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US 11,380,830 B2Granted
Thermal energy apparatus and related methods
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorsNathan D. Hiller, Paul Alan Beazley
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Abstract
An energy harvesting apparatus may include a thermoelectric device, a heat exchanger coupled to the thermoelectric device, a thermal capacitor container, and a thermal capacitor generation device. The thermal capacitor generation device may be configured to generate a thermal capacitor fluid, to be contained in the thermal capacitor container. An electrical energy storage device may be electrically connected to the thermoelectric device, to store electricity generated by the thermoelectric device.
Claims24
An energy harvesting apparatus, comprising:
- a thermoelectric device,
- a heat exchanger coupled to the thermoelectric device,
- a thermal capacitor generation device including:
- a reservoir containing a first chemical constituent,
- an extraction module configured to extract a second chemical constituent and a third chemical constituent from an ambient atmosphere,
- a first chemical production module configured to produce a solvent by reacting the first chemical constituent and the second chemical constituent, and
- a second chemical production module configured to produce a solute by reacting the first chemical constituent and the third chemical constituent,
- wherein the thermal capacitor generation device is configured to synthesize a thermal capacitor fluid by dissolving the solute in the solvent,
- a thermal capacitor container for storing the thermal capacitor fluid synthesized by the thermal capacitor generation device, and
- a first electrical energy storage device electrically connected to the thermoelectric device for storing electricity generated by the thermoelectric device.
7 more elements
A method of harvesting energy comprising:
- storing hydrogen in a reservoir of an energy harvesting apparatus, wherein the energy harvesting apparatus includes a thermoelectric device and a heat exchanger coupled to the thermoelectric device,
- synthesizing a thermal capacitor fluid comprising an aqueous ammonia solution using a thermal capacitor generation device, by:
- reacting oxygen extracted from the ambient air with the stored hydrogen in a first chemical production module to produce water,
- reacting nitrogen extracted from the ambient air with the stored hydrogen in a second chemical production module to produce ammonia,
- dissolving the ammonia in the water to produce the aqueous ammonia solution, and
- storing the aqueous ammonia solution in a thermal capacitor container adjacent the thermoelectric device,
- generating electrical energy using ambient environmental atmosphere and the thermal capacitor fluid in thermal communication with the thermoelectric device, and
- storing electrical energy generated in the generating step in a second energy storage device.
5 more elements
An energy harvesting apparatus comprising,
- a thermoelectric device,
- a synthesis module including:
- a reservoir containing hydrogen,
- an extraction module configured to extract oxygen and nitrogen from the ambient atmosphere,
- a first chemical production module configured to produce water by reacting the hydrogen and the oxygen, and
- a second chemical production module configured to produce ammonia by reacting the hydrogen and the nitrogen,
- wherein the synthesis module is configured to synthesize a thermal capacitor fluid comprising an aqueous ammonia solution by dissolving the ammonia in the water, and
- wherein the synthesis module includes a controller configured to alter the ammonia concentration of the aqueous ammonia solution, and
- a thermal capacitor container for storing the aqueous ammonia solution, adjacent the thermoelectric device such that the aqueous ammonia solution contained in the thermal capacitor container is in thermal communication with the thermoelectric device,
- wherein the aqueous ammonia solution has a liquid to solid phase transition at a temperature within a periodic temperature fluctuation range of the ambient atmosphere.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.