Thermoelectric voltage generator

• US 4,095,998 A
• Filed: 09/30/1976
• Issued: 06/20/1978
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/1976
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: The United States Of America As Represented By The Secretary Of The Army
• Original Assignee: The United States Of America As Represented By The Secretary Of The Army
• Inventors: Hanson, Charles M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wilbur, Maynard R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Berger, Richard E.
• Application Number:
  US05/728,379
• Time in Patent Office: 628 Days
• Field of Search: 136/208, 136/205, 136/218
• US Class Current: 136/208
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 10/852 comprising tellurium, selenium or sulfur

Abstract

A thermoelectric voltage generator utilizing heat from a vehicle exhaust torovide a differential temperature through a plurality of thermoelectric elements comprised of serially connected alternate N- and P-type semiconductors having alternate electrical contacts between adjacent elements at a hot side and at a cold side to produce electrical energy in accordance with the Seebeck effect and in which the electrical energy is applied to an external device by way of connections at opposite ends of said plurality of thermoelectric elements.

Claims

1. A vehicle hot exhaust thermoelectric voltage generator utilizing hot exhaust pipe gases from an internal combustion engine for providing electrical energy, said generator comprising in combination:

an exhaust pipe having a plurality of inner fin heat collectors on the interior thereof;

an inner layer of insulation around the exterior of said exhaust pipe at least surrounding said plurality of heat collectors, said inner layer of insulation being electrically insulative and heat conductive;

a plurality of inner electrical contacts contiguous with said inner layer of insualtion;

a plurality of thermoelectric elements comprised of alternate N- and P-type semiconductors having air spaces therebetween;

a plurality of outer electrical contacts;

an outer layer of insulation contiguous with and surrounding said plurality of outer electrical contacts, said outer layer of insulation being electrically insulative and heat conductive, wherein said plurality of inner electrical contacts connected across alternate air spaces to said N- and P-type semiconductors to form hot thermojunctions at the interface of said plurality of inner electrical contacts and said plurality of N- and P-type semiconductors and wherein said plurality of outer electrical contacts connected across alternate air spaces to said N- and P-type semiconductors to form cold thermojunctions at the interface of said plurality of outer electrical contacts whereby said plurality of N- and P-type semiconductors are electrically in series;

a heat sink contiguous with said outer layer of insulation; and

electrical connections connected to opposite ends of the serially connected plurality of thermoelectric elements for providing an electrical energy source to an external device by the Seebeck effect across the serially connected plurality of thermoelectric elements.

2. A thermoelectric voltage generator as set forth in claim 1 wherein said plurality of inner fin heat collectors are extruded fins along the interior wall of the exhaust pipe.

3. A thermoelectric voltage generator as set forth in claim 1 wherein said plurality of inner fin heat collectors are fins extruded in an aluminum tube which is inserted as a section of said exhaust pipe.

4. A thermoelectric voltage generator as set forth in claim 3 wherein said plurality of inner electrical contacts and said plurality of outer electrical contacts are made of copper that is pretinned with a relatively low temperature solder.

5. A thermoelectric voltage generator as set forth in claim 4 wherein said inner and outer layers of insulation and said plurality of inner and outer electrical contacts are about 0.01 inch thick.

6. A thermoelectric voltage generator as set forth in claim 5 wherein said N-type semiconductor is made of a combination of 95% Bi₂ Te₃ and 5% Bi₂ Se₃ and excess of SbI₃ and wherein said P-type semiconductor is made of a combination of 75% Sb₂ Te₃ and 25% Bi₂ Te₃ and excess Te.

7. A thermoelectric voltage generator as set forth in claim 6 wherein said heat sink is comprised of a composite unit thermal conductor having cooling fins cut thereon.