Cartridge-based thermoelectric systems

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9293680-B2
Application number	US-201213489237-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 5, 2012
Priority date	Jun 6, 2011
Publication date	Mar 22, 2016
Grant date	Mar 22, 2016

Abstract

Cartridge-based thermoelectric assemblies and systems are provided which include at least one shunt configured to extend around a conduit, a plurality of thermoelectric elements in thermal communication and in electrical communication with the at least one shunt with at least a portion of the at least one shunt sandwiched between the at least one first thermoelectric element and the at least one second thermoelectric element. The thermoelectric elements are electrically isolated from the conduit. The thermoelectric assemblies and systems further include at least one heat exchanger in thermal communication with the at least one shunt and configured to be in thermal communication with a second fluid.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A thermoelectric system comprising:
at least a portion of a tube configured to allow a first fluid to flow through the at least a portion of the tube along an axial direction of the tube;
a first thermoelectric assembly and a second thermoelectric assembly, wherein each of the first thermoelectric assembly and the second thermoelectric assembly is in thermal communication with the tube and with a second fluid and comprises:
at least one first shunt extending around an outer perimeter of the tube generally perpendicularly to the axial direction;
at least one first thermoelectric element in thermal communication and in electrical communication with the at least one first shunt;
at least one second thermoelectric element in thermal communication and in electrical communication with the at least one first shunt, wherein at least a portion of the at least one first shunt is sandwiched between the at least one first thermoelectric element and the at least one second thermoelectric element, wherein the at least one first thermoelectric element and the at least one second thermoelectric element are electrically isolated from the tube; and
at least one heat exchanger in thermal communication with the at least one first shunt and in thermal communication with the second fluid, the at least one heat exchanger comprising a plurality of fins extending generally outwardly from the at least one first shunt;

at least one compliant element between and mechanically coupled to the at least one heat exchanger of the first thermoelectric assembly and the at least one heat exchanger of the second thermoelectric assembly; and
at least one second shunt extending around the outer perimeter of the tube generally perpendicularly to the axial direction and in thermal communication with the tube, wherein at least a portion of the at least one second shunt is electrically isolated from the tube and is in thermal communication with, in electrical communication with, and sandwiched between the at least one second thermoelectric element of the first thermoelectric assembly and the at least one first thermoelectric element of the second thermoelectric assembly,
wherein the first thermoelectric assembly, the at least one second shunt, and the second thermoelectric assembly are in series electrical communication with one another such that the thermoelectric system has an electrical current flow path through the at least one first thermoelectric element of the first thermoelectric assembly, the at least one first shunt of the first thermoelectric assembly, the at least one second thermoelectric element of the first thermoelectric assembly, the at least one second shunt, the at least one first thermoelectric element of the second thermoelectric assembly, the at least one first shunt of the second thermoelectric assembly, and the at least one second thermoelectric element of the second thermoelectric assembly.

2. The thermoelectric system of claim 1 , wherein the current flow path is in a direction generally parallel to the axial direction.

3. The thermoelectric system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one first shunt encircles the tube, and the at least one second shunt encircles the tube.

4. The thermoelectric system of claim 1 , wherein each of the first thermoelectric assembly and the second thermoelectric assembly further comprises at least one electrically insulating layer electrically isolating the at least one first shunt from the at least one heat exchanger.

5. The thermoelectric system of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the at least one heat exchanger of the first thermoelectric assembly and the at least one heat exchanger of the second thermoelectric assembly is compliant in response to motion among portions of the thermoelectric system.

6. The thermoelectric system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one second shunt is configured to slide along the tube and to remain in thermal communication with the tube in response to thermal expansion or contraction within the thermoelectric system.

7. The thermoelectric system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one second shunt is responsive to increases of temperature by increasing a compressive force in a radial direction applied to the tube.

8. The thermoelectric system of claim 1 , wherein the current flow path passes once through the first thermoelectric assembly, the at least one second shunt, and the second thermoelectric assembly.

9. The thermoelectric system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one first shunt comprises a first segment, a second segment, and an electrically insulating material between the first segment and the second segment, the at least one first thermoelectric element comprising at least one first p-type thermoelectric element and at least one first n-type thermoelectric element, the at least one second thermoelectric element comprising at least one second p-type thermoelectric element and at least one second n-type thermoelectric element, wherein the first segment of the at least one first shunt is sandwiched between the at least one first p-type thermoelectric element and the at least one second n-type thermoelectric element, and the second segment of the at least one first shunt is sandwiched between the at least one first n-type thermoelectric element and the at least one second p-type thermoelectric element.

10. The thermoelectric system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one first shunt comprises a plurality of first segments with electrically insulating material between at least some of the first segments, the at least one first thermoelectric element comprising a plurality of p-type thermoelectric elements and a plurality of n-type thermoelectric elements, the at least one second thermoelectric element comprising a plurality of p-type thermoelectric elements and a plurality of n-type thermoelectric elements, wherein each first segment of the plurality of first segments is sandwiched between a thermoelectric element of the at least one first thermoelectric element and a thermoelectric element of the at least one second thermoelectric element having different doping types.

11. The thermoelectric system of claim 10 , wherein the at least one second shunt comprises a plurality of second segments with electrically insulating material between at least some of the second segments, wherein each second segment of the plurality of second segments is sandwiched between a thermoelectric element of the at least one second thermoelectric element of the first thermoelectric assembly and a thermoelectric element of the at least one first thermoelectric element of the second thermoelectric assembly having different doping types.

12. The thermoelectric system of claim 1 , wherein the fins of the plurality of fins extend generally outwardly from the at least one first shunt generally parallel to one another perpendicularly to the axial direction.

13. The thermoelectric system of claim 1 , wherein at least some of the fins of the plurality of fins are planar in a plane generally parallel to the axial direction.

14. The thermoelectric system of claim 1 , wherein at least some of the fins of the plurality of fins are planar in a plane perpendicular to the axial direction.

15. The thermoelectric system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one compliant element is between and mechanically coupled to a first fin of the at least one heat exchanger of the first thermoelectric assembly and a second fin of the at least one heat exchanger of the second thermoelectric assembly.

16. The thermoelectric system of claim 1 , wherein, the at least one compliant element is complia

Assignees

• Poliquin Eric
• Crane Douglas T
• Jovovic Vladimir
• Dean Joseph
• Kossakovski Dmitri
• Lagrandeur John Walter
• Gentherm Inc

Inventors

• Poliquin Eric
• Crane Douglas T
• Jovovic Vladimir
• Dean Joseph
• Kossakovski Dmitri
• Lagrandeur John Walter

Classifications

• H01M14/00 Primary

  Electrochemical current or voltage generators not provided for in groups H01M6/00 - H01M12/00; Manufacture thereof · CPC title

• H01L35/32 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic

• F01N5/025

  the device being thermoelectric generators · CPC title

• F28D7/106

  consisting of two coaxial conduits or modules of two coaxial conduits · CPC title

• Y02T10/16

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic