High-converting efficiency large-mechanical strength thermoelectric module
AssigneeYamaha Corporation
InventorsKatsuhiko Onoue, Toshiharu Hoshi
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Abstract
A thermoelectric module includes n-type semiconductor columns and p-type semiconductor columns connected in series through metal electrodes formed on inner surfaces of a pair of electrically insulating substrates, and the semiconductor columns are arranged so dense that the total cross sections of the semiconductor columns occupy at least 42 percent of one of the inner surfaces, whereby the converting efficiency is improved by virtue of restriction of the convective heat transfer between the electrically insulating substrates.
Claims12
A thermoelectric module comprising:
- an electrically insulating substrate structure having a major surface, and
- plural thermoelectric junctions arranged on said major surface, connected to one another so as to produce temperature differences on said major surface when an electrical current flows through said junctions, and including semiconductor elements having cross sections respectively, wherein the ratio of the total area of said cross sections to an area of said major surface is equal to or greater than 0.42.
A thermoelectric module comprising:
- a first electrically insulating substrate having a first inner surface,
- a second electrically insulating substrate having a second inner surface opposed to said first inner surface, and
- plural thermoelectric junctions selectively formed on said first and second inner surfaces and including electrodes arranged on said first and second inner surfaces and semiconductor elements held in contact with said electrodes and arranged in a space between a first array of the electrodes on said first inner surface and a second array of the electrodes on said second inner surface so as to produce temperature differences between said first inner surface and said second inner surface when an electrical current flows through said junctions, wherein said semiconductor elements are arranged in spaced relation to one another, and wherein the ratio of the total of said space between said semiconductor elements to said space between said first and second electrode arrays is less than 0.58.
A thermoelectric module comprising:
- a first electrically insulating substrate having a first inner surface,
- a second electrically insulating substrate having a second inner surface opposed to said first inner surface, and
- plural thermoelectric junctions selectively formed on said first and second inner surfaces and including semiconductor elements arranged in a space over an occupation area on one of said first and second inner surfaces so as to produce temperature differences between said first inner surface and said second inner surface when an electrical current flows through said junctions, wherein the ratio of said occupation area to said one of said first and second inner surfaces is equal to or greater than 0.45, and the ratio of total cross sections of said semiconductor elements to said one of said first and second inner surfaces is equal to or greater than 0.42.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.