system and a method of harvesting electrical power are also disclosed.
28 Citations
20 Claims
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1. An energy harvesting device on an aircraft, comprising:
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an aircraft crease beam, said crease beam comprising a base mounted in a wall interior between an interior cabin wall portion and an exterior aircraft skin portion, said base in thermally conductive contact with an interior surface of said exterior aircraft skin portion, and a flange extending from said base into said wall interior; a thermoelectric element having a first side disposed in thermally-conductive contact with said flange; and a heat exchanger disposed in thermally-conductive contact with a second side of said thermoelectric element, said heat exchanger adapted to exchange heat with aircraft cabin air when it flows into said wall interior. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. An energy harvesting system on an aircraft, comprising:
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an aircraft wall having an interior cabin wall portion, an exterior aircraft skin portion spaced-apart with respect to said interior cabin wall portion and a wall interior between said interior cabin wall portion and said exterior aircraft skin portion; a return air vent provided in said interior cabin wall portion; an aircraft crease beam, said crease beam comprising a base mounted in said wall interior in thermally conductive contact with an interior surface of said exterior aircraft skin portion and a flange extending from said base into said wall interior towards said return air vent; a thermoelectric element having a first side disposed in thermally-conductive contact with said flange; and a heat exchanger disposed in thermally-conductive contact with a second side of said thermoelectric element, said heat exchanger in pneumatic communication with said return air vent and adapted to exchange heat with aircraft cabin air when it flows through said return air vent and into said wall interior. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A method of harvesting electrical power on an aircraft, comprising:
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providing an aircraft wall having an interior cabin wall portion, an exterior aircraft skin portion spaced-apart with respect to said interior cabin wall portion, a wall interior between said interior cabin wall portion and said exterior aircraft skin portion and at least one return air vent provided in said interior cabin wall portion; providing a heat exchanger in pneumatic communication with said at least one return air vent; providing a thermoelectric element having a second side in thermally-conductive contact with said heat exchanger; providing an aircraft crease beam in thermally-conductive contact with a first side of said thermoelectric element and said exterior aircraft skin portion of said aircraft wall, said crease beam comprising a base mounted in said wall interior in thermally conductive contact with an interior surface of said exterior aircraft skin portion and a flange extending from said base into said wall interior towards said return air vent; flowing aircraft cabin air through the return air vent and into the wall interior; exchanging heat from the aircraft cabin air through the heat exchanger to the second side of the thermoelectric element; conducting heat from the first side of the thermoelectric element through the crease beam to the exterior aircraft skin portion; and generating electrical power from the thermoelectric element. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20)
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Specification