Thermoelectric power generation on a paving machine
AssigneeCaterpillar Paving Products Inc.
InventorConwell K. Rife, Jr.
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An electrically powered paving machine includes a hopper; a screed assembly; a conveying system; one or more batteries configured to power the electrically powered paving machine; a plurality of thermoelectric generators electrically connected to the one or more batteries; a potential thermal energy conversion device electrically connected to the one or more batteries; and processing circuitry. Additionally, the electrically powered paving machine controls charging the one or more batteries using electrical energy generated by one or more of the plurality of thermoelectric generators and the potential thermal energy conversion device.
Claims20
An electrically powered paving machine, comprising:
- a hopper;
- a screed assembly;
- a conveying system;
- one or more batteries configured to power the electrically powered paving machine;
- a plurality of thermoelectric generators electrically connected to the one or more batteries;
- a potential thermal energy conversion device electrically connected to the one or more batteries;
- and
- processing circuitry, wherein the processing circuitry is configured to control charging the one or more batteries using electrical energy generated by one or more of the plurality of thermoelectric generators and the potential thermal energy conversion device.
A paving machine, comprising:
- one or more batteries;
- a plurality of thermoelectric generators electrically connected to the one or more batteries;
- a potential thermal energy conversion device electrically connected to the one or more batteries;
- and
- processing circuitry, wherein the processing circuitry is configured to control charging the one or more batteries using electrical energy generated by one or more of the plurality of thermoelectric generators and the potential thermal energy conversion device.
A thermoelectric generation system, comprising:
- a paving machine electrically powered by one or more batteries;
- a plurality of thermoelectric generators electrically connected to the one or more batteries and constructed to convert heat from heated asphalt loaded on the paving machine into electrical energy;
- and
- processing circuitry, wherein the processing circuitry is configured to control charging the one or more batteries using electrical energy generated by one or more of the plurality of thermoelectric generators.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.