Energy harvester with improved heat flow arrangement

A thermoelectric energy harvesting system, comprising:

• a thermoelectric generator configured to produce a voltage in response to a temperature difference across the thermoelectric generator;
• a housing mounted on top of the thermoelectric generator and including a housing side wall and a housing bottom having a housing bottom lower surface, the housing defining a cavity, the cavity containing an electronics module, the cavity and the electronics module being located above and physically separated from the thermoelectric generator by the housing bottom;
• a base member having a base member upper surface, the base member positioned under the housing in a manner such that the thermoelectric generator is captured between the base member upper surface and the housing bottom lower surface;
• an insulating ring mounted to an outer circumference of the housing and an outer circumference of the base member and enclosing an annular gap having upper and lower sides respectively defined by the housing bottom lower surface and the base member upper surface, the annular gap having inner and outer circumferential sides respectively defined by sides of the thermoelectric generator and the insulating ring;
• and
• an insulating ring adhesive adhesively bonding the insulating ring to the outer circumference of the housing and the outer circumference of the base member.