41results about "Energy production using thermoelectric elements" patented technology

The invention discloses a nuclear reactor power source with heat pipes bidirectionally inserted into a reactor core. The nuclear reactor power source comprises the reactor core, two groups of the heatpipes, two groups of shields and two groups of power generating parts. The two groups of the shields and the power generating parts are symmetrically arranged on two sides of the reactor core, one ends of the two groups of the heat pipes are inserted into the reactor core from two sides of the reactor core while the other ends are inserted into the two groups of the power generating parts respectively, the shields are arranged between the reactor core and the power generating parts, the heat pipes penetrate the shields, and the shields protect the power generating parts from radiation damagescaused by the reactor core. By adoption of a silent thermoelectric conversion technique, each power generating part comprises thermocouple conversion elements and cooling passages, wherein the thermocouple conversion elements and the cooling passages are arranged at intervals. One side of each thermocouple conversion element is heated by the corresponding heat pipe while the other side is cooledby a working medium in the corresponding cooling passage, so that temperature difference is formed on two sides of each thermocouple conversion element while thermoelectric potential is formed, and heat energy is converted into electric energy for multipurpose equipment and systems to use. By arrangement of the two groups of the power generating parts at two ends of the reactor core, the energy utilization rate is increased.

In some embodiments, energy is released by converting the bonding potential energy between two electropositive masses capable of forming a stable bond between them into the kinetic energy of an electron quasiparticle initially captured between them by the coulomb potential. The electron quasiparticles form transient bonds with delocalized ions and other reactants in or on a reaction particle where reaction rates and branches are controlled by the choice of electron quasiparticle effective mass. Methods and apparatus for stimulating and controlling such association reactions are shown and described. Thermionic and semiconductor methods and apparatus convert the electron quasiparticle energy directly into electricity. Other embodiments are disclosed.

In some embodiments, energy is released by converting the bonding potential energy between two electropositive masses capable of forming a stable bond between them into the kinetic energy of an electron quasiparticle initially captured between them by the coulomb potential. The electron quasiparticles form transient bonds with delocalized ions and other reactants in or on a reaction particle where reaction rates and branches are controlled by the choice of electron quasiparticle effective mass. Methods and apparatus for stimulating and controlling such association reactions are shown and described. Thermionic and semiconductor methods and apparatus convert the electron quasiparticle energy directly into electricity. Other embodiments are disclosed.

The invention discloses space nuclear power supply apparatus based on thermoacoustic and thermoelectric effects. The apparatus comprises a pressure vessel, and a fuel used for a nuclear reaction is arranged in the pressure vessel; the apparatus further comprises thermoacoustic and thermoelectric devices and a heat output device; and the thermoacoustic and thermoelectric devices comprise a resonance hollow cavity, a porous electrode plate, a porous medium and a heat-conducting electrode plate which are arranged in sequence from the bottom to the top, the porous medium is arranged on the pressure vessel in a passing manner, the resonance hollow cavity and the porous electrode plate are placed in the pressure vessel, the heat output device is arranged on the heat-conducting electrode plate, and the heat output device is provided with a radiation radiator. The apparatus disclosed by the invention firstly converts heat of a reactor core into high-frequency pulse thermal oscillation waves according to the thermoacoustic effect, the thermal oscillation waves act on the hot side of a thermoelectric material at extremely-fast frequency to realize a higher-efficiency transient thermoelectricconversion process, and the transient thermoelectric conversion process is a space nuclear power technology combining dynamic and static states, and has thermoelectric conversion efficiency higher than that of a current static thermoelectric conversion technology.

The present invention relates to an apparatus for charging an emergency battery for supplying emergency power to an emergency core cooling apparatus in an atomic power plant. According to the present invention, by providing the apparatus for charging the emergency battery, which supplies the emergency power to the emergency core cooling apparatus, by using a thermoelectric generation element, the emergency core cooling apparatus can normally perform a cooling function and atomic reactor damage due to overheating of the core can be effectively delayed or prevented.

A low energy nuclear thermoelectric system for a vehicle which provides a cost-effective and sustainable means of transportation for long operation range with zero emission using an onboard low energy nuclear reaction thermal generator. The present invention generally includes a thermal generator within a thermal enclosure case, an energy conversion system linked with the thermal generator, an energy storage system linked with the energy conversion system, a cooling system and a central control system. The thermal generator reacts nickel powder with hydrogen within a reactor chamber to produce heat. The heat is then transferred to the energy conversion system to be converted into electricity for storage in the energy storage system. The cooling system provides cooling for the various components of the present invention and the control system regulates its overall operation. The present invention may be utilized to power a vehicle in an efficient, sustainable and cost-effective manner.

Systems, methods, and devices of the various embodiments enable a Nuclear Thermionic Avalanche Cell (NTAC) to capture gamma ray photons emitted during a fission process, such as a fission process of Uranium-235 (U-235), and to breed and use a new gamma ray source to increase an overall emission flux of gamma ray photons. Various embodiments combine a fission process with the production of Co-60, thereby boosting the output flux of gamma ray photons for use by a NTAC in generating power. Various embodiments combine a fission process with the production of Co-60, a NTAC generating avalanche cell power, and a thermoelectric generator generating thermoelectric power.

A system for monitoring a condition of a nuclear reactor pressure vessel disposed in a radioactive environment includes an instrument structured to monitor a condition of the nuclear reactor pressure vessel; a powered wireless transmitting modem disposed in the radioactive environment, the wireless transmitting modem being electrically coupled to the instrument; a receiving modem disposed in the line of sight of the transmitting modem, the receiving modem being in wireless communication with the transmitting modem; and a signal processing unit electrically coupled to the receiving modem, the signal processing unit being structured to determine the condition of the nuclear reactor pressure vessel from the instrument. The transmitting modem is powered by a thermocouple disposed in or on the reactor pressure vessel.

The invention discloses a marine silent heat pipe reactor power system. The system adopts a double-layer shell arrangement, including a core, a shield body, a heat pipe, a thermoelectric conversion system for thermoelectric power generation and a waste heat discharge system, and the heat pipes protrude from both ends of the core alternately. One end of the heat pipe is inserted into the core, and the other end is inserted into the thermoelectric conversion system of thermoelectric power generation; The electrical appliances are connected to heat the hot end of the thermoelectric generator, and the water flows through the cold plate to cool the cold end of the thermoelectric generator; the waste heat removal system is an indirect cooling closed loop, including cooling water pipes, water tanks, circulating water pumps and shell heat exchangers, relying on The circulating water pump makes the water flow in the closed circuit, cooling the cold end of the thermoelectric generator, and the thermoelectric generator uses the temperature difference between its two ends to generate an electric potential, which converts heat energy into electrical energy, which can be used by underwater unmanned submersibles.

A vacuum micro-electronics device that utilizes fissile material capable of using the existing neutron leakage from the fuel assemblies of a nuclear reactor to produce thermal energy to power the heater / cathode element of the vacuum micro-electronics device and a self-powered detector emitter to produce the voltage / current necessary to power the anode / plate terminal of the vacuum micro-electronics device.

The invention discloses a space nuclear power supply device based on thermoacoustic and thermoelectric effects, which includes a pressure vessel in which fuel for nuclear reactions is arranged, a thermoacoustic and thermoelectric device and a heat output device, and a thermoacoustic and thermoelectric device , including a resonant cavity, a porous electrode plate, a porous medium and a thermally conductive electrode plate arranged in sequence from bottom to top, the porous medium is perforated on the pressure vessel, the resonant cavity and the porous electrode plate are placed in the pressure vessel, and the heat output device is set in On the heat conduction electrode plate, a radiation radiator is arranged on the heat output device. In the present invention, according to the thermoacoustic effect, the heat of the core is converted into a high-frequency pulse thermal oscillation wave, and the thermal oscillation wave acts on the hot side of the thermoelectric material at an extremely fast frequency to realize a more efficient transient thermoelectric conversion process, which is It is a space nuclear power technology combining dynamic and static, and the thermoelectric conversion efficiency is higher than that of the existing static thermoelectric conversion technology.

The invention discloses a multipurpose small nuclear reactor power supply comprising a reactor core, a heat pipe, a shielding body and a thermoelectric power generation device. One end of the heat pipe is inserted into the reactor core and the other end is inserted into the thermoelectric power generation device. The shielding body is arranged between the reactor core and the thermoelectric powergeneration device. The heat pipe penetrates through the shielding body and the shielding body protects the thermoelectric power generation device from serious radiation damage of the reactor core. Thethermoelectric power generation device comprises thermocouple conversion elements which are arranged at intervals and a cooling passage. The heat pipe is inserted into the thermoelectric power generation device and located on the outer side the thermocouple conversion elements on the two sides of the cooling passage so that the heat pipe is enabled to heat one side of the thermocouple conversionelements in the thermoelectric power generation device and the water in the cooling passage is enabled to cool the other side of the thermocouple conversion elements. The thermocouple conversion elements generates an electric potential by utilizing the temperature difference between the two ends to convert heat energy into electric energy to be used for the multipurpose equipment and system.