Thermoelectric device and methods for manufacture and use
First Claim
1. A thermoelectric coupling comprising:
- a hot shoe;
a cold shoe extending about said hot shoe;
a plurality of heat conducting members located between said shoes, said members each contain a thermoelectric material and extend outwardly from said hot shoe to said cold shoe such that said plurality of heat conducting members are compressed between said hot shoe and said cold shoe in response to greater thermal expansion of said hot shoe relative to said cold shoe during operation of said thermoelectric coupling;
wherein said cold shoe includes a first portion and a second portion, each having a cylindrical shape, said first portion and said second portion of said cold shoe being aligned with one another and axially spaced to define an annular slot between said first portion of said cold shoe and said second portion of said cold shoe, and peripheries of said first and second portions of said cold shoe having a common diameter with said annular slot being axially located between and axially separating said first and second portions of said cold shoe, said annular slot being on a plane intersecting a centerline axis of said hot shoe; and
a first set of said heat conducting members being radially aligned with said first portion of said cold shoe, and a second set of said heat conducting members being radially aligned with said second portion of said cold shoe, and said annular slot also being axially located between and axially separating said first and second sets of said heat conducting members.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A thermoelectric device (20) and a method for manufacturing and using the same are disclosed. The thermoelectric device (20) includes a hot shoe (24) and a cold shoe (28) disposed about the hot shoe. A heat conducting member (32) formed of a thermoelectric material extends between the hot shoe (24) and the cold shoe (28) and generates electricity in response to a temperature difference therebetween. The hot shoe (24) is heated and expands at a greater rate than the cold shoe (28) does during operation. The structural and spatial relationship of the hot shoe (24) and the cold shoe (28) maintains the thermoelectric material of the heat conducting member (32) in compression during operation of the thermoelectric device (20).
16 Citations
28 Claims
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1. A thermoelectric coupling comprising:
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a hot shoe; a cold shoe extending about said hot shoe; a plurality of heat conducting members located between said shoes, said members each contain a thermoelectric material and extend outwardly from said hot shoe to said cold shoe such that said plurality of heat conducting members are compressed between said hot shoe and said cold shoe in response to greater thermal expansion of said hot shoe relative to said cold shoe during operation of said thermoelectric coupling; wherein said cold shoe includes a first portion and a second portion, each having a cylindrical shape, said first portion and said second portion of said cold shoe being aligned with one another and axially spaced to define an annular slot between said first portion of said cold shoe and said second portion of said cold shoe, and peripheries of said first and second portions of said cold shoe having a common diameter with said annular slot being axially located between and axially separating said first and second portions of said cold shoe, said annular slot being on a plane intersecting a centerline axis of said hot shoe; and a first set of said heat conducting members being radially aligned with said first portion of said cold shoe, and a second set of said heat conducting members being radially aligned with said second portion of said cold shoe, and said annular slot also being axially located between and axially separating said first and second sets of said heat conducting members. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A thermoelectric coupling comprising:
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a heat receiving structure disposed adjacent a heat source; a heat sink comprising radially projecting fins; a heat dissipating structure coupled to said heat sink; at least one heat conducting member extending radially between said heat receiving structure and said heat dissipating structure that thermally couples said heat receiving structure and heat dissipating structure, said at least one heat conducting member being a semi-conductor; said heat dissipating structure extending annularly about said heat receiving structure forming an annular cavity between said heat receiving structure and said heat dissipating structure wherein said at least one heat conducting member is disposed within said annular cavity and is radially compressed between said heat receiving structure and said heat dissipating structure in response to greater thermal expansion of said heat receiving structure relative to said heat dissipating structure; at least one compression member located circumferentially about said heat dissipating structure that applies additional radial compression to said at least one heat conducting member by compressing said heat dissipating structure radially inwardly toward said heat receiving structure; a slot being located between and axially separating portions of said heat dissipating structure; and an internal combustion engine-exhaust pipe located within and contacting said heat receiving structure. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A thermoelectric apparatus comprising multiple thermoelectric generators in contact with a heat source, each of said thermoelectric generators comprising:
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(a) a hot shoe disposed adjacent said heat source, said hot shoe comprising Titanium; (b) a cold shoe disposed adjacent a heat sink, said cold shoe comprising Titanium or Brass; (c) at least one semi-conductor extending between said hot shoe and said cold shoe that thermally couples said hot shoe and cold shoe, and that generates electricity in response to a temperature difference between said hot shoe and said cold shoe; (d) at least one metallic compression member located about an outer diameter of said cold shoe that applies compression to said at least one semi-conductor by compressing said cold shoe inwardly toward said hot shoe; (e) said cold shoe being located about said hot shoe such that expansion of said hot shoe during heating exceeds expansion of said cold shoe and compresses said at least one semi-conductor between said hot shoe and said cold shoe during operation of said thermoelectric device; (f) said at least one semi-conductor at least partially comprising skutterudite; (g) said hot shoe and said cold shoe being cylindrical and coaxial, and one of said shoes having a greater axial dimension than the other of said shoes for each of said thermoelectric generators; and (h) an electrical circuit wired in series with said multiple thermoelectric generators. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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Specification