Thermoelectric energy recovery from a brake system

• US 10,107,343 B2
• Filed: 01/22/2015
• Issued: 10/23/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 01/22/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Robert, Brian Joseph, Snyder, Kent
• Primary Examiner(s): Burch, Melody M
• Application Number:
  US14/602,393
• Publication Number:
  US 20160215833A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,370 Days
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 55/225 the braking members being brake pads
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 61/00 Brakes with means for making the energy absorbed available for use F16D57/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 10/17 characterised by the structure or configuration of the cell or thermocouple forming the device

Abstract

An exemplary brake assembly includes a brake pad, an actuator that selectively moves the brake pad to contact a rotor, and a thermoelectric generator device housed outside the brake pad. The thermoelectric generator device generates power in response to a temperature difference within the brake assembly.

Claims

1. A brake assembly, comprising:

a brake pad;

an actuator that selectively moves the brake pad to contact a rotor; and

a thermoelectric generator device housed within a cavity of the actuator, the thermoelectric generator device generating power in response to a temperature difference within the brake assembly.

2. The brake assembly of claim 1, wherein the actuator is a caliper.

3. The brake assembly of claim 1, wherein the brake pad comprises a pad body secured to a pad backing plate.

4. The brake assembly of claim 1, wherein the thermoelectric generator device comprises an integrated thermoelectric array.

5. The vehicle of claim 1, further comprising a tire pressure monitoring system at least partially powered by power from the thermoelectric generator device.

14. The brake assembly of claim 1, further comprising a cover that encloses the thermoelectric generator device within the cavity.

15. The brake assembly of claim 14, wherein the actuator includes a floor, sidewalls, and a groove to provide the cavity, wherein the cover is situated within the groove to enclose the thermoelectric generator device such that an outwardly facing surface of the actuator and an outwardly facing surface of the cover together provide a relatively smooth and uninterrupted outwardly facing surface.

16. The brake assembly of claim 14, wherein the cover provides access holes to permit leads to extend from outside the cavity to inside the cavity to connect with the thermoelectric generator device.

17. The brake assembly of claim 14, further comprising a heat sink structure portion of the cover, the heat sink structure including a plurality of extensions extending away from the cavity when the cover encloses the thermoelectric generator device within the cavity.

6. A brake assembly, comprising:

a brake pad;

an actuator that selectively moves the brake pad to contact a rotor; and

a thermoelectric generator device that generates power in response to a temperature difference between a first area and a second area, the thermoelectric generator device housed outside of the brake pad within an enclosed cavity.

7. The brake assembly of claim 6, wherein the first area is an area of the actuator, and the second area includes a cover secured to the actuator to enclose the thermoelectric generator device within the enclosed cavity.

8. The brake assembly of claim 6, wherein the first area is an area of the actuator, and the second area includes a fluid.

18. The brake assembly of claim 6, further comprising a cover securable to the actuator to enclose the thermoelectric generator device within the enclosed cavity, the cover including a heat seat structure with a plurality of protrusions that extend away from the enclosed cavity when the cover is secured to the actuator.

19. The brake assembly of claim 6, further comprising a cover securable to the actuator to enclose the thermoelectric generator device within the enclosed cavity, the cover configured to fit within a groove provided by the actuator such that the outwardly facing surface of the cover and the outwardly facing surface of the actuator provide a relatively smooth and uninterrupted surface.

9. A power generating method, comprising:

selectively moving a brake pad against a rotor using an actuator; and

generating power using a thermoelectric generator device housed within an enclosed cavity of the actuator and spaced from the brake pad.

10. The method of claim 9, powering a tire pressure monitoring system with the power.

11. The method of claim 9, charging a battery of a vehicle with the power.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the actuator is a caliper, the thermoelectric generator device generates power using a temperature difference between a first, relatively hot portion of the caliper and a second, relatively cold portion of the caliper, wherein the second, relatively cold portion includes a cover that encloses the thermoelectric generator device within the cavity.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the thermoelectric generator device generates power using a temperature difference between a portion of the actuator and a brake fluid.