Half-heusler compounds for use in thermoelectric generators

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10629793-B2
Application number	US-201514943069-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 17, 2015
Priority date	Nov 17, 2015
Publication date	Apr 21, 2020
Grant date	Apr 21, 2020

Abstract

A thermoelectric generator includes a hot side heat exchanger, a cold side heat exchanger, a plurality of n-type semiconductor legs arranged between the hot side heat exchanger and the cold side heat exchanger, and a plurality of p-type semiconductor legs arranged between the hot side heat exchanger and the cold side heat exchanger and alternating electrically in series with the plurality of n-type semiconductor legs. At least one of the plurality of n-type semiconductor legs and the plurality of p-type semiconductor legs is formed of an alloy having a half-Heusler structure and comprising Si and Sn with molar fractions of x Sn and 1−x Si, and x is less than 1.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A thermoelectric generator comprising:
a hot side heat exchanger;
a cold side heat exchanger;
a plurality of n-type semiconductor legs arranged between the hot side heat exchanger and the cold side heat exchanger; and
a plurality of p-type semiconductor legs arranged between the hot side heat exchanger and the cold side heat exchanger and alternating electrically in series with the plurality of n-type semiconductor legs,
wherein at least one of the plurality of n-type semiconductor legs and the plurality of p-type semiconductor legs is formed of an alloy having a stable half-Heusler structure and comprising Si and Sn with molar fractions of x Sn and 1−x Si, and x is less than 0.5.

2. The thermoelectric generator of claim 1 , wherein the alloy comprises NbCoSi 1-x Sn x and x is greater than 0.27.

3. The thermoelectric generator of claim 1 , wherein the alloy comprises TaCoSi 1-x Sn x and x is greater than 0.21.

4. The thermoelectric generator of claim 1 , wherein the alloy comprises TiNiSi 1-x Sn x and x is greater than 0.36.

5. The thermoelectric generator of claim 1 , wherein the alloy comprises VCoSi 1-x Sn x and x is greater than 0.27.

6. A vehicle comprising:
an engine;
an exhaust system operably connected to the engine so as to receive exhaust from the engine and discharge the exhaust to an outlet, the exhaust system including a thermoelectric generator comprising:
a hot side heat exchanger;
a cold side heat exchanger;
a plurality of n-type semiconductor legs arranged between the hot side heat exchanger and the cold side heat exchanger; and
a plurality of p-type semiconductor legs arranged between the hot side heat exchanger and the cold side heat exchanger and connected alternating electrically in series with the plurality of n-type semiconductor legs,
wherein at least one of the plurality of n-type semiconductor legs and the plurality of p-type semiconductor legs is formed of an alloy having a stable half-Heusler structure and comprising Si and Sn with molar fractions of x Sn and 1−x Si, and x is less than 0.5.

7. The vehicle of claim 6 , wherein the alloy comprises NbCoSi 1-x Sn x and x is greater than 0.27.

8. The vehicle of claim 6 , wherein the alloy comprises TaCoSi 1-x Sn x and x is greater than 0.21.

9. The thermoelectric generator of claim 1 , wherein the alloy further comprises a first element having one element selected from the group consisting of Nb, Ta, Ti, and V.

10. The thermoelectric generator of claim 9 , wherein the alloy further comprises a second element having one element selected from the group consisting of Co and Ni.

11. The thermoelectric generator of claim 10 , wherein the first element is Nb, the second element is Co, and x is greater than 0.27.

12. The thermoelectric generator of claim 1 , wherein x is between 0.27 and 0.50.

13. The thermoelectric generator of claim 10 , wherein the first element is Ta, the second element is Co, and x is greater than 0.21.

14. The thermoelectric generator of claim 10 , wherein the first element is Ti, the second element is Ni, and x is greater than 0.36.

15. The thermoelectric generator of claim 10 , wherein the first element is V, the second element is Co, and x is greater than 0.27.

16. The thermoelectric generator of claim 10 , wherein the plurality of n-type semiconductor elements include the alloy, and the alloy is formulated as ABSi [(1-x)(1-y)] Sn [x(1-y)] D y , wherein A is the first element, B is the second element, and D is a doping agent.

17. The thermoelectric generator of claim 10 , wherein the plurality of p-type semiconductor elements include the alloy, and the alloy formulated as A 1-y BSi (1-x) Sn x D y , wherein A is the first element, B is the second element, and D is a doping agent.

18. The vehicle of claim 6 , wherein x is between 0.27 and 0.50.

Assignees

• Bosch Gmbh Robert

Inventors

• Samsonidze Georgy
• Kozinsky Boris

Classifications

• C22C27/02

  Alloys based on vanadium, niobium, or tantalum · CPC title

• F01N5/025

  the device being thermoelectric generators · CPC title

• Y02T10/16

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• H01L35/22 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic

• C22C27/00 Primary

  Alloys based on rhenium or a refractory metal not mentioned in groups C22C14/00 or C22C16/00 · CPC title