| Class / Patent application number | Description | Number of patent applications / Date published |
|---|
| 136204000 | Including additional heat exchange means | 21 |
| 20080314431 | Thermal cycler for PCR - An instrument for performing highly accurate PCR employing an assembly, a heated cover, and an internal computer, is provided. The assembly is made up of a sample block, a number of Peltier thermal electric devices, and a heat sink, clamped together. A control algorithm manipulates the current supplied to thermoelectric coolers such that the dynamic thermal performance of a block can be controlled so that pre-defined thermal profiles of sample temperature can be executed. The sample temperature is calculated instead of measured using a design specific model and equations. The control software includes calibration diagnostics which permit variation in the performance of thermoelectric coolers from instrument to instrument to be compensated for such that all instruments perform identically. The block/heat sink assembly can be changed to another of the same or different design. The assembly carries the necessary information required to characterize its own performance in an on-board memory device, allowing the assembly to be interchangeable among instruments while retaining its precision operating characteristics. | 12-25-2008 |
| 20090014047 | Thermoelectric element - A thermoelectric element includes at least one thermopair and a pn-junction. The thermopair has a first material with a positive Seebeck coefficient and a second material with a negative Seebeck coefficient. The first material is selectively contacted by way of a conductor with the p-side of the pn-junction, and the second material is selectively contacted by way of a conductor with the n-side of the pn-junction. | 01-15-2009 |
| 20090071525 | Cooling Hot-Spots by Lateral Active Heat Transport - An apparatus includes a thermoelectric cooler adjacent to a surface of a device substrate and including a first set of one or more metal electrodes, a second set of one or more metal electrodes, and one or more semiconductor members. Each member includes a material different from the device substrate and physically joins a corresponding one electrode of the first set to a corresponding one electrode of the second set. The electrodes and at least one member are configured to transport heat to or from a thermal load in a direction parallel to the surface of the device substrate. | 03-19-2009 |
| 20090084422 | DOPED LEAD TELLURIDES FOR THERMOELECTRIC APPLICATIONS - A p- or n-conductive semiconductor material comprises a compound of the general formula (I) | 04-02-2009 |
| 20090120481 | Multi-Functional Energy Converter | 05-14-2009 |
| 20090301540 | THERMOELECTRIC MODULE DEVICE AND HEAT EXCHANGER USED THEREIN - A thermoelectric module device absorbs heat from the hot side, and transfers the heat to the cold side; the thermoelectric module device is constituted by a heat sink on the hot side, another heat sink on the cold side and a series of Peltier elements, and the series of Peltier elements is formed from pairs of semiconductor elements of different conductivity types, endoergic metal electrodes and exoergic metal electrodes; since the entire major surfaces of heat sinks are not available for the endoergic metal electrodes and exoergic metal electrodes due to fitting holes and vapor-proof sealing walls, the ratio of area occupied with the metal electrodes to available area and the ratio of area not available for the metal electrodes to entire major surface are not less than 50% and not greater than 20%. | 12-10-2009 |
| 20110017252 | THERMOELECTRIC TEMPERING DEVICE - A thermoelectric tempering device having a plurality of thermoelectrically operating tempering elements, including a cold surface, which forms upon the supply of an electric current, on one side thereof, and a warm surface on the opposite side thereof, including air/heat exchange bodies affixed on both sides and accommodated in a respective air flow chamber, and ventilators effecting an air flow along the same. Simple adjustment and expansion possibilities are provided with a unit of the tempering device configured as a tempering module and constructed so that the air flow chambers are configured as flow channels surrounding the heat exchange bodies parallel to the flow direction laterally and on the cover side facing away from the tempering elements, the flow channels having an air intake opening and an air discharge opening, wherein the ventilator of the respective flow channel is disposed on an intake opening or on a discharge opening. | 01-27-2011 |
| 20110067742 | THERMOELECTRIC-BASED POWER GENERATION SYSTEMS AND METHODS - Some embodiments provide a waste heat recovery apparatus including an exhaust tube having a cylindrical outer shell configured to contain a flow of exhaust fluid; a first heat exchanger extending through a first region of the exhaust tube, the first heat exchanger in thermal communication with the cylindrical outer shell; a second region of the exhaust tube extending through the exhaust tube, the second region having a low exhaust fluid pressure drop; an exhaust valve operatively disposed within the second region and configured to allow exhaust fluid to flow through the second region only when a flow rate of the exhaust fluid becomes great enough to result in back pressure beyond an allowable limit; and a plurality of thermoelectric elements in thermal communication with an outer surface of the outer shell. | 03-24-2011 |
| 20110100407 | Thermoelectric composite semiconductor - Heat transfer to refrigerate or heat uses a thermoelectric semiconductor structure including a P-type composite of dices of semiconductor material alloyed with P-type material forming spaced collector regions at junctions with a P-type conductive material for flux of electrical current and a N-type composite of dices of semiconductor material alloyed with N-type material forming spaced collector regions at junctions with a N-type conductive material for flux of electrical current. The thickness of each the dices is sufficient to form a PN junction. Electrically conductive buss bars form an electrical circuit between the dices of N-type conductivity and the dices of P-type conductivity. An electrically conductive buss bar forms an electrical circuit connection between the dices of N-type conductivity and the dices of P-type conductivity. An electrical potential is applied by terminals between the P-type composite and the N-type composite to induce a flux of heat concurrent with the flux of electrical current. | 05-05-2011 |
| 20130081664 | Thermoelectric Layout - In one embodiment, a thermoelectric device includes a plurality of thermoelectric elements arranged in a substantially polygonal pattern. The substantially polygonal pattern has more than four sides. The device includes a first dielectric plate coupled to the thermoelectric elements and a second dielectric plate coupled to the thermoelectric elements. The device also includes a first set of fins coupled to the first dielectric plate and a second set of fins coupled to the second dielectric plate. | 04-04-2013 |
| 20130186447 | HIERARCHICAL MULTIPLE-LEVEL CONTROL OF ADAPTIVE COOLING AND ENERGY HARVESTING ARRANGEMENTS FOR INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY - A system for adaptive cooling and energy harvesting comprising at least one thermoelectric device capable of acting as a thermoelectric cooler and as a thermoelectric generator, a hierarchical multiple-level control system, and electronics controlled by the control system and connected to the thermoelectric device. The electronics selectively configure the thermoelectric device in at least in a thermoelectric cooler operating mode and in a thermoelectric generation operating mode. The thermoelectric device can incorporate quantum-process and quantum-well materials for higher heat transfer and thermoelectric generation efficiencies. The invention provides for thermoelectric devices to additionally operate in temperature sensing mode. The hierarchical control system can comprise a plurality of control system, each of which can operate in isolation and can be interconnected with additional subsystems associated with other hierarchical levels. The hierarchical control system can comprise linear (additive) control, bilinear (additive and multiplicative) control, nonlinear control, and hysteresis. | 07-25-2013 |
| 20130186448 | CATALYST-THERMOELECTRIC GENERATOR INTEGRATION - A thermoelectric system is provided which includes at least one tubular conduit configured to be in thermal communication with at least one first fluid flowing through the at least one tubular coolant conduit in a first direction. A plurality of thermoelectric elements can be in thermal communication with the at least one tubular conduit. A heat exchanger in thermal communication with the plurality of thermoelectric elements is configured to be in thermal communication with at least one second fluid and to surround at least a portion of the tubular conduit and plurality of thermoelectric elements. The heat exchanger can include at least one coating configured to catalyze reactions of at least one portion of the second fluid. | 07-25-2013 |
| 20130192655 | THERMOELECTRIC DEVICE EMBEDDED IN A PRINTED CIRCUIT BOARD - A circuit board with an embedded thermoelectric device with hard thermal bonds. A method of embedding a thermoelectric device in a circuit board and forming hard thermal bonds. | 08-01-2013 |
| 20130291921 | THERMOELECTRIC DEVICE - A thermoelectric device includes a thermoelectric element module arranged such that the vertically upper side is the cooling side and the vertically lower side is the heating side. On the cooling side of the thermoelectric element module, a DC-DC converter, a cooler, and a heat-transfer grease layer are arranged in this order from the vertically upper side. | 11-07-2013 |
| 20140014152 | THERMOELECTRIC CONVERSION STRUCTURE AND ITS USE IN HEAT DISSIPATION DEVICE - The disclosure provides a thermoelectric conversion structure and its use in heat dissipation device. The thermoelectric conversion structure includes a thermoelectric element, a first electrode and an electrically conductive heat-blocking layer. The thermoelectric element includes a first end and a second end opposite to each other. The first electrode is located at the first end of the thermoelectric element. The electrically conductive heat-blocking layer is between the thermoelectric element and the first electrode. | 01-16-2014 |
| 20140090684 | HETEROJUNCTION ELECTRODE WITH TWO-DIMENSIONAL ELECTRON GAS AND SURFACE TREATMENT - Techniques are provided for enhancing electrical properties of semiconductor structures. At a semiconductor structure, a heterojunction interface is provided between two dissimilar materials such that a two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) region is present in the vicinity of the heterojunction. Energy is added to the semiconductor structure such that electrons that are present in the 2DEG region are promoted from below the Fermi level to energy states sufficiently high that the electrons can escape the structure. Electrons are emitted from the semiconductor structure in response to adding the energy such that electrons escape the surface of the semiconductor structure. | 04-03-2014 |
| 20140174495 | THERMOELECTRIC CONVERSION ELEMENT AND THERMOELECTRIC CONVERSION POWER GENERATION DEVICE - A thermoelectric conversion element comprising a thermoelectric conversion section and electrodes, wherein the thermoelectric conversion section includes at least: a thermoelectric conversion material section or a thermoelectric conversion material layer which is formed of a thermoelectric conversion material; and a charge transport section or a charge transport layer which is formed of a charge transport material having at least both semiconducting electric conduction properties and metallic electric conduction properties. | 06-26-2014 |
| 20140311541 | Integrated thermoelectric-powered fluid heat exchanger - A fluid heat exchanger has an impeller assembly with first and second impeller bodies mated together, each having a substantially circular shape and at least one opening therethrough. Impeller vanes extend transversely from the first impeller body and away from the second impeller body. Impeller vanes extend transversely from the second impeller body away from the first impeller body. A thermoelectric module is disposed between the first impeller body and the second impeller body. Heat sinks are connected to each side of the thermoelectric module and extend through at least one opening in the first and second impeller bodies, where the impeller vanes are configured to move a fluid through the heat sinks during rotation of the first and second impeller bodies. Electrically-conductive windings disposed in the impeller assembly are configured to deliver induced electric current to the one or more thermoelectric modules. | 10-23-2014 |
| 20140338713 | THERMOELECTRIC GENERATOR - A thermoelectric generator has a heat conducting body that exchanges heat with the environment according to environmental temperature changes, a heat storing body, and a thermoelectric conversion unit and thermal resistance body arranged between the heat conducting body and the heat storing body. One end of the thermal resistance body and one end of the thermoelectric conversion unit are in contact with each other. The other end of the thermal resistance body is in contact with the heat conducting body, and the other end of the thermoelectric conversion unit is in contact with the heat storing body. The surface of the heat storing body is covered by a covering layer having certain heat insulation properties. The temperature difference generated between the heat conducting body and the heat storing body is utilized to extract electric energy from the thermoelectric conversion unit. | 11-20-2014 |
| 20160005946 | THERMOELECTRIC MODULE (VARIANTS) - The invention relates to thermoelectric devices and can be used in a variety of devices which utilize thermoelectric modules. A thermoelectric module containing n and p-type conductivity semiconducting branches, connected by means of switching buses into an electric circuit, and a protective polymer coating. The protective polymer coating is applied to the interconnected branches and buses, and the coating is an electrodepositable polymer varnish-paint composition modified with a fluoroelastomer latex. | 01-07-2016 |
| 20160126438 | THERMOELECTRIC DEVICE - The present invention is directed to a thermoelectric device that includes a plurality of thermoelectric couples positioned between a top plate and a bottom plate, wherein each thermoelectric couple comprises n-type and p-type element assemblies electrically connected in series and thermally connected in parallel. When the device is used for electrical power generation, the efficiency is increased by using semiconductor materials with a high Seebeck coefficient, increasing the distance between the n-type and p-type element assemblies, increasing the length of the electrical conductors/thermal distance between the top and bottom plates, and/or using an insulation plate spaced from the top plate. When the device is used for heating/cooling, the coefficients of performance are increased by using semiconductor materials with a high Seebeck coefficient and/or optimizing the length of the electrical conductors/thermal distance between the top and bottom plates. | 05-05-2016 |
