US 5,747,418 A · Superconducting thermoelectric generator

Abstract

An apparatus and method for producing electricity from heat. The present invention is a thermoelectric generator that uses materials with substantially no electrical resistance, often called superconductors, to efficiently convert heat into electrical energy without resistive losses. Preferably, an array of superconducting elements is encased within a second material with a high thermal conductivity. The second material is preferably a semiconductor. Alternatively, the superconducting material can be doped on a base semiconducting material, or the superconducting material and the semiconducting material can exist as alternating, interleaved layers of waferlike materials. A temperature gradient imposed across the boundary of the two materials establishes an electrical potential related to the magnitude of the temperature gradient. The superconducting material carries the resulting electrical current at zero resistivity, thereby eliminating resistive losses. The elimination of resistive losses significantly increases the conversion efficiency of the thermoelectric device.

Claims21

Dependent claims

A device for producing electricity, comprising:

a pair of thermoelectric materials, said pair comprising a conductor and a semiconductor;
said conductor having a length and a critical temperature, said conductor conducting electricity substantially without resistance when the temperature of said conductor is less than said critical temperature;
said semiconductor having a length substantially equal to that of said conductor and touching said conductor so as to maximize an overlap between said semiconductor and said conductor, said overlap defining a substantial boundary between said conductor and said semiconductor;
a heat sink in thermal contact with said conductor;
and
a heat source in thermal contact with said semiconductor, said heat source and said heat sink maintaining a first temperature in said conductor and a second temperature in said semiconductor, said first temperature being less than said critical temperature so that said conductor conducts electricity substantially without resistance, said second temperature being higher than said first temperature so that a temperature gradient is established across substantially the entirety of said boundary, said temperature gradient resulting in an electrical potential between said conductor and said semiconductor.

3 more elements

A device for producing electricity, said device comprising:

a pair of thermoelectric materials, said pair comprising a first conductor and a second conductor;
said first conductor having a length and a first superconducting temperature range, said first conductor conducing electricity substantially without resistance when the temperature of said first conductor is within said first superconducting temperature range;
said second conductor having a length substantially equal to the length of said first conductor and in thermal contact with said first conductor, said second conductor contiguous to said first conductor so as to maximize an overlap between said first conductor and said second conductor, said overlap defining a substantial boundary between said first and second conductors said second conductor being made of a material having a higher thermal conductivity than said first conductor;
a heat sink thermally connected to said first conductor for maintaining said first conductor at a first temperature within said first predefined range;
a heat source thermally connected to said second conductor for holding said second conductor at a second temperature higher than said first temperature so that a temperature gradient is established across substantially the entirety of said boundary, whereby an electrical potential difference exists between said first and said second conductors;
and
means in electrical connection with said first and said second conductors for extracting said electrical potential difference.

4 more elements

A method for producing electricity from a pair of thermoelectric materials, said pair comprising a first conductor and a second conductor, said first conductor having a length and said second conductor having a length substantially equal to the length of said first conductor, said first conductor having a first critical temperature, said first conductor conducting electricity substantially without resistance when the temperature of said first conductor is less than said first critical temperature, said method comprising the steps of:

placing said first conductor in contact with said second conductor so as to maximize an overlap between said first conductor and said second conductor, said overlap defining a substantial boundary between said first and second conductors;
adjusting the temperature of said first conductor to a first temperature, said first temperature being less than said first critical temperature;
and
adjusting the temperature of said second conductor to a second temperature, said second temperature being different from said first temperature so that a temperature gradient is established across substantially the entirety of said boundary, whereby a potential difference is established between said first and said second conductors so that an electrical potential exists across said first and said second conductors.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Superconducting thermoelectric generator

Life of this patent

Superconducting thermoelectric generator

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims21