| Patent application number | Description | Published |
|---|
| 20080202575 | METHODS FOR HIGH FIGURE-OF-MERIT IN NANOSTRUCTURED THERMOELECTRIC MATERIALS - Thermoelectric materials with high figures of merit, ZT values, are disclosed. In many instances, such materials include nano-sized domains (e.g., nanocrystalline), which are hypothesized to help increase the ZT value of the material (e.g., by increasing phonon scattering due to interfaces at grain boundaries or grain/inclusion boundaries). The ZT value of such materials can be greater than about 1, 1.2, 1.4, 1.5, 1.8, 2 and even higher. Such materials can be manufactured from a thermoelectric starting material by generating nanoparticles therefrom, or mechanically alloyed nanoparticles from elements which can be subsequently consolidated (e.g., via direct current induced hot press) into a new bulk material. Non-limiting examples of starting materials include bismuth, lead, and/or silicon-based materials, which can be alloyed, elemental, and/or doped. Various compositions and methods relating to aspects of nanostructured thermoelectric materials (e.g., modulation doping) are further disclosed. | 08-28-2008 |
| 20080264486 | Guided-wave photovoltaic devices - A photovoltaic device comprises: a first cladding material; a photosensitive material having an index of refraction larger than the first cladding material index of refraction, the photosensitive material disposed adjacent the first cladding material; and a second cladding material having an index of refraction smaller than the photosensitive material index of refraction, the photosensitive material disposed between the first cladding material and the second cladding material so as to form a waveguide for confining propagating photons; and first and second electrodes in electrical contact with the photosensitive material. | 10-30-2008 |
| 20090068465 | NANOCOMPOSITES WITH HIGH THERMOELECTRIC FIGURES OF MERIT - The present invention is generally directed to nanocomposite thermoelectric materials that exhibit enhanced thermoelectric properties. The nanocomposite materials include two or more components, with at least one of the components forming nano-sized structures within the composite material. The components are chosen such that thermal conductivity of the composite is decreased without substantially diminishing the composite's electrical conductivity. Suitable component materials exhibit similar electronic band structures. For example, a band-edge gap between at least one of a conduction band or a valence band of one component material and a corresponding band of the other component material at interfaces between the components can be less than about 5k | 03-12-2009 |
| 20090260667 | Solar Thermoelectric Conversion - Systems and methods utilizing solar-electrical generators are discussed. Solar-electrical generators are disclosed having a radiation-capture structure and one or more thermoelectric converters. Heat produced in a capture structure via impingement of solar radiation can maintain a portion of a thermoelectric converter at a high temperature, while the use of a low temperature at another portion allows electricity generation. Thus, unlike photovoltaic cells which are generally primarily concerned with optical radiation management, solar thermoelectrics converters are generally concerned with a variety of mechanisms for heat management. Generators can include any number of features including selective radiation surfaces, low emissivity surfaces, flat panel configurations, evacuated environments, and other concepts that can act to provide thermal concentration. Designs utilizing one or more optical concentrators are also disclosed. | 10-22-2009 |
| 20100186794 | SOLAR THERMOELECTRIC AND THERMAL COGENERATION - An energy generation method includes receiving solar radiation at a solar absorber, providing heat from the solar absorber to a hot side of a set of thermoelectric converters, generating electricity from the set of thermoelectric converters, and providing heat from a cold side of the set of thermoelectric converters to a fluid being provided into a solar fluid heating system or a solar thermal to electrical conversion plant. A system for carrying out the method includes at least one thermoelectric device and a solar fluid heating system or a solar thermal to electrical conversion plant | 07-29-2010 |
| 20100301258 | POLYMER SHEETS AND OTHER BODIES HAVING ORIENTED CHAINS AND METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING SAME - that are made up of oriented polymer chains are provided. Chains of polymer may be oriented or substantially aligned in one or more directions exhibiting enhanced thermal conductivity along the direction of orientation. Orientation of polymers within sheets may lead to a wide range of thermally relevant applications. | 12-02-2010 |
| 20110108481 | Water Desalination Using Directional Solvent Extraction - Substantially pure water is produced via desalination using a directional solvent that directionally dissolves water but does not dissolve salt. The directional solvent is heated to dissolve water from the salt solution into the directional solvent. The remaining highly concentrated salt water is removed, and the solution of directional solvent and water is cooled to precipitate substantially pure water out of the solution. | 05-12-2011 |
| 20110108778 | THERMOELECTRIC SKUTTERUDITE COMPOSITIONS AND METHODS FOR PRODUCING THE SAME - Compositions related to skutterudite-based thermoelectric materials are disclosed. Such compositions can result in materials that have enhanced ZT values relative to one or more bulk materials from which the compositions are derived. Thermo-electric materials such as n-type and p-type skutterudites with high thermoelectric figures-of-merit can include materials with filler atoms and/or materials formed by compacting particles (e.g., nanoparticles) into a material with a plurality of grains each having a portion having a skutterudite-based structure. Methods of forming thermoelectric skutterudites, which can include the use of hot press processes to consolidate particles, are also disclosed. The particles to be consolidated can be derived from (e.g., grinded from), skutterudite-based bulk materials, elemental materials, other non-Skutterudite-based materials, or combinations of such materials. | 05-12-2011 |
| 20110140033 | GRAPHITE MICROFLUIDS - Fluids comprising graphite particles and related methods are generally described. In some embodiments, “microfluids” are described. Generally, the microfluids can comprise a fluid and a plurality of graphite particles with microscale dimensions. | 06-16-2011 |
