Apparatus and method for converting thermal energy into electric energy, for example, in the automotive industry or geothermal energy. The apparatus and a method convert thermal energy into electric energy with an improved overall output and an increased maximum attainable output that is simple and cost-efficient to produce and use. The apparatus has one or more thermomagnetic generators, which contain at least one first and second thermomagnetic component, at least two components made of hard magnetic material, at least one coil and at least two connecting elements made of magnetic flux-conducting material; The magnetic north poles are connected to one of the two connecting elements made of magnetic flux-conducting material and the magnetic south poles thereof are connected to the other connecting element.

A generator configured to generate electrical energy from heat, for example from sunlight. The generator includes: a moveable carrier connected to a kinetic-electric converter; and a stationary support. One of the carrier and the support is provided with a magnet and the other is provided with separate ferromagnetic elements. A heat supply is associated with the one of the carrier and the support that is provided with the magnet to direct heat onto successively at least one of the ferromagnetic elements to warm the ferromagnetic element to above a Curie temperature thereof, to thereby impart reciprocal movement of the carrier relative to the support through magnetic interaction between the magnet and the ferromagnetic elements. A cooling system such as a thermo-electric generator or a heat sink is configured for cooling at least one of the magnet and the ferromagnetic elements.

To protect the surface of a member exposed to a high-temperature environment and detect surface temperature or heat flow distribution, this magnetic thermoelectric conversion element, which is provided on the surface of a support in contact with a heat source, has: a magnetic body; an electromotive body which is magnetically coupled to the magnetic body and has electrical conductivity; and a heat-resistant metal oxide film covering the magnetic body and the electromotive body.

A magneto-caloric thermal diode assembly includes a magneto-caloric cylinder. Each of a plurality of thermal stages includes a plurality of magnets and a non-magnetic ring. The plurality of magnets is distributed along a circumferential direction within the non-magnetic ring in each of the plurality of thermal stages. A variable speed motor is coupled to one of the magneto-caloric cylinder and the plurality of thermal stages. The variable speed motor is operable to rotate the one of the magneto-caloric cylinder and the plurality of thermal stages relative to the other of the magneto-caloric cylinder and the plurality of thermal stages.

The purpose of the present invention is to make it possible to ensure a strength that allows thermoelectric evaluation to be performed even when sintering is carried out at a temperature lower than the minimum sintering temperature of a power generation layer, in a thermoelectric conversion element. For this purpose, this thermoelectric conversion element is characterized by being provided with a power generation layer and support layers including a sintered body, wherein the power generation layer is provided with a metal-magnetic insulator composite structure in which metal is formed in a net shape around a granulated magnetic body, the support layers are formed so as to be in contact with the top and bottom or the right and left of the power generation layer, and the minimum sintering temperature of the support layers is lower than the minimum sintering temperature of the power generation layer.

A thermoelectric conversion element 10 includes an anomalous Nernst material 11 having the anomalous Nernst effect, in which: the anomalous Nernst material 11 includes at least an element having the inverse spin-Hall effect; and the element is spin-polarized. By applying, for example, a magnetic field to such the thermoelectric conversion element 10 in the x direction and a temperature gradient thereto in the z direction, thermoelectromotive force can be taken out from terminals 12.

A wasted heat harvesting device for harvesting electricity including switching means configured to convey a magnetic field from a first region to at least a second region when the temperature of the switching means crosses a predetermined temperature.

A passive thermal oscillator combines a thermoelectric device and a passive analog electrical circuit to produce a time-oscillating temperature difference. The oscillator makes use of a temperature difference imposed across a thermoelectric device to produce a Seebeck voltage to periodically trigger electrical current to pass through a switch. The periodic electrical current causes periodic Peltier cooling producing a time-oscillating temperature difference across the thermoelectric device. There is no requirement for additional external energy input because the thermal energy generates a voltage that is used as the driving force. The operation is purely passive. So long as there is a temperature difference across the thermoelectric device, then the passive thermal oscillator oscillates. The passive thermal oscillator can integrate multiple energy conversion device technologies to operate cooperatively. The cooperation of multiple energy conversion technologies yields a much higher overall system efficiency than just the conversion of thermal energy into electrical energy.

A passive thermal oscillator combines a thermoelectric device and a passive analog electrical circuit to produce a time-oscillating temperature difference. The oscillator makes use of a temperature difference imposed across a thermoelectric device to produce a Seebeck voltage to periodically trigger electrical current to pass through a switch. The periodic electrical current causes periodic Peltier cooling producing a time-oscillating temperature difference across the thermoelectric device. There is no requirement for additional external energy input because the thermal energy generates a voltage that is used as the driving force. The operation is purely passive. So long as there is a temperature difference across the thermoelectric device, then the passive thermal oscillator oscillates. The passive thermal oscillator can integrate multiple energy conversion device technologies to operate cooperatively. The cooperation of multiple energy conversion technologies yields a much higher overall system efficiency than just the conversion of thermal energy into electrical energy.

A magneto-caloric thermal diode assembly includes a magneto-caloric cylinder with a plurality of magneto-caloric stages. Each of the plurality of magneto-caloric stages has a respective Curie temperature. The magneto-caloric cylinder also includes a plurality of insulation blocks and a plurality of pins. The plurality of magneto-caloric stages and the plurality of insulation blocks are distributed sequentially along an axial direction in the order of magneto-caloric stage then insulation block. One or more the plurality of pins extends along the axial direction between each magneto-caloric stage and a respective insulation block within the magneto-caloric cylinder.