Thermopile wire, winding support, and method and machine for the production of a thermoelectric generator
AssigneeIsabellenhuette Heusler GmbH & Co. KG
InventorUllrich Hetzler
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The invention relates to a thermopile wire (1), a winding support for such a thermopile wire, as well as a method and a machine (11) for producing a thermoelectric generator including a thermopile wire (1). The invention takes into account that the effective winding diameter changes from one winding layer of the thermopile wire (1) to the next when the thermopile wire (1) is wound.
Claims17
A thermopile wire comprising:
- a plurality of thermocouples disposed one behind another, each of said thermocouples having two thermocouple legs;
- hot connection points;
- and
- cold connection points,
- wherein the thermopile wire is adapted to be wound on a winding support so that the hot connection points and the cold connection points are disposed on opposite sides of the winding support, and
- wherein at least one of a length of the individual thermocouples and a length of the individual thermocouple legs increases or decreases along the thermopile wire.
A winding support comprising:
- a) a winding region for winding with a thermopile wire, which has a plurality of thermocouples disposed one behind another and have hot connection points and cold connection points, wherein the winding region has a given winding perimeter which corresponds substantially to a length of the individual thermocouples so that the hot contact points and the cold contact points are disposed on opposite sides of the winding region in the wound state, and
- b) at least one compensation region to receive at least one compensation winding of the thermopile wire, wherein the compensation region has a different winding perimeter than the winding region.
A method for producing a thermoelectric generator, comprising the following steps:
- a) providing a thermopile wire having a plurality of thermocouples disposed one behind another and each having two thermocouple legs and hot connection points and cold connection points,
- b) winding the thermopile wire on a winding support so that the hot connection points and the cold connection points lie on opposite sides of the winding support,
- c) determining the actual position of at least one of the hot connection points and the cold connection points of the thermocouples in the thermopile wire,
- d) determining a desired-actual deviation between the determined actual position and a given desired position, and
- e) extending the thermopile wire in dependence upon the desired-actual deviation.
The method according to claim 12, wherein the thermopile wire is extended in such a way that the desired-actual deviation in the position of the connection points is minimized.
A machine for producing a thermoelectric generator, comprising:
- a) a winding machine for winding a thermopile wire on a winding support, wherein the thermopile wire has a plurality of thermocouples disposed one behind the another and each having two thermocouple legs and hot connection points and cold connection points,
- b) a measuring device for determining an actual position of at least one of the hot connection points and the cold connection points the individual thermocouples,
- c) an extension device for variable extension of the thermopile wire in the longitudinal direction, and
- d) a control unit which is connected on an input side to the measuring device and on an output side to the extension device and controls the extension device in dependence upon the determined actual position and a given desired position of at least one of the hot connection points and the cold connection points.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.