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 |
20120160290 | THERMOELECTRIC SYSTEM AND METHOD OF OPERATING SAME - An apparatus includes an evacuated enclosure which comprises a tubular member extending along a longitudinal axis, a radiation absorber disposed in the enclosure and having a front surface and a back surface, the front surface being adapted for exposure to solar radiation so as to generate heat, at least one thermoelectric converter disposed in the enclosure and thermally coupled to the absorber, the converter having a high-temperature end to receive at least a portion of the generated heat, such that a temperature differential is achieved across the at least one thermoelectric converter, a support structure disposed in the enclosure coupled to a low-temperature end of the thermoelectric converter, where the support structure removes heat from a low-temperature end of the thermoelectric converter, and a heat conducting element extending between the support structure and the evacuated enclosure and adapted to transfer heat from the support structure to the enclosure. The absorber, the at least one thermoelectric converter, and the support structure are arranged as a planar unit located within the tubular member. | 06-28-2012 |
20120326097 | Half-Heusler Alloys with Enhanced Figure of Merit and Methods of Making - Thermoelectric materials and methods of making thermoelectric materials having a nanometer mean grain size less than 1 micron. The method includes combining and arc melting constituent elements of the thermoelectric material to form a liquid alloy of the thermoelectric material and casting the liquid alloy of the thermoelectric material to form a solid casting of the thermoelectric material. The method also includes ball milling the solid casting of the thermoelectric material into nanometer mean size particles and sintering the nanometer size particles to form the thermoelectric material having nanometer scale mean grain size. | 12-27-2012 |
20130175484 | Half-Heusler Alloys with Enhanced Figure of Merit and Methods of Making - Thermoelectric materials and methods of making thermoelectric materials having a nanometer mean grain size less than 1 micron. The method includes combining and arc melting constituent elements of the thermoelectric material to form a liquid alloy of the thermoelectric material and casting the liquid alloy of the thermoelectric material to form a solid casting of the thermoelectric material. The method also includes ball milling the solid casting of the thermoelectric material into nanometer mean size particles and sintering the nanometer size particles to form the thermoelectric material having nanometer scale mean grain size. | 07-11-2013 |
20130340801 | Thermoelectric Power Generation System Using Gradient Heat Exchanger - A power generating system comprising a heat exchanger comprising an inlet, an outlet and a conduit extending along a length of the heat exchanger between the inlet and the outlet, and a plurality of thermally conductive fins provided within the conduit, a packing fraction of the fins increasing from a first packing fraction proximate the inlet to a second packing fraction proximate the outlet; and a plurality of thermoelectric power generators positioned along the length of the heat exchanger, each thermoelectric power generator comprising a hot side, a cold side and a thermoelectric element extending there between, wherein the hot sides of the thermoelectric power generators are in thermal contact with the plurality of fins such that the temperature of each hot side is substantially equal along the length of the heat exchanger. | 12-26-2013 |
20140102498 | Methods of Fabricating Thermoelectric Elements - Methods of fabricating a thermoelectric element with reduced yield loss include forming a solid body of thermoelectric material having first dimension of 150 mm or more and thickness dimension of 5 mm or less, and dicing the body into a plurality of thermoelectric legs, without cutting along the thickness dimension of the body. Further methods include providing a metal material over a surface of a thermoelectric material, and hot pressing the metal material and the thermoelectric material to form a solid body having a contact metal layer and a thermoelectric material layer. | 04-17-2014 |
20140261607 | Thermoelectric Module with Flexible Connector - A thermoelectric power generating module incorporates compliance into the module using a three-dimensional flexible connector. The flexible connector may relieve thermal stress and improve reliability for thermoelectric modules. In addition, the connector may provide a buffer layer (e.g., cushion) to damp mechanical vibrations. In further embodiments, a thermal interface structure for a thermoelectric device includes a thermally conductive body comprising a first compliant surface for directly interfacing with a first component of the thermoelectric device and a second compliant surface, opposite the first surface, for directly interfacing with a second component of the thermoelectric device. | 09-18-2014 |
Patent application number | Description | Published |
20150068574 | 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 theromoelectric materials (e.g., modulation doping) are further disclosed. | 03-12-2015 |