Power recovery system for a vehicle
AssigneeNissan North America, Inc.
InventorRonald EISENHOUR
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A power recovery system for a heating, ventilation and air conditioning system of a vehicle includes an air handling system flow path, and a heater core disposed in a first flow path in fluid communication with the air handling system flow path. A heat sink is disposed in a second flow path in fluid communication with the air handling system flow path. A cooling circuit supplies a cooling fluid to the heat sink through the second flow path. A thermoelectric device has a first surface in thermal contact with the heater core and a second surface in thermal contact with the heat sink. The thermoelectric device converts a temperature difference between the first and second surfaces to electrical power.
Claims20
A power recovery system for a heating, ventilation and air conditioning system of a vehicle, comprising:
- an air handling system flow path;
- a heater core disposed in a first flow path in fluid communication with the air handling system flow path;
- a heat sink disposed in a second flow path in fluid communication with the air handling system flow path;
- a cooling circuit supplying a cooling fluid to the heat sink through the second flow path;
- and
- a thermoelectric device having a first side in thermal contact with the heater core and a second side in thermal contact with the heat sink, the thermoelectric device converting a temperature difference between the first surface and the second surface to electrical power.
A power recovery system for a heating, ventilation and air conditioning system of a vehicle, comprising:
- a thermoelectric device having a first surface and a second surface;
- an evaporator;
- a heater core in thermal contact with the first surface of the thermoelectric device, the heater core receiving hot engine coolant;
- and
- a heat sink in thermal contact with the second surface of the thermoelectric device, the heat sink being in fluid communication with the evaporator to receive a cooling fluid therefrom,
- the thermoelectric device converting a temperature difference between the first surface and the second surface to electrical power.
A method of recovering power with a heating, ventilation and air conditioning system of a vehicle, comprising the steps of
- supplying heat from a heater core to a first surface of a thermoelectric device;
- supplying a cooling fluid to a second surface of the thermoelectric device;
- converting the temperature differential created between the first and second surfaces of the thermoelectric device to electrical energy with the thermoelectric device.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.