# US 12,004,425 B2 · Thermoelectric generator array

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- Number: US 12,004,425 B2
- Document ID: US12004425B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/803,123
- Filed: 2022-02-18
- Published: 2023-08-24
- Granted: 2024-06-04
- Earliest claimed: 2021-02-19
- Assignees: ZEVX Inc.
- Applicants: Zevx Inc
- Inventors: Richard L Lewis; Damon Kuhn; Charles Maury; Sean Loehr; James Maury
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12004425B2

## CPC

- H10N 10/13: characterised by the heat-exchanging means at the junction
- B60L 8/00: Electric propulsion with power supply from forces of nature, e.g. sun or wind
- B60L 50/90: using propulsion power supplied by specific means not covered by groups B60L50/10 - B60L50/50, e.g. by direct conversion of thermal nuclear energy into electricity
- B60L 53/20: characterised by converters located in the vehicle
- H10N: ELECTRIC SOLID-STATE DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- B60L: PROPULSION OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES (arrangements or mounting of electrical propulsion units or of plural diverse prime-movers for mutual or common propulsion in vehicles B60K1/00, B60K6/20; arrangements or mounting of electrical gearing in vehicles B60K17/12, B60K17/14; preventing wheel slip by reducing power in rail vehicles B61C15/08; dynamo-electric machines H02K; control or regulation of electric motors H02P); SUPPLYING ELECTRIC POWER FOR AUXILIARY EQUIPMENT OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES (electric coupling devices combined with mechanical couplings of vehicles B60D1/64; electric heating for vehicles B60H1/00); ELECTRODYNAMIC BRAKE SYSTEMS FOR VEHICLES IN GENERAL (control or regulation of electric motors H02P); MAGNETIC SUSPENSION OR LEVITATION FOR VEHICLES; MONITORING OPERATING VARIABLES OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES; ELECTRIC SAFETY DEVICES FOR ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES

## Abstract

A method and system for employing thermoelectric generators for capturing otherwise lost thermal energy associated with operation of an electric vehicle.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A system for thermoelectric generation in a vehicle, comprising,
at least one thermoelectric generating element associated with a vehicle body with one side thermally conductively exposed to a relatively warmer exterior ambient air having an ambient temperature,
a flow structure to supply the other side of the at least one thermoelectric generating element with a relatively cooler air flow, so as to dynamically maintain a thermal gradient across said element; and
wherein said relatively cooler air flow is supplied by interior waste air from a cooling system of said vehicle.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The system according to claim 1, in which said one side of the at least one thermoelectric generating element is associated conductively with a vehicle roof panel.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The system according to claim 2 in which, while said vehicle is stationary, exposes the vehicle roof panel to solar radiant heating.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The system according to claim 3 in which said relatively cooler air flow is supplied from an exterior of said vehicle from a source cooler than a heated roof panel.

### Claim 5

A system for thermoelectric generation in a vehicle, comprising,
at least one thermoelectric generating element array associated with a vehicle body with a hot side associated with a vehicle body panel and thermally conductively exposed to the ambient air having an ambient temperature,
at least one thermoelectric generating element array associated with said body panel with a cold side associated with said vehicle body panel,
a flow structure associated separately with each to supply the other side of said thermoelectric generating element array with an air flow of differing temperature, so as to dynamically maintain a thermal gradient across said element,
and a control means to switch between the at least one thermoelectric generating element array associated with the vehicle body with the hot side associated with a vehicle body panel and the at least one thermoelectric generating element array associated with said body panel with the cold side associated with said vehicle body panel depending on changing ambient temperatures to which said vehicle body panel is exposed.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The system according to claim 5 is which said vehicle body panel is a roof panel.

### Claim 7 (depends on 5)

The system as claimed in claim 5 wherein the at least one thermoelectric generating element array associated with said body panel with the hot side associated with said vehicle body panel has a first size, and
wherein the at least one thermoelectric generating element array associated with said body panel with the cold side associated with said vehicle body panel has a second size different from said first size.