Industrial thermoelectric generator

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9373770-B2
Application number	US-90603407-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 28, 2007
Priority date	Sep 28, 2006
Publication date	Jun 21, 2016
Grant date	Jun 21, 2016

Abstract

An industrial thermoelectric generation assembly and method are provided. A plurality of thermoelectric generation elements is provided. Each element has a first side, a second side opposite the first side, and a lateral surface. A thermally insulative material surrounds the lateral surface of each thermoelectric element. The first side of each thermoelectric element is disposed to contact a process heat source, and the second side is configured to be exposed to an ambient environment. At least two of the plurality of thermoelectric generation elements are wired in series. The thermoelectric generation elements, being good thermal insulators, provide good thermal insulation to the process. Withholding heat within the process (which is desired), is converted to electricity.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An industrial thermoelectric generation assembly comprising:
a flexible thermal insulation layer comprising a first side and a second side opposite the first side that define a thickness of the thermal insulation layer and the thermal insulation layer having a periphery so that the thermal insulation layer forms a sheet; and
a plurality of thermoelectric generation modules disposed within the thermal insulation layer, each module extending between the first and second sides of the thermal insulation layer, and having a first side corresponding to the first side of the thermal insulation layer and a second side corresponding to the second side of the thermal insulation layer;
a plurality of hot side plates which directly physically contact and thermally couple the first sides of the plurality of thermoelectric generation modules to a heat source and have an outermost surface that is in alignment with the first side of the thermal insulation layer;
a plurality of cold side plates which directly physically contact and thermally couple the second sides of the plurality of thermoelectric generation modules and have an outermost surface that is in alignment with the second side of the thermal insulation layer;
wherein:
a portion of each module extending between the first and second sides of the module is surrounded by the thermal insulation layer;

the first side of each thermoelectric generation module is disposed to thermally contact the process heat source through the hot side plates, and the second side is configured to be exposed to an ambient environment temperature through the cold side plates;
at least a portion of the plurality of thermoelectric generation modules are wired in series through the thermal insulation layer, wherein the portion of the plurality of thermoelectric generation modules that are wired in series through the thermal insulation are disposed in the thermal insulation layer in a spiral arrangement so that a first thermoelectric generation module in the series is located through an interior of the thermal insulation layer and each subsequent thermoelectric generation module in the series is located closer to the periphery of the thermal insulation layer that the first thermoelectric generation module; and
the modules are supported in the thermal insulation layer and spaced from each other by the thermal insulation layer, whereby the industrial thermoelectric generation assembly is flexible so that the first side of the thermal insulation layer fits against a planar surface in a first configuration and the first side of the thermal insulation fits against a non-planar surface in a second configuration.

2. The industrial thermoelectric generation assembly of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the thermoelectric generation modules is a nano-scale thermoelectric generation module.

3. The industrial thermoelectric generation assembly of claim 1 , wherein the process heat source is selected from the group consisting of a bath, a process fluid conduit, a heat exchanger, a heat flow, a process fluid vessel, and a hot water line.

4. The industrial thermoelectric generation assembly of claim 1 , and further comprising at least one field device operably coupled to the plurality of thermoelectric generation modules, the at least one field device being powered by electricity provided by the plurality of thermoelectric modules.

5. The industrial thermoelectric generation assembly of claim 4 , wherein the field device provides process communication.

6. The industrial thermoelectric generation assembly of claim 4 , wherein the field device is a process variable transmitter.

7. The industrial thermoelectric generation assembly of claim 4 , wherein the field device provides a diagnostic function relative to the process heat source.

8. The industrial thermoelectric generation assembly of claim 4 , wherein the field device provides an alarm relative to the process heat source.

9. The industrial thermoelectric generation assembly of claim 1 , and further comprising an electrical storage device operably coupled to the plurality of thermoelectric generation modules.

10. The industrial thermoelectric generation assembly of claim 9 , wherein the electrical storage device includes at least one rechargeable battery.

11. The industrial thermoelectric generation assembly of claim 1 , wherein the assembly generates about 1.8 kilowatts.

12. The industrial thermoelectric generation assembly of claim 1 , wherein each thermoelectric generation module is a solid state thermoelectric generation module.

13. The industrial thermoelectric generation assembly of claim 12 , wherein each thermoelectric generation module produces about 45 milliwatts when exposed to a thermal gradient of about 50 degrees Celsius.

14. The industrial thermoelectric generation assembly of claim 1 , wherein the thermoelectric generation modules are embedded in the thermal insulation layer.

15. The thermoelectric generation assembly of claim 1 , wherein each thermoelectric generation module provides a direct thermal path between the process heat source and the ambient environment.

16. A thermoelectric generation assembly comprising:
flexible thermal insulation having a periphery, a first side and an opposing second side, wherein the first side and the second side define a thickness of the flexible thermal insulation;
a plurality of thermoelectric generation modules disposed within the flexible thermal insulation, each thermoelectric generation module including a hot side plate having an outermost surface and a cold side plate having an outermost surface and each thermoelectric generation module extending between the first and second sides of the flexible thermal insulation so that the outermost surface of the hot side plate is in alignment with the first side of the flexible thermally insulative fabric and the outermost surface of the cold side plate is in alignment with the second side of the flexible thermal insulation, wherein a portion of the plurality of thermoelectric generation modules are wired in series through the flexible thermal insulation and are disposed in the flexible thermal insulation in a spiral arrangement so that a first thermoelectric generation module in the series is located through an interior of the flexible thermal insulation and each subsequent thermoelectric module in the series is located closer to the periphery of the flexible thermal insulation than the first thermoelectric generation module;
wherein the thermoelectric generation modules are spaced apart from each other and contained in the flexible thermal insulation such that the first side of the of the flexible thermal insulation fits against a planar surface in one configuration of the thermoelectric generation assembly and fits against a non-planar surface in a second configuration of the thermoelectric generation assembly; and
wherein each hot side plate of each thermoelectric generation module contacts a heat source and each cold side plate of each thermoelectric generation modules module is exposed to an ambient environment.

Assignees

• Chakraborty Swapan
• Rosemount Inc

Inventors

• Chakraborty Swapan

Classifications

• H01L35/32 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H01L35/10

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H10N10/17 Primary

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

• H10N10/82 Primary

  Interconnections · CPC title