Thermo-engine effect and the thermo-engine junction

Abstract

The invention proposed is an electrical effect and an electric junction run on said effect (fig: 1,2,3,4). This effect and junction will be used to absorb heat and turn it into electricity. The junction uses 3 conductors (2,4,6) to make it work (semi-conductors may be used instead). The first 2 conductors (2,4) create the Thermo-Engine Effect of making a voltage from internal thermal energy. This happens from where the 2 materials are in contact (3) and this patent applies to any dissimilar materials that create such a voltage from thermal energy at their point of contact with each other. The third junction material (6) in the invention acts as an Isolator of the effect. Thus, allowing the junctions and outer circuits (8) to be separated from the Thermo-Engine Effect, while also allowing conduction of electricity with the wires of the outer circuits (1). If this Isolator layer was not present, a similar junction may be created out of the dissimilar circuit wire material and junction materials and might cause the effect to also act in reverse, which would minimize the voltage. By stacking many layers of Thermo-Engine Junctions (9), a very powerful heat engine can be created that runs off the ambient heat in the air or ground, and also with no need for a thermal sink that all other heat engines require. This would also allow exhausted heat to be recycled. Such a circuit could power any house, vehicle or factory.

Description

[0001] Specification:

[0002] Title: Thermo-Engine Effect and The Thermo-Engine Junction

[0003] File refence: Oliver-440-1

[0004] Technical field:

[0005] The invention relates to the field of power generation using solid state devices (no mechanical moving parts). Specifically, devices that convert thermal energy to electrical energy.

[0006] Background Art:

[0007] (Reference Patents 1-5)

[0008] (Documents Used)

[0009] Currently the solid-state technology used for converting heat directly to electricity runs off the Thermo-Electric Effect, also called the Seebek effect, which was first theorized by Thomas Seebek in 1821. This idea comes from joining two materials. These materials are joined at two ends, usually a wire that is bare on both ends is connected to another wire that is also bare on both ends (Most junctions use stacks of these connections). When one side is heated and the other side is cooled, a voltage is created, directing the electricity through the circuit, which can be used for power by an external circuit. These devices are very inefficient, and their use in heat to electricity generation is rare compared to other forms of power generation. Through the use of the Thermo-Engine Effect of this patent and junction (fig: 1, 2,3,4) made using it, the problems of these inefficiencies will hopefully be removed. This invention will change the field of power generation. The materials that would be used and the methods of the invention's utilization would cheapen electrical power supply by considerable margins.

[0010] Disclosure of Invention:

[0011] The invention disclosed consist of an effect (Thermo-Engine Effect). Which is created when two dissimilar conductors (2,4) are brought together in contact (3) and contain thermal energy. (This effect is not the Thermo-Electric Effect, it is the Thermo-Engine Effect). The Thermo-Engine effect creates a voltage simply from thermal energy being in the materials at the area of contact and or around the area of contact. This voltage pushes the charge from one conductor to the other, thus converting the thermal energy into electrical energy. The other part of this patent is the use of said effect as part of a three or four part junction (fig: 2,3). These Junctions would contain the layers for the Thermo-Engine effect and have a 3rd and maybe also a 4th layer made of a material which shall be called the Isolator (6). The job of the Isolator would be to make sure there is no reverse Thermo-Engine Effect when the junction is connected with an external circuit (8) or if several of the junction are stacked on top of each other (fig:9) that the effect gets separated. Said material would have none or very little of the ThermoEngine effect with other wires or may have a reverse direction to the main layers. Isolators would isolate the effect but allow conduction of electricity to the outer circuits. Originally it is thought that the way thermal energy is converted to electrical energy in dissimilar conductors is by the Thermo-Electric Effect (Seebek effect). Which is caused by a heat gradient in two wires connected by two junctions. This heat gradient being utilized by heating one junction and cooling the other junction. The Thermo-Engine Effect invention posits that certain materials when brought together in contact, with thermal energy inside of them, will create a voltage from one to the other. This voltage is created by the thermal energy and can be used to drive an electric current and thus convert heat directly to energy without needing a cold end or a gradient.

[0012] The problem with why such a junction in the past has not been created, is that to connect the junction to an outside circuit without an Isolator means the external circuit would also form The Thermo-Engine Junction in reverse. Thus, the solution and theory in the past to deal with this went to the Seebeck effect and the utilization of the junction in reverse being colder, thus having less voltage.

[0013] This is where the tri-junction material comes in (Also used in the quad-junction). The third material in the junction would be used in such a way that it would have no effect or a net positive to the direction of the overall voltage. A junction of Lead, Copper and Iron has been tested and shown with 18 layers to produce between 20mV to lOOmV. The Copper and Iron contact being the junction that creates the Thermo-Engine Effect and the Lead having little to no effect being the Isolator. This third material, the Isolator, is what makes the junction possible. With this Isolator, no Thermo-Engine effect is created by its material with the Thermo-Engine materials and also the external circuits. This allows for the creation of a junction that creates electrical power without needing a cold side and also allows for stacking of the junction to create very powerful solid-state engines for converting heat directly to electricity.

[0014] The conductors in the invention may also be replaced with semi-conductors that may or may not be doped.

[0015] The last part of the invention regards the circuit if it is powered by external electricity. In some ThermoEngine Junctions, it may be possible to increase the power or generate extreme cold by powering current through the junction in the same direction the voltage sends it. Such a device might be used for very, very low temperatures or incredibly high-powered versions of the invention.

[0016] Description of pictures:

[0017] Picture:!

[0018] The picture shows a simple junction of two different materials (2,4) that exhibit the Thermo-Engine Effect. Where they touch (3), any thermal energy will cause a voltage from one of the materials to the other. The external circuit's conductors (1) may also provide this effect with the materials.

[0019] Pictured

[0020] The picture shows a three-material junction. The bottom material being an Isolator (6) with the external circuit (1). The top materials are the same (2,4) from Figure 1. Because copper is usually used with circuits, the connection between 1 and 2 may or may not lead to an effect. Contact at 5 should have no or very little Thermo-Engine Effect. Figure 3 shows the Quad-junction for this. Picture: 3

[0021] The Quad-Junction

[0022] Shows the Isolator also being used above the junction (6). In non-stacked junctions mainly, but also stacked, this would be used for the very top junction. Having both materials above and below the circuit would remove any effect that the externalised junction would have (5,7,8).

[0023] Picture: 4

[0024] Shows a ThermoEngine made up of many many junctions (9). These many layers would make the engine incredibly powerful.

[0025] Best mode for carrying out invention

[0026] The best way to practice the invention is in the use of junctions and panels made for absorbing heat and turning it to electricity. Panels can be used to power houses that take energy from the heat in the air. Panels that are more powerful than car engines can strip the heat from the air as it travels and turn it into electricity, allowing cars that don't need fuel to run. Planes, vehicles and any electronics can have these panels and junctions and never need recharging again. The panels may also strip energy from geothermal sources. It can be used in powerful energy conversion for things that do use fuel, such as rockets or nuclear batteries for space. Refrigerators and air conditioners can cool things without external power and may even be able to create lower heat if electricity is supplied to them from an external circuit. Large factories and homes can have a wall of these panels and simply convert heat from the air and then when there is waste heat, it can be pumped back over the panels and recycled.

[0027] Industrial applicability:

[0028] To create such devices is very simple. An early prototype was made by the inventor using Iron, Copper and Lead for the 3 different materials for the junction. The Lead was melted and fused the Copper and Iron on either side of it. The top layer and bottom layer were then sanded to remove oxidation and then stacked. This produced a crude device that gave between 20mV and lOOmV. To make the panels industrially the use of sputtering could be employed. This is boiling materials into a gas in a vacuum and coating them onto a surface. With such a technique, layers that are nanometres in thickness could be achieved. Thus, making devices that are incredibly powerful for its size. Another means of making the junction would be the folded metal technique. When metal is folded over and cut and then folded again. The amount of layers gets larger by an exponential amount. This could be used to mass produce the Junctions. Everything in industry that requires power would and could benefit from this Junction. There would be very little equipment that it could not power. References:

Claims

AMENDED CLAIMS received by the International Bureau on 19 March 2025

1.

1. (Amended) An effect from an electric junction created by the connection of 2 dissimilar electric conductors. Said effect causes a voltage from one conductor to the other when there is thermal energy inside of the conductors in and around the connection, unlike other heat engines, this effect does not require a temperature differences, thermal gradients and setups of thermal sources with a heat sink The effect will convert heat energy directly to electric energy by the voltage creating a current over time. The two conductors in this junction covers any electrically conductive materials, metals, doped Semiconductors, non-doped semiconductors and conductive plastics, which when brought into connection with each other will create this effect.

2. (Amended) The effect in claim 1 overall entails that where there are 2 dissimilar materials, material 1 and material 2, that are in connection and have thermal energy contained by the materials at said connection, that the effect when present in the material combinations will create a voltage leading from one material to the second through the connection. This voltage can then convert internal thermal energy to electrical energy.

3. (Amended) The use of a third conductive material to create junctions with the materials from claims 1 and 2, that allows the effect from claims 1 and 2 to create electrical energy without causing the same effect in reverse with external conductors and circuits. The third conductor forms its junction by connecting to a material that is in the junction from claims 1 and 2. The third conductor does not connect to both materials of a junction from claims 1 and 2, just a single material in each junction that it is connected to.

4. (Added) In creating the junction from claim 3, the third conductor forms the effect in claims 1 and 2 with the other 2 conductors from claims 1 and 2 at a lower voltage than the 2 conductors from claims 1 and 2 do with each other. The configuration of lower voltage has 3 cases depending on how low the voltage is created with third conductor and thematerials in the junction from claims 1 and 2. In the first case the third material causes the effect from claims 1 and 2 but at a lower voltage, closer to zero volts, when in connection with a material from claims 1 and 2 than from which those materials generate when in connection with each other. The second case, the third conductor does not form the heat to electric effect as from claims 1 and 2 with the conductors from claims1 and 2. The third case it has a minus voltage directional effect with materials 1 and 2 in claims 1 and 2, so when it makes a junction with a material from claims 1 and 2, said junction creates a voltage in the opposite direction than material 1 and2 make with each other.

5. (Added) The third conductor from claims 3 and 4 forms an effect isolator, isolating the effect from materials 1 and 2 in claims 1 and 2 from happening with other conductors and preventing the wires of a circuit when joined to the junction from forming a similar effective junction in a reverse connection. If an external circuit, when attached, is made of a material from claims 1 and 2, then the third material would be connected between this material of the junction from 1 and 2 and the same material of the circuit. The effect isolator is also used when connecting the junctions from claims 1 and 2 in series. The series connections would consist of material 1 then material 2 then material 3 then material 1 , then material 2 and then material 3 again. The effect isolator, material 3, is any conductive material that has a lower heat to voltage effect from claims 1 and 2 when connected with a material from claims 1 and 2 than the materials 1 and 2 from claims 1 and 2 have with each other.

6. (Amended) A junction pile made from the three materials, two effects layers as described by claim 1 and 2 and one effect isolator as described in claims 3, 4 and 5. This stacked configuration takes the order of material one, then material two (effects layers) and then material three (effect isolator layer). Material three, the isolator, is used on top of material one on the first plate to fully isolate the stack on top end.

7. (Amended) The junctions and pile created by claims 1 , 2, 3, 4,5 and 6 do not need a heat sink (cold side, thermal gradient)to operate. The junction can convert thermal energy directly to electricity energy without them. This comes about from the effect described in claims 1 and 2 and the effect isolator in claims 3, 4 and 5. The junction in claims 1 and 2 are capable of direct conversion of heat to electricity and the use of the effect isolator from claims 3, 4 and 5 allows that electrical energy to be extracted without causing the effect from 1 and 2 to happen in a reverse junction that blocks the creation of the electricity.

8. (Amended) Stacking the junction from claims 1 , 2, 3, 4 and5 to create heat engines to power machines and devices powered by electricity.

9. (Amended) If current is powered through the electric junction from claims 1 and 2 from an external source and in the same direction as the voltage created by the heat in the junction. This would lead to a higher-powered heat to electric effect depending on the material combinations.

10. (Added) The junctions and stack created in 1 , 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 are effective cooling devices and by converting heat directly to electricity, they don’t require an external power source to provide cooling.

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