323results about How to "Improve thermoelectric conversion efficiency" patented technology

New thermoelectric materials and devices are disclosed for application to high efficiency thermoelectric power generation. New functional materials based on oxides, rare-earth-oxides, rare-earth-nitrides, rare-earth phosphides, copper-rare-earth oxides, silicon-rare-earth-oxides, germanium-rare-earth-oxides and bismuth rare-earth-oxides are disclosed. Addition of nitrogen and phosphorus are disclosed to optimize the oxide material properties for thermoelectric conversion efficiency. New devices based on bulk and multilayer thermoelectric materials are described. New devices based on bulk and multilayer thermoelectric materials using combinations of at least one of thermoelectric and pyroelectric and ferroelectric materials are described. Thermoelectric devices based on vertical pillar and planar architectures are disclosed. The advantage of the planar thermoelectric effect allows utility for large area applications and is scalable for large scale power generation plants.

A compact, high-performance thermoelectric conversion module includes a laminate having a plurality of insulating layers, p-type thermoelectric semiconductors and n-type thermoelectric semiconductors formed by a technique for manufacturing a multilayer circuit board, particularly a technique for forming a via-conductor. Pairs of the p-type thermoelectric semiconductors and the n-type thermoelectric semiconductors are electrically connected to each other in series through p-n connection conductors to define thermoelectric conversion element pairs. The thermoelectric conversion element pairs are connected in series through, for example, series wiring conductors. The thermoelectric semiconductors each have a plurality of portions in which the peak temperatures of thermoelectric figures of merit are different from each other. These portions are distributed in the stacking direction of the laminate.

A thermoelectric conversion material is provided which stably exhibits high thermoelectric conversion performance at about 300 to 600° C. and has high physical strength, resistance to weathering, durability, stability, and reliability. A method for manufacturing the same, and a thermoelectric conversion element are also provided. Also provided is a thermoelectric conversion material produced using, as a raw material, silicon sludge which has had to be disposed of in landfill. The thermoelectric conversion material of the invention is characterized by containing, as a main component, a sintered body composed of polycrystalline magnesium silicide containing at least one element selected from As, Sb, P, Al, and B. The manufacturing method uses purified and refined silicon sludge.

The invention provides a flexible thermoelectric conversion material with high thermoelectric conversion efficiency. The thermoelectric conversion material comprises a carbon nano-tube structure and a conductive polymer layer. The carbon nano-tube structure comprises a plurality of carbon nano-tubes, and the conductive polymer layer is coated on the surface of the carbon nano-tubes.

During the preparation of nano-metal telluride, using nitrate or chloride of Bi, Sn or Pb and simple substance Te as raw material, N, N-dimethyl formamide as solvent, the thermoelectric nano-materialPb or Sn doped MxTey (M=Bi, Sn or Pb), Bi2Te3 or Pb Te compound is produced through reaction at 100-180 deg.c. By means of the control of reaction condition, spherical, squared or rod nanometer crystal particle with 100 nm below size may be obtained easily. The Bi2Te3 and PbTe based compound after being sintered are used as room temperature and middle temperature thermoelectric material with highest thermoelectric conversion efficiency separately.

A thermoelectric material including a thermoelectric matrix; and nano-inclusions in the thermoelectric matrix, the nano-inclusions having an average particle diameter of about 10 nanometers to about 30 nanometers.

The present invention provides a thermoelectric conversion device having high thermoelectric conversion performance. In this device, electrodes are arranged so that electric current flows in an interlayer direction of a layered substance, unlike the arrangements derived from common knowledge in the art. In the thermoelectric conversion device according to the present invention, a thermoelectric-conversion film is obtained through epitaxial growth and formed by arranging an electrically conducting layer and an electrically insulating layer alternately; the electrically conducting layer has an octahedral crystal structure in which a transition metal atom M is positioned at its center and oxygen atoms are positioned at its vertexes; and the electrically insulating layer includes a metal element or a crystalline metal oxide. The c axis of the layered substance made of the electrically conducting layer and the electrically insulating layer is parallel to an in-plane direction of the substrate, and a pair of electrodes are arranged so that electric current flows along the c axis.

Provided is a magnesium-silicon composite material which contains Mg₂Si as an intermetallic compound imposing no burden on the environment, is suitable for use as a material for thermoelectric conversion modules, and has excellent thermoelectric conversion performance. The magnesium-silicon composite material has a dimensionless figure-of-merit parameter at 866K of 0.665 or larger. This magnesium-silicon composite material can have high thermoelectric conversion performance when used in, for example, a thermoelectric conversion module.

The present invention relates to filled skuterudite-base thermoelectrical composite material and its preparation process, and belongs to the field of thermoelectrical material preparing technology. The thermoelectrical composite material has the composition of IyA4B12/zIOx, where I is one of Yb, Eu, Ce, La, Nd, Ca and Sr; A is Sb or its mixture with one of Ge, Sn, Te and Se; B is Co or its mixture with Fe or Ni; y is the amount of I element, y+z=m, and m is greater than the filling limit of filling atom. The thermoelectrical composite material is prepared through first smelting process to produce block material, the subsequent mechanical crushing and grinding to obtain powder, and the final fast sintering with pulse DC current to form compact block. The material has lowered lattice heat conductivity, maintained electric transmission performance and raised thermoelectrical conversion performance.

A thermoelectric generator apparatus disposed on a high-temperature surface of an object (as a heat source), at least includes a heat concentrator, a thermoelectric module and a cold-side heat sink. The heat concentrator has a top surface and a bottom surface contacting a high-temperature surface of the object, and an area of the bottom surface is smaller than that of the high-temperature surface. The thermoelectric module is disposed on the top surface of the heat concentrator. The cold-side heat sink is disposed on the thermoelectric module. Heat generated by the heat source is concentrated on the heat concentrator and flows to the hot side of the thermoelectric module for increasing the heat flux (Q′) passing the thermoelectric module and the hot side temperature of the thermoelectric module. Consequently, the thermoelectric conversion efficiency (η) is improved, and the power generation of the thermoelectric module is increased.

A thermoelectric material includes a stretchable polymer, and a thermoelectric structure and an electrically conductive material that are mixed together with the stretchable polymer. The thermoelectric material may be applied to self-power generating wearable electronic apparatuses.

The invention relates to a protected thermoelectric element, a thermoelectric device comprising the protected thermoelectric element and a forming method of the protected thermoelectric element. The protected thermoelectric element comprises a thermoelectric element body containing a thermoelectric material and a composite protective layer arranged on the thermoelectric element body, wherein the composite protective layer comprises one or more composite units, and each composite unit is composed of a connection transition layer structure and a barrier layer structure; each connection transition layer structure comprises one or more of a metal layer, a metal alloy layer and an intermetallic compound layer; each barrier layer structure comprises one or more of an oxide layer, a nitride layer, a carbide layer, a silicide layer, a silicate layer, an alloy layer and an oxide glass layer. The invention further provides the thermoelectric device comprising the protected thermoelectric element and the forming method of the protected thermoelectric element. The durability and the use reliability of the thermoelectric element and the corresponding device are improved, and the conversion efficiency of the thermoelectric device on a long-time service condition is improved compared with a thermoelectric device not provided with a coating.

The invention relates to the technical field of waste heat power generation, in particular to a method for improving the thermodynamic cycling quality of a waste sinter heat power generation system. The method comprises the following steps of: coupling the thermodynamic cycle of waste sinter heat power generation with the thermodynamic cycle of conventional blast furnace gas power generation, using a waste heat boiler as an external economizer of a blast furnace gas boiler; mixing saturated water generated by the waste heat boiler with hot water generated by an internal economizer of the blast furnace gas boiler and directly delivering the mixed water to a steam manifold of the blast furnace gas boiler; performing evaporation and superheating on the mixed water in the blast furnace gas boiler and allowing the mixed water to enter a steam turbine to apply work; and dividing the discharged smoke of the waste heat boiler into two parts, wherein one part is recycled as waste gas and is returned to a fan of a sinter cooler, while the other part enters the blast furnace gas boiler to support the combustion of fuels. The method utilizes the thermodynamic cycle of thermal power generation to develop the thermodynamic cycle of the waste heat power generation, solves the problems of poor stability and low thermo-electric conversion efficiency in the prior low-temperature waste sinter heat power generation system, and greatly improves the thermodynamic cycling quality of the waste heat power generation.

Disclosed is a ceramics kiln heat recovery semiconductor thermo-electric generation method of the invention and a device, wherein the ceramics device for emitting the residual heat is arranged below the device, and the radiation heat is adsorbed by a collecting plate, which is transferred to the hot face of the semiconductor thermo-electric generation module; the thermal fin with ribs are arranged above the cold face of the semiconductor thermo-electric generation module, then the hot of the cold face is emitted out, thereby generating the temperature difference at the two end faces of the semiconductor thermo-electric generation module. Due to the Bessel effect in the semiconductor, the electric potential difference is generated, outputted through the voltage stabilization and inverting circuit, namely as the power supply. The structure of the device comprises a semiconductor thermo-electric generation module, a collecting plate, thermal fin with ribs, which has the advantages of directly converting the recovery waste beat into the electric energy, to cause the electric power generation process free of noise, abrasion and dielectric leakage, and having small volume, light weight, convenient movement, no maintenance and long service life and the like.

The invention relates to a wide-temperature range thermoelectric generation device with a multi-segmented structure and a preparation method thereof. The thermoelectric generation device is formed bycombining at least two types of thermoelectric materials with excellent thermoelectric properties in different temperature zones along the temperature gradient direction; high-temperature terminal electrodes and low-temperature terminal electrodes are used for being connected with P-type single thermoelectric elements and N-type single thermoelectric elements in a diversion manner; and barrier layers and connection layers are arranged between the high-temperature terminal electrodes or the low-temperature terminal electrodes and the corresponding single thermoelectric elements and between thesingle thermoelectric elements of two adjacent temperature segments. According to the wide-temperature range thermoelectric generation device with the multi-segmented structure and the preparation method thereof, maximization of the energy conversion efficiency of the whole temperature zone can be achieved, and the reliability of the thermoelectric generation device is high.

The invention belongs to the technical field of thermopile infrared gas detectors, and particularly relates to a thermopile infrared gas detector taking a composite film as an infrared absorption layer, and a processing method of the detector. The detector and the processing method solve the problems that the traditional thermopile infrared detector is low in thermoelectricity conversion rate and a suspension structure is damaged easily during a release course. The detector comprises an SOI (silicon on insulator) substrate, thermocouple strips, an SiO2 dielectric layer, metal connection and welding discs, SiO2 isolation layers and an absorption layer, wherein cold ends of the N/P polycrystalline silicon thermocouple strips are supported with the SOI substrate, and the absorption layer is arranged at the top of the detector in a suspension manner. According to the detector and the processing method, a higher absorption rate of the composite nano film to a near-infrared band is utilized, and the absorption layer is suspended above the detector, so that a unit duty ratio of the detector is increased, response and detection rates of the detector are increased correspondingly, and a performance index of the detector is optimized.

The invention relates to a double-acting thermo-acoustic power generation system simultaneously recycling cold energy and heat energy. The double-acting thermo-acoustic power generation system simultaneously recycling cold energy and heat energy comprises at least three thermo-acoustic power generation units, a low-temperature cold energy supplying system and a low-level heat energy supplying system and each thermo-acoustic power generation unit is composed of a linear electric generator and a thermo-acoustic engine; each thermo-acoustic engine comprises a first indoor temperature heat exchanger, a first heat buffering tube, a cold-end heat exchanger, a heat returning machine, a hot-end heat exchanger, a second heat buffering tube, a second indoor temperature heat exchanger and a connecting tube, wherein the first indoor temperature heat exchanger, the first heat buffering tube, the cold-end heat exchanger, the heat returning machine, the hot-end heat exchanger, the second heat buffering tube, the second indoor temperature heat exchanger and the connecting tube are sequentially connected; the power generation system can recycle cold energy and heat energy at the same time and the energy utilization ratio can be improved; the high temperature end and the low temperature end of each heat returning machine form a large temperature gradient so that the capacity of acoustic power generation of each heat returning machine can be improved and the power generation capacity of the system can be increased; each cold-end heat exchanger and the corresponding hot-end heat exchanger are additionally and respectively provided with one heat buffering tube and one indoor temperature heat exchanger, so that cold energy loss and heat energy loss are reduced, the electric generator is prevented from being operated in a cold environment or a hot environment, the reliability of the system is improved, and the application prospect is wide.

The invention relates to a flat-plate-type thermoelectric generator and a thermoelectric power generating component partition arrangement method. The flat-plate-type thermoelectric generator comprisesan end cover, a heat collecting end panel to which the heat collecting fins are attached, a heat insulation board, a thermoelectric power generation component, a water cooling head and a guide cold block compaction mechanism. The thermoelectric power generating component partition arrangement method of the flat-plate-type thermoelectric generator mainly comprises the following steps of accordingto the structure parameter of the flat-plate-type thermoelectric generator, calculating a total heat exchange amount; according to a specific size, carrying out partitioning; calculating the convection heat exchange amount of each area and acquiring the temperature distribution of an internal wall surface; and calculating and acquiring the temperature distribution of an external surface, and partitioning and arranging the thermoelectric power generating components of different work sections. In the invention, vehicle exhaust and waste heat are recycled to carry out power generation; accordingto a specific usage condition, the thermoelectric power generating components are arranged in a partitioning mode; and thermoelectric conversion efficiency is increased and cost is effectively reduced.

The invention relates to an intelligent cup based on thermoelectric power generation. An existing cup with a large structure is not easy to carry, rapid in temperature difference drop and low in energy utilization rate. A cup body of the intelligent cup based on thermoelectric power generation is vacuum and provided with a vacuum cavity, a cavity is formed in a cup handle, a thermoelectric power generation module is arranged in the vacuum cavity, a control circuit is arranged in the cavity, a control switch, a temperature display and a USB (universal serial bus) interface are arranged on the cup handle and connected with the control circuit, and the control circuit comprises a thermoelectric power generation control circuit, a direct-current bus, a temperature control module, a load control circuit and a super-capacitor control circuit. By the aid of stable and long temperature difference between the inner wall and the outer wall of the vacuum cavity of a current vacuum cup, thermoelectric conversion efficiency is improved, the intelligent cup is practical and easier to implement and can store power when people usually and normally drink water, designed charging is omitted, and the intelligent cup can solve the requirements of people in emergency situations and can be usually used.