Energy harvesting system for a vehicle

A heat engine configured to be operatively connected to a component, the heat engine comprising:

• a belt configured to be partially disposed in each of a first fluid region having one of a first temperature and a second temperature and a second fluid region having the other one of the first temperature and the second temperature, the belt including:
• a strip of material including a plurality of discrete sections disposed in spaced relationship to one another and extending longitudinally and presenting a first side and a second side, opposing the first side;
• a plurality of fins extending longitudinally from the second side of the strip of material;
• wherein each of the plurality of fins comprises filler material configured to increase thermal conductivity of the strip of material;
• at least one wire extending longitudinally between the discrete sections such that the at least one wire is exposed;
• wherein the wire includes a shape memory alloy material;
• wherein a localized region of the at least one wire is configured to change crystallographic phase from martensite to austenite and thereby contract longitudinally in response to exposure to the first temperature in one of the first fluid region and the second fluid region such that the strip of material corresponding to the localized region of the at least one wire also contracts;
• and
• wherein the localized region of the wire is also configured to change crystallographic phase from austenite to martensite and thereby expand longitudinally in response to exposure to the second temperature in the other one of the first fluid region and the second fluid region such that the strip of material corresponding to the localized region of the at least one wire also expands;
• a first member operatively connected to the belt and movably connected to the component;
• wherein the first member is configured to move in response to at least one of the expansion and contraction of the localized region of the belt.

An energy harvesting system for a vehicle, the system comprising:

• a heat engine including:
• a belt configured to be partially disposed in each of a first fluid region having one of a first temperature and a second temperature and a second fluid region having the other one of the first temperature and the second temperature, the belt including;
• a strip of material including a plurality of discrete sections disposed in spaced relationship to one another and extending longitudinally and presenting a first side and a second side, opposing the first side;
• a plurality of fins extending from the second side of the strip of material;
• wherein each of the plurality of fins extends longitudinally along the second side of the strip of material in spaced and parallel relationship to one another;
• at least one wire extending longitudinally between the discrete sections such that the at least one wire is exposed;
• wherein the at least one wire includes a shape memory alloy material;
• wherein a localized region of the at least one wire is configured to change crystallographic phase from martensite to austenite and thereby contract longitudinally in response to exposure to a first temperature in one of the first fluid region and the second fluid region such that the strip of material corresponding to the localized region of the at least one wire also contracts;
• and
• wherein the localized region of the wire is also configured to change crystallographic phase from austenite to martensite and thereby expand longitudinally in response to exposure to a second temperature in the other one of the first fluid region and the second fluid region such that the strip of material corresponding to the localized region of the at least one wire also expands.