US 2018/0323480 A1 · Electrochemical Stack Direct Heat To Electricity Generator

Abstract

A thermogalvanic electrochemical system includes two battery sources connected together in a switchable circuit to provide electric current to an electrical load in the circuit. The battery sources are located in a thermal environment having a varying temperature, and each battery source has a corresponding electrical potential that varies with temperature of the thermal environment. A power management processor operates the circuit to: form a closed circuit at a first temperature with current flow from a first battery source through the electrical load to a second battery source until reaching a first thermal equilibrium, and then form an open circuit, then form a closed circuit at a second temperature with current flow from the second battery source through the electrical load to the first current source until reaching a second thermal equilibrium, and then form an open circuit.

Claims12

Dependent claims

A thermogalvanic electrochemical system configured to convert environmental heat differences into electrical work, the system comprising:

two battery sources connected together in a switchable circuit to provide electric current to an electrical load in the circuit, wherein the battery sources are located in a thermal environment having a varying temperature, and wherein each battery source is characterized by a corresponding electrical potential that varies by thermogalvanic effect with temperature of the thermal environment;
and
a power management processor employing at least one hardware implemented computer processor to execute program instructions to operate the switchable circuit to:
(a) form a closed circuit at a first temperature with current flow from a first battery source through the electrical load to a second battery source until reaching a first thermal equilibrium,
(b) form an open circuit without current flow through the electrical load after reaching the first thermal equilibrium,
(c) form a closed circuit at a second temperature with current flow from the second battery source through the electrical load to the first current source until reaching a second thermal equilibrium, and
(d) form an open circuit without current flow through the electrical load after reaching the second thermal equilibrium.

4 more elements

A computer-implemented method employing at least one hardware implemented computer processor for operating a thermogalvanic electrochemical system to convert environmental heat differences into electrical work, the method comprising:

operating the at least one hardware processor to execute program instructions to:
control a switchable circuit connecting together two battery sources so as to provide electric current to an electrical load in the circuit,
wherein the battery sources are located in a thermal environment having a varying temperature,
wherein each battery source is characterized by a corresponding electrical potential that varies by thermogalvanic effect with temperature of the thermal environment, and
wherein controlling the switchable circuit includes:
(a) forming a closed circuit at a first temperature with current flow from a first battery source through the electrical load to a second battery source until reaching a first thermal equilibrium,
(b) forming an open circuit without current flow through the electrical load after reaching the first thermal equilibrium,
(c) forming a closed circuit at a second temperature with current flow from the second battery source through the electrical load to the first current source until reaching a second thermal equilibrium, and
(d) forming an open circuit without current flow through the electrical load after reaching the second thermal equilibrium.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Electrochemical Stack Direct Heat To Electricity Generator

Life of this patent

Electrochemical Stack Direct Heat To Electricity Generator

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims12