公开(公告)号：US20140230874A1

公开(公告)日：2014-08-21

申请号：US13815284

申请日：2013-02-15

申请人： Aleksandr Sergey Kushch

发明人： Aleksandr Sergey Kushch

IPC分类号： H01L35/28

CPC分类号： H01L35/28 ,  F01N5/025 ,  H01L35/30 ,  Y02T10/16

摘要： A thermoelectric generator utilizing a number of thermoelectric modules to produce electric power from waste heat when waste heat is available and from an alternate heat source when waste heat is not available. In both cases hot gasses are directed along several separate paths so that all of the modules are provided with approximately equal hot side temperatures. In a preferred embodiment the engine exhaust exits into an octagonally-shaped plenum into eight separate heat exchangers. Eight modules are mounted in each of the heat exchangers for a total of 64 modules. Preferred embodiments of the present invention include an auxiliary combustion burner-blower unit producing a hot exhaust that exits into the plenum to provide electric power when the truck is not operating. Valve features are provided to control the temperature and exhaust flow rate through the generator.

摘要翻译： 一种热电发电机，当余热可用时，利用多个热电模块从废热产生电力，并且当废热不可用时，从热交换器产生。 在这两种情况下，热气体沿着几个单独的路径被引导，使得所有模块都具有大致相等的热侧温度。 在一个优选实施例中，发动机排气口进入八边形形状的通风室进入八个单独的热交换器。 在每个热交换器中安装了八个模块，共有64个模块。 本发明的优选实施例包括辅助燃烧式燃烧器 - 鼓风机单元，其产生当排气车不工作时出口到集气室中以提供电力的热排气。 提供阀门功能来控制通过发电机的温度和排气流量。

公开(公告)号：US20110284048A1

公开(公告)日：2011-11-24

申请号：US13073102

申请日：2011-03-28

申请人： Frank HAASS ,  Norbert B. ELSNER ,  Laverne Elsner ,  Saeid GHAMATY ,  Daniel KROMMENHOEK

发明人： Frank HAASS ,  Norbert B. ELSNER ,  Laverne Elsner ,  Saeid GHAMATY ,  Daniel KROMMENHOEK

IPC分类号： H01L35/12 ,  H01L35/34

CPC分类号： H01L35/26 ,  H01L29/155 ,  H01L29/245 ,  H01L35/14

摘要： A multi-layer superlattice quantum well thermoelectric material comprising at least 10 alternating layers has a layer thickness of each less than 50 nm, the alternating layers being electrically conducting and barrier layers, wherein the layer structure shows no discernible interdiffusion leading to a break-up or dissolution of the layer boundaries upon heat treatment at a temperature in the range from 50 to 150° C. for a time of at least 100 hours and the concentration of doping materials in the conducting layers is 1018 to 1023 cm−3 and in the barrier layers is 1013 to 1018 cm−3.

摘要翻译： 包括至少10个交替层的多层超晶格量子阱热电材料具有每个小于50nm的层厚度，所述交替层是导电和阻挡层，其中所述层结构没有显示出可辨别的相互扩散，导致破裂 或在50〜150℃的温度下热处理时的层边界溶解至少100小时，导电层中的掺杂材料的浓度为1018〜1023cm-3，在 阻挡层为1013〜1018cm-3。

公开(公告)号：US20110100408A1

公开(公告)日：2011-05-05

申请号：US12655793

申请日：2010-01-06

申请人： Aleksandr Kushch ,  Frederick A. Leavitt ,  Daniel Krommenhoek ,  Saeid Ghamaty ,  Norbert B. Elsner

发明人： Aleksandr Kushch ,  Frederick A. Leavitt ,  Daniel Krommenhoek ,  Saeid Ghamaty ,  Norbert B. Elsner

IPC分类号： H01L35/30 ,  H01L21/02 ,  H01L35/34

CPC分类号： H01L35/34 ,  C23C14/20 ,  C23C14/352 ,  C23C14/562 ,  F25B2321/023 ,  H01L35/22 ,  H01L35/32

摘要： A thermoelectric module comprised of a quantum well thermoelectric material with low thermal conductivity and low electrical resitivity (high conductivity) for producing n-legs and p-legs for thermoelectric modules. These qualities are achieved by fabricating crystalline quantum well super-lattice layers on a substrate material having very low thermal conductivity. Prior to depositing the super-lattice thermoelectric layers the low thermal conductivity substrate is coated with a thin layer of crystalline semi-conductor material, preferably silicon. This greatly improves the thermoelectric quality of the super-lattice quantum well layers. In preferred embodiments the super-lattice layers are about 4 nm to 20 nm thick. In preferred embodiments about 100 to 1000 of these super-lattice layers are deposited on each substrate layer, to provide films of super-lattice layers with thicknesses of in the range of about 0.4 microns to about 20 microns on much thicker substrates. The substrates may be a few microns to a few millimeters thick. The thermoelectric films are then stacked and fabricated into thermoelectric p-legs and n-legs which in turn are fabricated into thermoelectric modules. These layers of quantum well material may in preferred embodiments be separated by much thicker layers of thermal and electrical insulating material such that the volume of insulating material in each leg is at least 20 times larger than the volume of quantum well material.

摘要翻译： 由热导率低的量子阱热电材料和低电阻率（高导电性）组成的热电模块，用于产生用于热电模块的n型腿和p型腿。 这些质量通过在具有非常低的热导率的衬底材料上制造结晶量子阱超晶格层来实现。 在沉积超晶格热电层之前，低导热性衬底被涂覆有薄的晶体半导体材料，优选硅。 这大大提高了超晶格量子阱层的热电质量。 在优选实施例中，超晶格层约为4nm至20nm厚。 在优选实施例中，在每个衬底层上沉积约100至1000个这些超晶格层，以在更厚的衬底上提供厚度在约0.4微米至约20微米范围内的超晶格层的膜。 衬底可以是几微米到几毫米厚。 然后将热电膜堆叠并制造成热电p支脚和n支脚，其又被制造成热电模块。 量子阱材料的这些层可以在优选的实施方案中由较厚的热和电绝缘材料层隔开，使得每个支脚中的绝缘材料的体积比量子阱材料的体积至少大20倍。

公开(公告)号：US20100229911A1

公开(公告)日：2010-09-16

申请号：US12590653

申请日：2009-11-12

申请人： Frederick A. Leavitt ,  Norbert B. Elsner ,  John C. Bass ,  John W. McCoy

发明人： Frederick A. Leavitt ,  Norbert B. Elsner ,  John C. Bass ,  John W. McCoy

IPC分类号： H01L35/20

CPC分类号： H01L35/32 ,  H01L35/16 ,  H01L35/34

摘要： A long life, low cost, high-temperature, high efficiency thermoelectric module. Preferred embodiments include a two-part (a high temperature part and a cold temperature part) egg-crate and segmented N legs and P legs, with the thermoelectric materials in the three segments chosen for their chemical compatibility or their figure of merit in the various temperature ranges between the hot side and the cold side of the module. The legs include metal meshes partially embedded in thermoelectric segments to help maintain electrical contacts notwithstanding substantial temperature variations. In preferred embodiments a two-part molded egg-crate holds in place and provides insulation and electrical connections for the thermoelectric N legs and P legs. The high temperature part of the egg-crate is comprised of a ceramic material capable of operation at temperatures in excess of 500° C. and the cold temperature part is comprised of a thermoplastic material having very low thermal conductivity.

摘要翻译： 寿命长，成本低，高温，高效率的热电模块。 优选实施例包括两部分（高温部分和冷温部分）蛋箱和分段的N腿和P腿，其中三个部分中的热电材料被选择用于它们的化学相容性或其各种品质因数 模块的热侧和冷端之间的温度范围。 腿部包括部分地嵌入热电段中的金属网，以帮助维持电接触，尽管有相当大的温度变化。 在优选实施例中，两部分模制蛋箱保持就位并为热电N腿和P腿提供绝缘和电连接。 蛋箱的高温部分由能够在超过500℃的温度下操作的陶瓷材料组成，并且冷温部分由具有非常低导热性的热塑性材料组成。

公开(公告)号：US07342170B2

公开(公告)日：2008-03-11

申请号：US10818130

申请日：2004-04-05

申请人： Saeid Ghamaty ,  Norbert B. Elsner ,  John C. Bass

发明人： Saeid Ghamaty ,  Norbert B. Elsner ,  John C. Bass

IPC分类号： H01L35/12

CPC分类号： H01L35/22 ,  H01L35/26 ,  H01L35/34

摘要： A super-lattice thermoelectric device. The device is comprised of p-legs and n-legs, each leg being comprised of a large number of very thin alternating layers of two materials with differing electron band gaps. The n-legs in the device are comprised of alternating layers of Si and SiC. The p-legs are comprised of alternating layers of B4C and B9C. In preferred embodiments the layers are about 100 angstroms thick. Thermoelectric modules made according to the present invention are useful for both cooling applications as well as electric power generation. This preferred embodiment is a thermoelectric 10×10 egg crate type module about 6 cm×6 cm×0.76 cm designed to produce 70 Watts with a temperature difference of 300 degrees C. with a module efficiency of about 30 percent. The module has 98 active thermoelectric legs, with each leg having more than 3 million super-lattice layers.

摘要翻译： 超晶格热电器件。 该装置由p腿和n腿组成，每个腿由大量具有不同电子带隙的两种材料的非常薄的交替层组成。 器件中的n脚由Si和SiC的交替层组成。 P腿由B 4 C和B 9 C的交替层组成。 在优选的实施方案中，这些层是约100埃厚。 根据本发明制造的热电模块对于冷却应用以及发电都是有用的。 该优选实施例是一种约6cm×6cm×0.76cm的热电10×10蛋箱型模块，其设计为产生70瓦，温度差为300摄氏度，模块效率约为30％。 该模块具有98个活动热电腿，每个支腿具有超过3百万个超格子层。

公开(公告)号：US20150243870A1

公开(公告)日：2015-08-27

申请号：US13999430

申请日：2014-02-25

申请人： Aleksandr S. Kushch

发明人： Aleksandr S. Kushch

IPC分类号： H01L35/30 ,  H01L35/04 ,  H01L35/32

CPC分类号： H01L35/30 ,  F24B1/26 ,  F24B15/00 ,  F24C1/00 ,  H01L35/32

摘要： A compact high power density thermoelectric generator for producing electric power from a hot fluid heat source. In preferred embodiments the HPD TEGs provide a wide range of electric power generators with a large range of outputs utilizing a modular approach featuring: (1) a basic building TEG block which can be combined with a number of the same type of building blocks to provide (2) a basic TEG section and a number of these basic TEG sections can be combined to provide this wide range of (3) HPD TEG systems. In these preferred embodiments the heat sources could include the exhaust of a truck, car boat, and other generators engines.

摘要翻译： 一种用于从热流体热源产生电力的紧凑型高功率密度热电发电机。 在优选实施例中，HPD TEG使用模块化方法提供具有大范围输出的宽范围的发电机，其特征在于：（1）基本建筑TEG块，其可以与多个相同类型的构建块组合以提供 （2）一个基本的TEG部分和一些这些基本的TEG部分可以组合起来提供这种广泛的（3）HPD TEG系统。 在这些优选实施例中，热源可以包括卡车，汽车船和其他发电机发动机的排气。

公开(公告)号：US07038234B2

公开(公告)日：2006-05-02

申请号：US10818028

申请日：2004-04-05

申请人： Saeid Ghamaty ,  Norbert B. Elsner ,  John C. Bass

发明人： Saeid Ghamaty ,  Norbert B. Elsner ,  John C. Bass

IPC分类号： H01L29/09 ,  H01L31/328 ,  H01L31/336 ,  H01L31/72 ,  H01L31/109

CPC分类号： H01L35/22 ,  H01L29/155 ,  H01L35/26 ,  H01L35/32 ,  H01L35/34 ,  Y10S257/93

摘要： A super-lattice thermoelectric device. The device includes p-legs and n-legs, each leg having a large number of alternating layers of two materials with differing electron band gaps. The n-legs in the device are comprised of alternating layers of silicon and silicon germanium. The p-legs includes alternating layers of B4C and B9C. In preferred embodiments the layers are about 100 angstroms thick. Applicants have fabricated and tested a first Si/SiGe (n-leg) and B4C/B9C (p-leg) quantum well thermocouple. Each leg was only 11 microns thick on a 5 micron Si substrate. Nevertheless, in actual tests the thermocouple operated with an amazing efficiency of 14 percent with a Th of 250 degrees C. Thermoelectric modules made according to the present invention are useful for both cooling applications as well as electric power generation. This preferred embodiment is a thermoelectric 10×10 egg crate type module about 6 cm×6 cm×0.76 cm designed to produce 70 Watts with a temperature difference of 300 degrees C with a module efficiency of about 30 percent.

摘要翻译： 超晶格热电器件。 该装置包括p腿和n腿，每个腿具有大量具有不同电子带隙的两种材料的交替层。 器件中的n脚由硅和硅锗的交替层组成。 P腿包括B 4 C和B 9 C的交替层。 在优选的实施方案中，这些层是约100埃厚。 申请人已经制造和测试了第一Si / SiGe（n-leg）和B 4 C / B 9 C（p-leg）量子阱热电偶。 在5微米Si衬底上，每条腿仅为11微米厚。 然而，在实际测试中，热电偶以250摄氏度的T 达到惊人的14％的效率运行。根据本发明制造的热电模块可用于两个冷却应用以及电力 代。 该优选实施例是大约6cm×6cm×0.76cm的热电10×10蛋箱型模块，设计成产生70瓦，温度差为300摄氏度，模块效率约为30％。

公开(公告)号：US6096964A

公开(公告)日：2000-08-01

申请号：US192097

申请日：1998-11-13

申请人： Saeid Ghamaty ,  Norbert B. Elsner

发明人： Saeid Ghamaty ,  Norbert B. Elsner

IPC分类号： H01L35/22 ,  H01L35/26 ,  H01L35/00

CPC分类号： H01L35/22 ,  H01L35/26

摘要： Thermoelectric elements for use in a thermoelectric device. The thermoelectric elements have a very large number of alternating layers of semiconductor material deposited on a very thin flexible substrate. The layers of semiconductor material alternate between barrier semiconductor material and conducting semiconductor material creating quantum wells within the thin layers of conducting semiconductor material. The conducting semiconductor material is doped to create conducting properties. The substrate preferably should be very thin, a very good thermal and electrical insulator with good thermal stability and strong and flexible. In a preferred embodiment, the thin organic substrate is a thin polyimide film (specifically Kapton.RTM.) coated with an even thinner film of crystalline silicon. The substrate is about 0.3 mills (127 microns) thick. The crystalline silicon layer is about 0.1 micron thick. This embodiment includes on each side of the thin Kapton.RTM. substrate about 3,000 alternating layers of silicon and silicon-germanium, each layer being about 100 .ANG. and the total thickness of the layers being about 30 microns. Preferably, the silicon layer is applied in an amorphous form and heated to about 350.degree. C. to 375.degree. C. to crystallize it. In other preferred embodiments, the substrate material is thin films of other organic materials or thin films of inorganic materials such as silicon.

摘要翻译： 用于热电装置的热电元件。 热电元件具有非常大数量的沉积在非常薄的柔性基板上的半导体材料的交替层。 半导体材料层在阻挡半导体材料和导电半导体材料之间交替，在导电半导体材料的薄层内产生量子阱。 导电半导体材料被掺杂以产生导电性能。 基材优选应非常薄，是具有良好热稳定性和强韧性的非常好的热和电绝缘体。 在优选实施例中，薄有机基底是涂覆有更薄的晶体硅膜的薄聚酰亚胺膜（特别是Kapton TM）。 基底厚度约为0.3毫米（127微米）。 晶体硅层约0.1微米厚。 该实施例包括在薄Kapton TM衬底的每一侧上约3,000个交替层的硅和硅 - 锗，每层约为100，层的总厚度为约30微米。 优选地，将硅层以非晶形式施加并加热至约350℃至375℃以使其结晶。 在其它优选实施例中，衬底材料是其它有机材料的薄膜或无机材料如硅的薄膜。

公开(公告)号：US6053163A

公开(公告)日：2000-04-25

申请号：US366949

申请日：1999-08-04

申请人： John C. Bass

发明人： John C. Bass

IPC分类号： F23L11/00 ,  H01L35/00 ,  F23L3/00

CPC分类号： F23J13/00 ,  F23L11/00 ,  H01L35/00 ,  F23M2900/13003

摘要： A stovepipe thermoelectric generator. The unit fits in a stovepipe of a coal or wood stove. At least one thermoelectric module is sandwiched between a hot side fin unit with fins extending into the flow of exhaust gases and a cold side fin unit with fins cooled by forced room air. A damper controls exhaust gas flow through a heat chamber, directing the exhaust gas through a generating side and a bypass side depending on a temperature indication. This prevents heat damage to the thermoelectric module. At least one fan is provided to force room air through cooling fins of the cold side fin unit An electric circuit is described for providing power for the fan and providing additional electric power for purposes such as charging a battery.

摘要翻译： 炉管热电发电机。 该单元适合于煤或木炉灶的炉子。 至少一个热电模块被夹在热侧翅片单元之间，翅片延伸到废气流中，冷侧翅片单元具有被强制室内空气冷却的翅片。 阻尼器控制通过加热室的废气流，根据温度指示将废气引导通过发生侧和旁路侧。 这样可以防止对热电模块的热损伤。 提供至少一个风扇以迫使室内空气通过冷侧翅片单元的散热片。描述了一种用于为风扇提供电力并为诸如为电池充电的目的提供附加电力的电路。

公开(公告)号：US20120103381A1

公开(公告)日：2012-05-03

申请号：US13317608

申请日：2011-10-24

申请人： Frederick A. Leavitt ,  John W. McCoy ,  Panneerselvam Marudhachalam ,  Martin Gaertner

发明人： Frederick A. Leavitt ,  John W. McCoy ,  Panneerselvam Marudhachalam ,  Martin Gaertner

IPC分类号： H01L35/32 ,  H01L35/20

CPC分类号： H01L35/30 ,  F01N5/025 ,  H01L35/32 ,  H01L35/34

摘要： A segmented lead telluride egg-crate thermoelectric module. In preferred embodiments N legs and P legs are segmented into at least two segments. The segments are chosen for their figure of merit in the various temperature ranges between the hot side and the cold side of the module. In preferred embodiments a low-temperature egg-crate, molded from a liquid crystal polymer material, having very low thermal conductivity holds in place and provides insulation and electrical connections for the thermoelectric N legs and P legs at the cold side of the module. A castable ceramic capable of operation at temperatures in excess of 500° C. is used to provide electrical insulation between the legs at the hot side of the module.

摘要翻译： 一种分段铅碲化物蛋箱热电模块。 在优选实施例中，N个腿部和P个腿部被分割成至少两个部分。 在模块的热侧和冷端之间的各种温度范围内选择这些段的品质因数。 在优选的实施方案中，由具有非常低导热性的液晶聚合物材料模制的低温蛋箱保持在适当位置，并为模块的冷端处的热电N腿和P腿提供绝缘和电连接。 能够在超过500℃的温度下操作的浇铸陶瓷用于在模块的热侧提供腿之间的电绝缘。