A rotary drive mechanism comprises: a camshaft having a plurality of cams; and a plurality of transducer units each including a plurality of transducers that each have a dielectric elastomer layer and a pair of electrode layers sandwiching the dielectric elastomer layer. The plurality of transducer units each provide a drive force to a corresponding one of the plurality of cams. The plurality of transducers in one of the transducer units are arranged radially around the corresponding cam. Such a configuration can exert a drive force more efficiently.

A thermoelectric conversion device includes: a thermoelectric module layer, in which a thermoelectric conversion chip is surrounded by a thermal insulation rubber containing a rubber component and a hollow filler forming a plurality of air gaps that are independent from one another; an insulation base layer and an insulation intermediate layer, which are thermal-conductive insulation sheets and sandwiches the thermoelectric module layer; a heat diffusion layer, which has a higher thermal conductance than those of the insulation base layer and the insulation intermediate layer and is stacked on the insulation intermediate layer; and a thermal radiation layer, which has thermal conductivity and is stacked on the heat diffusion layer. And at least one pair among the adjacent layers is bonded through chemical bonds.

The thermoelectric generating unit 1 generates electric power by a temperature difference between the cold side and the hot side. The heating part 4 is composed of a plate-like hollow member 4a and a tubular member 4b. The hollow member 4a is provided along a hot-side surface of the thermoelectric transducer 2, and forms a plate-like cavity 40a inside. The tubular member 4b forms a tubular cavity 40b which communicates the plate-like cavity 40a, with the two open ends of the tubular member 4b being positioned distantly from each other and connected to the plate-like hollow member 4a. The tubular member 4b is heated from outside by a hot fluid. The plate-like cavity 40a and the tubular cavity 40b form a circulation path 40 in which a heating medium charged in the cavities 40a, 40b circulates.

Provided is a thermoelectric generation module including a plurality of p-type thermoelectric elements 24a and a plurality of n-type thermoelectric elements 24b alternately connected in series and mounted with sandwiched by first and second flexible printed circuit boards 32, 33. The p-type thermoelectric elements and the n-type thermoelectric elements have a chip size of 1 mm or less and 0.2 mm or greater and a height of 0.8 mm or greater and 3 mm or less.

A hybrid actuation device that includes a first plate coupled to a second plate, a shape memory alloy wire coupled to the first plate, and an artificial muscle stack positioned between the first plate and the second plate. The artificial muscle stack includes a plurality of artificial muscles stacked in a vertical arrangement. Each artificial muscle includes a housing having an electrode region and an expandable fluid region, a first electrode and a second electrode each disposed in the electrode region of the housing and a dielectric fluid disposed within the housing. The expandable fluid region of the housing is positioned apart from a perimeter of the first plate and the second plate.

System and method for generating and storing electricity by electromagnetic induction using a magnetic field modulated by the formation, dissipation, and movement of vortices produced by a vortex material such as a type II superconductor and further including a vortex flux generator in cryostat and a refrigerant compartment having bi-directionally thermal transfer to the vortex flux generator. Magnetic field modulation occurs at the microscopic level, facilitating the production of high frequency electric power. Generator inductors are manufactured using microelectronic fabrication, in at least one dimension corresponding to the spacing of vortices. The vortex material fabrication method establishes the alignment of vortices and generator coils, permitting the electromagnetic induction of energy from many vortices into many coils simultaneously as a cumulative output of electricity. A thermoelectric cycle is used to convert heat energy into electricity.

A machine for converting thermal energy originating from waste heat deposits into electrical energy. It uses the magnetic phase transition properties of certain materials when they are exposed to a temperature variation with respect to their Curie temperature. The machine includes a magnetothermal converter provided with a fixed stator provided with active elements made of the materials, and a mobile rotor provided with magnetic poles and non-magnetic poles. The machine includes a closed fluidic circuit of heat-transfer fluid, coupled with two thermal sources of different temperatures by means of heat exchangers and with the stator to transfer thermal energy collected in the active elements. A synchronization system makes it possible to expose the active elements to alternating thermal cycles to generate a permanent magnetic imbalance between the rotor and the stator, and generate a displacement of the rotor, creating mechanical energy that can be converted into electrical energy.

Various implementations of the invention correspond to an improved vortex flux generator. In some implementations of the invention, the improved vortex flux generator includes a magnetic circuit configured to produce a magnetic field; a quench controller configured to provide a variable current; a vortex material configured to form and subsequently dissipate a vortex in response to the variable current, wherein upon formation of the vortex, a magnetic field density surrounding the vortex is urged to decrease, and wherein upon subsequent dissipation of the vortex, the urging to decrease ceases and the magnetic field density increases prior to a reformation of the vortex, and wherein the decrease of the magnetic field density and the increase of the magnetic field density correspond to a modulation of the magnetic field; an inductor disposed in a vicinity of the vortex such that the modulation of the magnetic field induces an electrical current in the inductor; and a dissipation superconductor electrically disposed in parallel with the vortex material and configured to carry, without quenching, an entirety of the variable current during dissipation of the vortex in the vortex material.

A method for achieving a desired vibration resonance frequency of electromagnetic energy harvesters that includes the step of providing a harvester that includes a coil wound along a core, a magnet, a suspending device that includes a base connected to the body and a hinge connected to the magnet, and a stationary magnet attached to the body or the base when the positive poles of the magnets faces each other and the repulsive magnetic force between them restore the magnet. The gravity center of the hinge and the magnet is shifted off the rotation axis of the hinge so that body vibrations cause a relative alternating movement between the core and the magnet that creates alternating voltage between in the coil, and the step of determining the specific distance between the magnets based on the magnetic flux strength of the stationary magnet for achieving the desired frequency.

Methods, systems, and apparatuses related to thermo-dielectric-elastomer-cells may be shown and described. In one embodiment a thermo dielectric elastomer cell (TDEC) can include a layer of carbon nanotubes that absorb sunlight; a layer of photo switchable molecules; a plurality of dielectric elastomer layers, each of the plurality of dielectric elastomer layer comprising a layer of dielectric elastomer material and a layer of N-P junction transistors between the layers of dielectric elastomer material; a layer of insulators separating each of the plurality of dielectric elastomer layers; and an elastic cushioning which is placed between the plurality of dielectric elastomer layers and surrounding the dielectric elastomer material.