Integral thermoelectric generator for wireless devices

• US 9,755,129 B2
• Filed: 08/15/2014
• Issued: 09/05/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rosemount Incorporated (Emerson Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: Rosemount Incorporated (Emerson Electric Company)
• Inventors: Strei, David Matthew, Orth, Kelly Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Ayad, Tamir
• Application Number:
  US14/460,927
• Publication Number:
  US 20140352749A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,117 Days
• Field of Search: 136201, 136205
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 15/0241 the tubes being flexible
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 15/0275 Arrangements for coupling heat-pipes together or with other structures, e.g. with base blocks; Heat pipe cores
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 10/13 characterised by the heat-exchanging means at the junction

Abstract

Electrical power is produced by a first process component, a first heat pipe formed in part by a first cavity within the first process component, and a thermoelectric generator assembly. The thermoelectric generator assembly is thermally coupled on one side to a heat sink and on the other side to the first heat pipe. The first process component is in direct contact with a first process fluid and the first cavity is proximate the first process fluid. The thermoelectric generator assembly produces electrical power.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a first process component having a transducer and configured to penetrate or replace a section of a vessel wall so as to directly contact a first process fluid, the first process component having a barrier wall configured to physically isolate the transducer from the first process fluid, the first process component having a first cavity located within the barrier wall of the first process component that contacts the first process fluid so that heat from the first process fluid is transferred through a portion of the barrier wall to the first cavity;

a first heat pipe formed in part by the first cavity, the first heat pipe comprising a sealed cavity containing a first working fluid; and

a thermoelectric generator assembly;

wherein the first heat pipe has a first end located within the barrier wall and positioned to transfer heat from the first process fluid to the first working fluid and has a second end thermally coupled to a first side of the thermoelectric generator assembly to transfer heat from the first working fluid to the first side of the thermoelectric generator assembly;

wherein a heat sink is thermally coupled to a second side of the thermoelectric generator assembly; and

wherein the thermoelectric generator assembly produces electrical power.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first process component is one of a pipe flange, an orifice plate flange, an orifice plate, a thermowell, an averaging pitot tube, a stream trap, a flow tube, a flow straightening element, a control valve, a shut-off valve, a pressure relief valve, a pressure manifold, a valve manifold, a pump housing, a filter housing, a pressure sensor remote seal, a level switch, a contacting radar level gauge, a vortex flow meter, a coriolis meter, a magnetic flow meter, a turbine meter, and a flow restrictor.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the heat sink is at least one of ambient air, water, a second process fluid, earth, a building, and an earthen berm.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first working fluid comprises at least one of water, ammonia, methanol, and ethanol.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first heat pipe is further formed in part by a flexible tube.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first heat pipe further comprises a wicking device.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the wicking device is comprised of at least one of a sintered ceramic, metal mesh, metal felt, metal foam, and grooves on the interior surface of the heat pipe.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a heat transfer device; and

the thermoelectric generator assembly comprises;

a first heat spreader; and

a thermoelectric element, wherein the first heat spreader is attached to a first side of the thermoelectric element to thermally couple the first side of the thermoelectric generator assembly to the first heat pipe; and

wherein the heat transfer device thermally couples the heat sink to the second side of the thermoelectric generator assembly.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, further comprising thermal insulation between at least a portion of the first process component and the heat transfer device.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the heat transfer device comprises at least one of a pin-fin heat exchanger and a finned heat exchanger.

11. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein:

the thermoelectric generator assembly further comprises a second heat spreader;

the heat transfer device comprises a second heat pipe; and

the second heat spreader is attached to a second side of the thermoelectric element to thermally couple the second side of the thermoelectric generator assembly to the second heat pipe.

12. A system comprising:

a wireless field device network;

a wireless device in wireless communication with the wireless field device network; and

a first process component having a transducer and configured to penetrate or replace a section of a vessel wall so as to directly contact a first process fluid, the first process component having a barrier wall configured to physically isolate the transducer from the first process fluid, the first process component having a first cavity located within the barrier wall of the first process component that contacts the first process fluid so that heat from the first process fluid is transferred through a portion of the barrier wall to the first cavity;

a first heat pipe formed in part by the first cavity, the first heat pipe comprising a sealed cavity containing a first working fluid; and

a thermoelectric generator assembly, wherein the first heat pipe has a first end located within the barrier wall and positioned to transfer heat from the first process fluid to the first working fluid and has a second end thermally coupled to a first side of the thermoelectric generator assembly to transfer heat from the first working fluid to the first side of the thermoelectric generator assembly, and wherein a heat sink is thermally coupled to a second side of the thermoelectric generator assembly;

wherein the thermoelectric generator assembly provides electrical power to the wireless device.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the process component is one of a pipe flange, an orifice plate flange, an orifice plate, a thermowell, an averaging pitot tube, a stream trap, a flow tube, a flow straightening element, a control valve, a shut-off valve, a pressure relief valve, a pressure manifold, a valve manifold, a pump housing, a filter housing, a pressure sensor remote seal, a level switch, a contacting radar level gauge, a vortex flow meter, a coriolis meter, a magnetic flow meter, a turbine meter, and a flow restrictor.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the first heat pipe further comprises a wicking device.

15. The system of claim 12, further comprising:

a heat transfer device; and

the thermoelectric generator assembly comprises;

a first heat spreader, and

a thermoelectric element,

wherein the first heat spreader is attached to a first side of the thermoelectric element to thermally couple the first side of the thermoelectric generator assembly to the first heat pipe; and

wherein the heat transfer device thermally couples the heat sink to the second side of the thermoelectric generator assembly.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, further comprising thermal insulation between at least a portion of the first process component and the heat sink.