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US 5,644,184 AGranted
Piezo-pyroelectric energy converter and method
AssigneeThermodyne SAS
InventorYan R. Kucherov
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present invention embodies a piezo-pyroelectric energy converter and is directed to a method and apparatus for conversion of thermal energy to electrical energy and refrigeration. The present invention utilizes one or more piezo-pyroelectric materials with thermally conductive metal electrodes, which resonate at a high frequency and are in thermal communication with hot and cold heat sinks to create a thermal gradient and heat flow along the metal electrodes and the piezo-pyroelectric material.
Claims86
An energy conversion device, comprising:
- one or more plates formed of piezo-pyroelectric material;
- thermally conductive electrodes interleaved with said one or more plates forming a capacitor;
- hot and cold heat sinks in thermal communication with said electrodes;
- means for holding said one or more plates together;
- means coupled to said capacitor for applying voltage and resonant frequency thereto;
- and
- means coupled to said capacitor for removing electrical charge therefrom created from piezo-pyroelectric effects.
4 more elements
An energy conversion device, comprising:
- one or more plates comprising lead scandium tantalate;
- thermally conductive electrodes interleaved with said one or more plates forming a capacitor;
- electric insulators being adjacent to said electrodes;
- hot and cold heat sinks in thermal communication with said electric insulators, said electric insulators disposed between said hot and cold heat sinks and said electrodes;
- means coupled to said capacitor for applying voltage thereto;
- and
- means coupled to said capacitor for removing electrical charge therefrom created from pyroelectric effects.
4 more elements
An energy conversion device, comprising:
- a capacitor, said capacitor including a U-shaped electrode, a plate comprising lead scandium tantalate adjacent said U-shaped electrode, a second electrode in the form of a plate adjacent said plate comprising lead scandium tantalate, an electric insulator adjacent said second electrode, a plate comprising PZT-5A adjacent said electric insulator, and a third electrode in the form of a plate adjacent said plate comprising PZT-5A;
- a means for holding said capacitor together;
- electric insulators, said U-shaped electrodes having first and second legs and a bottom, said electric insulators being adjacent to said first and second legs and said bottom being adjacent to said plate comprising lead scandium tantalate;
- hot and cold heat sinks in thermal communication with said electric insulators, said electric insulators disposed between said hot and cold heat sinks and said first and second legs of said U-shaped electrode;
- means coupled to said capacitor for applying voltage thereto;
- and
- means coupled to said capacitor for removing electrical charge therefrom created from piezo-pyroelectric effects.
4 more elements
A method of converting energy comprising the steps of:
- a) holding together one or more plates formed of piezo-pyroelectric material having thermally and electrically conductive electrodes interleaved with said one or plates forming a capacitor, and said electrodes in thermal communication with hot and cold heat sinks;
- b) applying a voltage and resonant frequency to said capacitor;
- and
- c) removing electrical charge created by piezo-pyroelectric effects from said capacitor.
1 more element
A method of converting energy comprising the steps of:
- a) holding together one or more plates formed of lead scandium tantalate having thermally and electrically conductive electrodes interleaved with said one or plates forming a capacitor with electric insulators adjacent to said electrodes, and said electric insulators disposed between hot and cold heat sinks and said electrodes;
- b) applying a voltage to said capacitor;
- and
- c) removing electrical charge created by pyroelectric effects from said capacitor.
1 more element
A method of converting energy comprising the steps of:
- a) holding a capacitor together, said capacitor comprising:
- a U-shaped electrode;
- a plate comprising lead scandium tantalate adjacent said U-shaped electrode;
- a second electrode in the form of a plate adjacent said plate comprising lead scandium tantalate;
- an electric insulator adjacent said second electrode;
- a plate comprising PZT-5A adjacent said electric insulator;
- and
- a third electrode in the form of a plate adjacent said plate comprising PZT-5A;
- said capacitor further comprising electric insulators, said U-shaped electrodes having first and second legs and a bottom, said electric insulators being adjacent to said first and second legs and said bottom being adjacent to said plate comprising lead scandium tantalate, and hot and cold heat sinks in thermal communication with said electric insulators, said electric insulators disposed between said hot and cold heat sinks and said first and second legs of said U-shaped electrode;
- b) applying a voltage to said capacitor;
- and
- c) removing electrical charge created by piezo-pyroelectric effects from said capacitor.
9 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.