Thermoelectric conversion of heat released during use of a power-plant or hydrogen storage material
AssigneeGM Global Technology Operations LLC
InventorsJihui Yang, Mark W. Verbrugge, Jan F. Herbst
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Abstract
A method of generating electrical current in a system comprising a power-plant unit and/or hydrogen storage medium by transferring heat generated by the hydrogen storage medium and/or power-plant unit to a thermoelectric device, and converting the heat to generate electrical current using the thermoelectric device.
Claims27
A hydrogen storage system, comprising:
- a hydrogen storage medium that generates heat via an exothermic reaction;
- and
- a thermoelectric device that is in heat exchange relationship with said hydrogen storage medium and that generates an electric current using said generated heat via said exothermic reaction;
- and
- a thermal management system that provides a heat sink to a low temperature side of said thermoelectric device.
A method of generating electrical current in a hydrogen storage system, comprising:
- conducting an exothermic reaction in a hydrogen storage medium;
- transferring heat generated by said exothermic reaction to a first side of a thermoelectric device;
- converting said heat to electrical current using said thermoelectric device and further providing heat transfer with a thermal management system to provide a heat sink for said thermoelectric device.
A fuel cell system, comprising:
- a fuel cell stack;
- and
- a hydrogen storage system that supplies hydrogen to said fuel cell stack comprising:
- a hydrogen storage medium that generates heat via an exothermic reaction;
- a thermoelectric device that is in heat exchange relationship with said hydrogen storage medium and that generates an electric current using said heat generated by said exothermic reaction;
- and
- a thermal management system that provides a heat sink to a low temperature side of said thermoelectric device.
A fuel cell system, comprising:
- a fuel cell stack;
- and
- a hydrogen storage system that supplies hydrogen to said fuel cell stack, comprising:
- a hydrogen storage medium;
- a thermoelectric device that is in heat exchange relationship with said hydrogen storage medium and that generates an electric current using heat generated by said hydrogen storage medium;
- and
- a thermal management system that provides a heat sink to a low temperature side of said thermoelectric device.
A system comprising a power-plant unit that comprises a hydrogen storage medium and a diesel engine where said power-plant unit produces effluent heat and a thermoelectric device that generates current using said effluent heat.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.