ELECTRIC GENERATOR HAVING A THERMOELECTRIC GENERATOR

Abstract

An electric generator (1) comprises a thermoelectric generator (2) and is characterized in that said thermoelectric generator (2) is provided with two add-on units (3, 4) which are separate from each other, said two add-on units (3, 4) having different thermal properties.

Claims

1. An electric power supply having a thermoelectric generator, wherein the thermoelectric generator is equipped with two separate add-on parts that have different thermal properties.

2. The electric power supply according to claim 1, further comprising: an insulator between the add-on parts.

3. The electric power supply according to claim 1, further comprising: a vacuum is between the add-on parts.

4. The electric power supply according to claim 1, wherein the add-on part is inside the add-on part.

5. The electric power supply according to claim 1, further comprising: a housing containing the thermoelectric generator together with the two separate add-on parts.

6. The electric power supply according to claim 5, further comprising: a vacuum in the housing.

Description

SPECIFIC DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0014] FIG. 1 shows in a schematic diagram, which is detailed in this regard, an electric power supply 1 that uses a thermoelectric generator 2 that is known per se. This thermoelectric generator 2 has a hot side and a cold side. A first add-on part 3 is on one side and a second add-on part 4 is on the other side, so that these two parts 3, 4 are preferably affixed to the face on the hot side and the face on the cold side of the thermoelectric generator 2. This electric power supply 1, which is shown in FIG. 1, is in an environment 5 in which it is at the area of operation of the electric power supply 1 but also around a closed control space in which a variable outside temperature TA prevails.

[0015] FIG. 2 shows that an insulator 6 is between the add-on parts 3, 4. This is a mutually interconnected arrangement, and the add-on part 3 contains both the thermoelectric generator 2 and the add-on part 4. The add-on part 4 is thus disposed inside the insulator 6 that is in turn disposed inside the add-on part 3, so that the two add-on parts 3, 4 are connected by a thermal insulator.

[0016] FIG. 3 shows the schematic diagram of an electric power supply 1 having a design similar to that shown in FIG. 1. In addition, the thermoelectric generator 2 with its add-on parts 3, 4 is inside a housing 7. The housing 7 is in turn located in the environment and/or in the above-mentioned control space. Inside the housing 7, the elements disposed therein are in a vacuum. The thermoelectric generator 2 has electric terminals 9 that extend out of the housing 7 and at which a voltage with improved electric efficiency is made available according to the Seebeck effect (U.sub.Seebeck). The electric power supply 1 is connected to a converter, in particular a DC-DC converter, via the electric terminals 9. At the output of the electric terminals 9 and/or at the output of the converter 10, a power supply for mobile applications with an increased efficiency is thus available.

[0017] FIG. 4 shows another specific embodiment of the electric power supply 1. A vacuum 8 is between the add-on parts 3, 4, such that the add-on part 4 on the thermoelectric generator 2 is surrounded by the vacuum 8 and the latter is in turn inside the add-on part 3. Thus the add-on part 3 with its outer surface forms a type of housing, so that the electric power supply 1 is in the environment 5 or inside the control space.

[0018] FIG. 5 shows a schematic diagram of the electric power supply 1 according to the invention. The meaning of the individual electronic parts in this schematic diagram and their dimensions are shown in the following table.

TABLE-US-00001 Part Corresponds to Electric part class, size C.sub.1 Thermal Capacity - Housing Small C.sub.2 Thermal Capacity - Transformer 1 Small C.sub.3 Thermal Capacity - Transformer 2 Large C.sub.4 Thermogenerator (ideal small - design dependent) R.sub.1 R.sub.2 Heat Transfer - Environment/Housing Small to average R.sub.3 R.sub.5 Heat Transfer - Housing/Trans. 1 Small R.sub.4 R.sub.7 Heat Transfer - Housing/Trans 1 Large R.sub.6 Heat transfer - Thermogenerator Thermally large, electrically small to average

[0019] The dimensions are to be selected so that [0020] C.sub.1, including the respective resistors, filters out short-term fluctuations due to variable incident sunlight, [0021] C.sub.4 is large enough to always be colder than C.sub.2 throughout the day (including dimensions of resistors R.sub.3, R.sub.4, R.sub.5 and R.sub.7) and ideally to be warmer than C.sub.2 at night (reversal of voltage must be provided in the DC-DC converter through the circuitry), [0022] R.sub.6 is great enough thermally for the first condition to be able to function and to yield favorable conversion rates electrically with respect to the DC-DC converter (efficiency of energy conversion from thermal to electric and the voltage conversion), [0023] Add-on and connection technology for the thermal generator to the DC-DC converter, [0024] Vacuum technology for the implementation of electric terminals in particular, [0025] Suitable materials for the heat transfer medium and the housing (emission, thermal capacity, thermal conductivity), [0026] Insulation materials for mounting the structure in the vacuum container as well as the container on the ambient construction.

[0027] The two add-on parts 3, 4 may have any geometric shapes, for example, square, rectangular, triangular, round, oval or comparable shapes. It is necessary to ensure that each add-on part 3, 4 is brought into surface contact with the respective face of the thermoelectric generator 2 and that a very good thermal connection is ensured in the area of this contact surface for the purpose of adequate and/or secure heat transfer.

[0028] The heat flow Q′ emitted by a body can be calculated as follows using the Stefan-Boltzmann law:

Q′=∂Q/∂t=εσAT.sup.4

[0029] where [0030] Q′: Heat flow and/or radiation power [0031] ε: Emission: These values are between 0 (perfect mirror) and 1 (ideal black body) [0032] σ=5.67 10.sup.−8 W/m.sup.2K.sup.4: Stefan-Boltzmann constant [0033] A: Surface area of the emitting body [0034] T: Temperature of the emitting body (in Kelvin)

[0035] The heat flow Q′ emitted by a body can be calculated as follows using the Stefan-Boltzmann law:

Q′=∂Q/∂t=εσAT.sup.4

[0036] where [0037] Q′: Heat flow and/or radiation power [0038] ε: Emission: These values are between 0 (perfect mirror) and 1 (ideal black body) [0039] σ=5.67 10.sup.−8 W/m.sup.2K.sup.4: Stefan-Boltzmann constant [0040] A: Surface area of the emitting body [0041] T: Temperature of the emitting body (in Kelvin) [0042] Is independent of the ambient medium, [0043] In a vacuum, there is only this mechanism for heat transfer, i.e., the two heat transfer bodies have no possibility of exchanging energy (heat) [0044] ΔT outside of the thermoelectric generator.