# US 2014/0150838 A1 · Device and method for generating electrical power > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0150838 A1 - Document ID: US20140150838A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 14/160,283 - Filed: 2014-01-21 - Published: 2014-06-05 - Earliest claimed: 2007-11-09 - Assignees: The Boeing Company - Applicants: The Boeing Company - Inventors: Edward D. McCullough; James P. Huang - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140150838A1 ## CPC - H10N 10/17: characterised by the structure or configuration of the cell or thermocouple forming the device - H10N 10/01: Manufacture or treatment - H10N 10/10: operating with only the Peltier or Seebeck effects - H10N 10/13: characterised by the heat-exchanging means at the junction - H10N: ELECTRIC SOLID-STATE DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR ## Abstract A device and method for generating electricity. The device includes a heat source, a cold source, and a thermoelectric generating plate, having a first side and an opposed side. When heat is introduced to the heat source, heat flows across the thermoelectric generating plate and electricity is generated. In the present arrangement, because the hot and cold sources are in thermal communication with opposed sides of the thermoelectric generating plate, the thermal gradient or rate of heat flow across the thermoelectric generating plate is maximized. Thus, because the rate of heat flow is increased, the rate at which electricity is generated is also increased, and the size of the device is maintained, or minimized. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A device for generating electrical power, comprising: a heat source; a cold source; a thermoelectric generator including a hot side and a cold side, whereby the hot side of the thermoelectric generating plate is in thermal communication with the heat source and the cold side of the thermoelectric generating plate is in thermal communication with the cold source, heat flux across the thermoelectric generating plate causes electrical power to be generated. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, further comprising a thermally conductive hot element in thermal communication with the heat source and with the hot side of the thermoelectric generating plate, and a thermally conductive cold element in thermal communication with the cold source and with the cold side of the thermoelectric generating plate. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, further comprising an insulating element located between the cold element and the heat source, and between the hot element and the cold source. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, wherein the heat source comprises a magnesium burner. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, wherein the heat source comprises a combustion chamber. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, wherein the cold source comprises a cooling fan. ### Claim 7 (depends on 2) The device of claim 2, wherein the hot and cold elements comprise nano tubes ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, wherein the hot and cold elements are made of material where the coefficient of thermal expansion of the hot and cold elements differ by no more than 10% from the heat and cold sources respectively. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, further comprising an interface to apply electrical power to an electrically powered device. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The device of claim 9, wherein the electrically powered device comprises one of a communications device and a computing device. ### Claim 11 A device for generating electrical power, comprising: a heat source; a cold source; a thermoelectric generator stack, wherein the thermoelectric generator stack comprises: a plurality of thermoelectric generators, each generator including a cold side and a hot side; a first plurality of thermal elements each thermally coupled to the heat source and to the hot side of an associated one of the plurality of thermoelectric generators to transfer thermal energy from the heat source to the thermoelectric generator; and a second plurality of thermal elements each thermally coupled to the cold source and to the cold side of the associated one of the plurality of thermoelectric generators to transfer thermal energy from the thermoelectric generator to the cold source, wherein heat generated by the heat source causes a thermal gradient across each of the thermoelectric generators to generate electrical energy. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The device of claim 11, wherein each of the thermal elements comprises a nano tube. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The device of claim 11, further comprising a warm start battery to start the heat source for generating thermal energy. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The device of claim 11, further comprising a cold start module to manually charge the warm start battery. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The device of claim 11, wherein the heat source comprises one of a magnesium burner and a solar based source. ### Claim 16 (depends on 11) The device of claim 11, wherein the cold source comprises one of a cooling fan, a heat sink, and a vent from each of the second plurality of thermal elements to air. ### Claim 17 (depends on 11) The device of claim 11, further comprising an insulating material between each of the first plurality of thermal elements and the cold source and between each of the second plurality of thermal elements and the heat source. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The device of claim 17, wherein the insulating material comprises an alumina enhanced thermal barrier. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The device of claim 18, further comprising a thermal chip layer embedded in each alumina enhanced thermal barrier. ### Claim 20 (depends on 10) The device of claim 10, further comprising a connector to supply electrical power to an electrically powered device. ### Claim 21 (depends on 20) The device of claim 20, wherein the electrically powered device comprises at least one of a mobile communications device and a computing device. ### Claim 22 An electrically powered apparatus, comprising: electrical circuitry to perform a predetermined function; a device for generating electrical power to operate the electrical circuitry, wherein the device includes: a thermoelectric generator stack, wherein the thermoelectric generator stack comprises: a plurality of thermoelectric generators, each generator including a cold side and a hot side; a first plurality of thermal elements each thermally coupled to a heat source and to the hot side of an associated one of the plurality of thermoelectric generators to transfer thermal energy from the heat source to the thermoelectric generator; and a second plurality of thermal elements each thermally coupled to a cold source and to the cold side of the associated one of the plurality of thermoelectric generators to transfer thermal energy from the thermoelectric generator to the cold source, wherein heat generated by the heat source causes a thermal gradient across each of the thermoelectric generators to generate electrical energy. ### Claim 23 (depends on 22) The electrically powered apparatus of claim 22, wherein the electrically powered apparatus comprises one of a mobile communications device and a computing device. ### Claim 24 A method for generating electrical power, comprising: creating a thermal gradient across each of a plurality of thermoelectric generators formed in a generator stack, wherein the generator stack is formed by stacking a first plurality of thermal elements each thermally coupled to a heat source and to a hot side of an associated one of the plurality of thermoelectric generators to transfer thermal energy from the heat source to the thermoelectric generator; and by stacking a second plurality of thermal elements each thermally coupled to a cold source and to a cold side of the associated one of the plurality of thermoelectric generators to transfer thermal energy from the thermoelectric generator to the cold source, wherein the thermal gradient across each of the thermoelectric generators generates electrical energy; and supplying the electrical power to a connector for powering an electrical device. ### Claim 25 (depends on 24) The method of claim 24, wherein stacking the first plurality of thermal elements and the second plurality of thermal elements comprises stacking a nano tube in thermal communication with the hot side and the cold side of each thermoelectric generator; and further comprising: thermally coupling each of the first plurality of thermal elements to one of a magnesium burner and a solar based source; and thermally coupling each of the second plurality of thermal elements to one of a cooling fan, a heat sink, and directly to air.