A thermoelectric conversion element that can efficiently make a temperature difference across a thermoelectric conversion material is provided. In the thermoelectric conversion element, on a first surface of a thermoelectric conversion module comprising a P-type thermoelectric element, an N-type thermoelectric element, and an electrode, a thermally conductive resin layer A and a thermally conductive resin layer B having a lower thermal conductivity than the thermally conductive resin layer A are provided in an alternating manner so as to be in direct contact with the first surface, and on a second surface on the opposite side of the first surface of the thermoelectric conversion module, a thermally conductive resin layer a and a thermally conductive resin layer b having a lower thermal conductivity than the thermally conductive resin layer a are provided in an alternating manner so as to be in direct contact with the second surface.

The present invention includes a lateral support member for a server computer constructed to permit advantageous airflow. The present invention can be operated to shunt organized airflow into multiple computer cases and/or organized airflow from multiple computer cases to a dedicated heat reservoir.

The invention concerns a thermoelectric module with multiple thermoelectric elements, which are arranged spaced apart from one another, two thermoelectric elements being respectively electrically connected by means of a conductor bridge, an electrical insulation being arranged at least in certain portions on a side of the conductor bridge that is facing away from the thermoelectric element and/or on a side of the conductor bridge that is facing the thermoelectric element, the electrical insulation being arranged on the surface of the conductor bridge, the electrical insulation and the conductor bridge being thermomechanically decoupled.

A thermoelectric generation apparatus includes a heat absorbing surface configured to absorb heat from an internal combustion engine, a heat generating surface bonded to the heat absorbing surface by a semiconductor and configured to discharge the heat to the outside, and a conductive converting part interposed between the heat absorbing surface and the internal combustion engine. The conductive converting part is configured to allow the heat to be conducted from the internal combustion engine to the heat absorbing surface when a temperature of the internal combustion engine is equal to or greater than a specific value.

The present invention concerns a water-processable n-type semiconductor comprised of polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP), carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and poly(ethyleneimine) (PEI). The semiconductors are prepared by providing PVP and CNTs in a hydrophilic slurry and dispersing therein small amounts of PEI.

A semiconductor structure comprises one or more semiconductor devices, each of the semiconductor devices having two or more electrical connections; one or more first conductors connected to a first electrical connection on the semiconductor device, the first conductor comprising a first material having a positive Seebeck coefficient; and one or more second conductors connected to a second electrical connection on the semiconductor device, the second conductor comprising a second material having a negative Seebeck coefficient. The first conductor and the second conductor conduct electrical current through the semiconductor device and conduct heat away from the semiconductor device.

There is provided a thermoelectric material including a compound which is formed of an element R belonging to alkaline earth metal and lanthanoid, and an element X belonging to any of Group 13 elements, Group 14 elements, and Group 15 elements. The composition ratio of the element R and the element X is selected to obtain the compound having an AlB.sub.2 type structure.

A discharge prevention system for a primary battery comprises an energy harvesting module that produces energy from an environment and a control circuit for applying electrical current to the primary battery from the energy harvesting module to prevent or reduce self-discharge. This system will prevent or reduce rapid self-discharge at high temperatures in lithium-based primary batteries, for example. It can significantly extend the operating lifetime of such batteries operating at high temperature, particularly in applications where battery power is used intermittently. Specifically, a very low current is supplied to the primary battery at high temperature, significantly extending its storage lifetime. In some cases, depending on the current characteristics of the battery, the energy associated with the bias current can be in the same order of magnitude as the energy that would be lost by self-discharge, but in many cases it is much lower. This bias current “biases” the battery in such a way that self-discharge current of the primary battery is minimized.

An apparatus for charging a mobile terminal includes an energy harvesting device provided in shoes and generating energy generated by a movement of a human body, a charge control module attached to trousers and controlling charging of a mobile terminal using energy harvested by the energy harvesting device, and a resonant coil module wirelessly transmitting energy harvested by the energy harvesting device to the charge control module, wherein the resonant coil module includes a transmission resonant coil unit provided in the shoes and a reception resonant coil unit provided in the trousers, spaced apart from the transmission resonant coil unit by a predetermined distance, and magnetically coupled to the transmission resonant coil unit.

A liquid sensor includes a light receiver configured to receive light. The light receiver is attachable to an outside of an accommodation unit into which a liquid is introduced and which has translucency. The light receiver receives light that has passed through the liquid in the accommodation unit or light reflected by the liquid, and outputs a signal related to a physical quantity of the liquid.