The present invention provides a thermoelectric conversion device layer having excellent durability and a method of producing the same. Specifically, the present invention provides a thermoelectric conversion device layer including a thermoelectric conversion module including, on one face of a film substrate, a thermoelectric element layer in which a P-type thermoelectric element layer and an N-type thermoelectric element layer are alternately arranged to be adjacent to each other in the in-plane direction and disposed in series; and further a sealing layer on the face side of the thermoelectric element layer, wherein the sealing layer has a water vapor transmission rate at 40 C. and 90% RH, as prescribed in JIS K7129:2008, of 1,000 g.Math.m.sup.2.Math.day.sup.1 or less; and a method of producing the same.

A thermoelectric device to generate electrical power at high voltages, for example 110 volts to 900 volts, using a thermopile, a temperature differential applied to the thermopile and the Seebeck Coefficient of dissimilar materials assembled in a defined manner and in conjunction with controls and batteries to power electric devices.

A system and method are disclosed for internally heated concentrated solar power (CSP) thermal absorbers. The system and method involve an energy-generating device having at least one heating unit. At least one heating unit preheats the energy-generating device in order to expedite the startup time of the energy-generating device, thereby allowing for an increase in efficiency for the production of energy. In some embodiments, the energy-generating device is a CSP thermal absorber. The CSP thermal absorber comprises a housing, a thermal barrier, a light-transparent reservoir containing a liquid alkali metal, at least one alkali metal thermal-to-electric converter (AMTEC) cell, an artery return channel, and at least one heating unit. Each heating unit comprises a heating device and a metal fin. The metal fin is submerged into the liquid alkali metal, thereby allowing the heating device to heat the liquid alkali metal via the fin.

A heat capacitor with simple structure, easy to manufacture and high thermoelectric conversion efficiency is provided. The heat capacitor includes: a pair of electrodes, at least one said electrode being a carbonaceous electrode; and a thermoelectric electrolyte disposed between the pair of electrodes, wherein the distance between the pair of electrodes is at most 1 mm.

A thermoelectric cloak including an inner region and an external medium. The inner region has a cloaking effect and is simultaneously invisible from both heat and electric charge fluxes; and heat, electric currents, and gradients in the external medium are unaltered by the cloaking effect of the inner region.

Provided are a thermoelectric material, a method of fabricating the same, and a thermoelectric device. The thermoelectric material includes a first material layer including a chalcogen element; and a second material layer including a reaction compound between the chalcogen element and a metal element, wherein the thermoelectric material has a structure in which the first material layer is inserted in the second material layer.

A method is provided for producing an electrically-powered device and/or component that is embeddable in a solid structural component, and a system, a produced device and/or a produced component is provided. The produced electrically powered device includes an attached autonomous electrical power source in a form of a unique, environmentally-friendly structure configured to transform thermal energy at any temperature above absolute zero to an electric potential without any external stimulus including physical movement or deformation energy. The autonomous electrical power source component provides a mechanism for generating renewable energy as primary power for the electrically-powered device and/or component once an integrated structure including the device and/or component is deployed in an environment that restricts future access to the electrical power source for servicing, recharge, replacement, replenishment or the like.

Techniques of thermoelectric power generation are described. In an example, a power generation system (100) may include a thermoelectric unit (102), a DC booster (104) and a supercapacitor unit (106). The thermoelectric unit (102) may generate electivity using heat, such as heat obtained from human body. The DC booster (104) may step up the voltage generated by the thermoelectric unit (102). The supercapacitor unit (106) may store electrical energy generated by the thermoelectric unit (102) and start discharging after a threshold level. The power generation system may be implemented to power a wearable device (304), such as fitness tracker and smartwatch.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, a thermoelectric leg comprises: a thermoelectric material layer comprising Bi and Te; a first metal layer and a second metal layer respectively arranged on one surface of the thermoelectric material layer and on a surface different from the one surface; a first adhesive layer arranged between the thermoelectric material layer and the first metal layer and comprising the Te, and a second adhesive layer arranged between the thermoelectric material layer and the second metal layer and comprising the Te; and a first plating layer arranged between the first metal layer and the first adhesive layer, and a second plating layer arranged between the second metal layer and the second adhesive layer, wherein the thermoelectric material layer is arranged between the first metal layer and the second metal layer, the amount of the Te is higher than the amount of the Bi from the centerline of the thermoelectric material layer to the interface between the thermoelectric material layer and the first adhesive layer, and the amount of the Te is higher than the amount of the Bi from the centerline of the thermoelectric material layer to the interface between the thermoelectric material layer and the second adhesive layer.

A thermoelectric module according to the present disclosure includes: a pair of insulating substrates, each insulating substrate including a one main surface in a plan view, and a rectangular facing region of the one main surface, the rectangular facing regions facing each other; wiring conductors located on the one main surfaces of the pair of insulating substrates, respectively; a pair of metal plates located on other main surfaces opposite to the one main surfaces of the pair of insulating substrates, respectively; and a plurality of thermoelectric elements located between the one main surfaces of the pair of insulating substrates. At least one insulating substrate and at least one metal plate include a protrusion protruding from a one side of the rectangular facing region in the plan view, and a metal pattern located on the one main surface of the protrusion, the metal pattern not electrically connected to the wiring conductor.