Thermoelectric power generation system for vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9735332-B2
Application number	US-201514685708-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 14, 2015
Priority date	Dec 2, 2014
Publication date	Aug 15, 2017
Grant date	Aug 15, 2017

Abstract

A thermoelectric power generation system for a vehicle is provided. The system includes an air compressor that is configured to compress and discharge air and a vortex tube that is configured to receive the compressed air discharged from the air compressor and separate and discharge the compressed air into two groups of air having a temperature difference. In addition, a thermoelectric module is provided that includes a thermoelectric element having a channel formed at a first side thereof introduced with any one of the two groups of air and a channel formed at a second side thereof introduced with the other of the two groups of air to generate an electromotive force due to a temperature difference of the two groups of air.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A thermoelectric power generation system for a vehicle, comprising:
an air compressor configured to compress and discharge air;
an air tank configured to store the compressed air discharged from the air compressor via an air drier;
a vortex tube configured to receive the compressed air discharged from the air compressor and stored in the air tank and separate and discharge the compressed air into two groups of air having a temperature difference;
a thermoelectric module that includes a thermoelectric element having a channel formed at a first side thereof introduced with a first group of the two groups of air and a channel formed at a second side thereof introduced with a second group of the two groups of air to generate an electromotive force due to the temperature difference of the two groups of air; and
a valve disposed between the air compressor and the vortex tube,
wherein a controller is configured to adjust an operation amount and an operation time of the valve based on information regarding a pressure of the compressed air and a compressed air quantity received from the air compressor and a state of charge from a battery.

2. The thermoelectric power generation system for a vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the
a battery is connected to the thermoelectric element to store the electromotive force generated from the thermoelectric element.

3. The thermoelectric power generation system for a vehicle of claim 1 , further comprising:
a muffler connected to the thermoelectric module to accommodate air discharged from the channels to attenuate noise and discharge the attenuated noise to the exterior.

4. The thermoelectric power generation system for a vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the compressed air stored in the air tank is supplied to an air brake system, an air suspension system, and the vortex tube.

Assignees

• Hyundai Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Jeon Kyung Beom

Classifications

• F25B21/02

  using Peltier effect; using Nernst-Ettinghausen effect · CPC title

• H02J7/35

  with light sensitive cells · CPC title

• F25B9/04 Primary

  using vortex effect · CPC title

• H01M10/46

  Accumulators structurally combined with charging apparatus (circuits for charging H02J7/00) · CPC title

• B60L11/1816

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic