Thermo-electric structure

Abstract

The invention is a split-thermo-electric structure for cooling, heating, or stabilizing the temperature of an object or for electric power generation. The structure of the invention is comprised of one or more legs comprised of two or more layers of thermo-electric material and a connection layer (26) between each pair of successive layers of thermo-electric material. A layer of thermo-electric material at one end of each of the legs is located at the heat absorption side of the structure and a layer of thermo-electric material at the other end of each of the legs is located at the heat dispersion side of the structure. The structure is characterized in that the layer of thermo-electric material located at the heat absorption side of the structure and the layer of thermo-electric material at the heat dispersion side of the structure are asymmetric, i.e. the properties and parameters of the material of the layers are chosen to maximize the transfer of heat flux at the heat absorption and dispersion sides of the structure respectively. Additionally the thermal, electrical and thermo-electric properties and dimensions of all other layers of thermo-electric material and connection layers that comprise the remainder of the legs are chosen individually to maximize the transfer of heat flux and/or electric current through the leg.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.