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US 2015/0020860 A1Published application
Thermoelectric converter with projecting cell stack
AssigneeNanoconversion Technologies, Inc.
InventorsDavid M. Rossi, Michael P. Staskus, Derek W. Nam
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A thermoelectric converter is formed by a plenum divided into high and low pressure chambers by a partition and includes a stack of series-coupled alkali-metal thermoelectric cells that projects orthogonally from the partition into one of the chambers.
Claims20
A thermoelectric converter comprising:
- a housing;
- a partition that divides an interior region of the housing into first and second chambers;
- and
- a thermoelectric cell stack disposed over an opening in the partition and projecting orthogonally from the partition into the first chamber without contacting the housing such that the cell stack is free to expand and contract in the projecting direction, the thermoelectric cell stack having a plurality of alkali-metal thermoelectric conversion cells stacked on one another and electrically coupled in series to generate a collective voltage higher than a voltage generated by any one of the thermoelectric conversion cells.
1 more element
A method of operation within a thermoelectric converter having a housing divided into first and second chambers by a partition, the method comprising:
- receiving a flow of alkali-metal vapor into the first chamber to produce a pressure differential between the first and second chambers;
- and
- generating an electric potential by conducting alkali metal ions from the first chamber to the second chamber through solid electrolyte members of respective thermoelectric conversion cells coupled electrically in series and stacked over an opening in the partition to form a thermoelectric cell stack that projects orthogonally from the partition into the first chamber without contacting the housing, the electric potential being proportional to the number of thermoelectric conversion cells within the thermoelectric cell stack.
A thermoelectric converter comprising:
- a housing;
- means for dividing the housing into first and second chambers;
- means for receiving a flow of alkali-metal vapor into the first chamber to produce a pressure differential between the first and second chambers;
- and
- means for generating an electric potential by conducting alkali metal ions from the first chamber to the second chamber via respective thermoelectric conversion cells coupled electrically in series and stacked over an opening in means for dividing the housing to form a thermoelectric cell stack that projects from the means for dividing the housing into the first chamber without contacting the housing, the electric potential being proportional to the number of thermoelectric conversion cells within the thermoelectric cell stack.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.