Energy harvesting device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018198050-A1
Application number	US-201715403618-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jan 11, 2017
Priority date	Jan 11, 2017
Publication date	Jul 12, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

An energy harvesting device uses quantum dot layers or nanowires to generate an electrical potential between first and second electrodes. The device enables thermal energy generated from a heat source to be used in a battery to power a device.

First claim

1 . An energy harvesting device comprising:
a first electrode and a second electrode spaced apart relative to each other to define a cavity; and a plurality of quantum dot layers disposed within the cavity to generate an electrical potential between the first and second electrodes.

2 . The energy harvesting device according to claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of quantum dot layers has an energy level which is higher than the energy level of the preceding quantum dot layer.

3 . The energy harvesting device according to claim 1 , wherein each of the quantum dot layers comprises a plurality of quantum dots uniformly distributed in a colloidal substance.

4 . The energy harvesting device according to claim 1 , wherein the number of quantum dot layers is between 20 and 40.

5 . The energy harvesting device according to claim 3 , wherein the radius of the quantum dot is inversely proportional to the energy level of the quantum dot.

6 . The energy harvesting device according to claim 1 , wherein the spacing between the quantum dot layers is less than a localisation length of the quantum dot layer.

7 . The energy harvesting device according to claim 1 , wherein power management circuitry is coupled to one of the first or second electrodes.

8 . The energy harvesting device according to claim 1 , wherein a heat source is coupled to the device to generate the emission of electrons from one of the first or second electrodes.

9 . The energy harvesting device according to claim 7 , wherein the power management circuitry comprises a direct current-direct current converter arranged to convert an input current from the respective one of the first or second electrodes to a fixed current.

10 . A battery comprising:
a device in accordance with claim 1 .

11 . A battery comprising:
a plurality of devices in accordance with claim 1 .

12 . A sensor arrangement comprising a battery in accordance with claim 10 .

13 . A sensor arrangement comprising a battery in accordance with claim 11 .

14 . A mobile computing device comprising a battery in accordance with claim 10 .

15 . A mobile computing device comprising a battery in accordance with claim 11 .

16 . A method of harvesting energy, the method comprising:
disposing a plurality of quantum dot layers in layered formation onto a first electrode; disposing a second electrode onto the plurality of quantum dot layers; generating the emission of electrons from the first electrode to generate tunnelling of the electrons through the plurality of quantum dot layers and into the second electrode; generating the transmission of the electrons from the second electrode to power management circuitry.

17 . An energy harvesting device comprising:
a first electrode and a second electrode spaced apart relative to each other to define a cavity; and a plurality of nanowires disposed within the cavity, wherein each of the nanowires comprises a plurality of quantum dots along the length of the nanowire to generate an electrical potential between the first and second electrodes.

18 . The device according to claim 17 , wherein each of the plurality of quantum dots is of an energy level which is higher than the preceding quantum dot.

19 . The device according to claim 17 , wherein the radius of the quantum dot is inversely proportional to the energy level of the respective quantum dot.

Assignees

• Univ Swansea
• Univ Soochow

Inventors

• Li Lijie
• Jiang Jianhua

Classifications

• H01L35/32

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H01L35/34 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H10N10/01 Primary

  Manufacture or treatment · CPC title

• H10N10/17

  characterised by the structure or configuration of the cell or thermocouple forming the device · CPC title