Thermoelectric device with recuperative heat exchangers
US5232516A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Jun 4, 1991 |
| Grant date | Aug 3, 1993 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jun 4, 2011 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH10N10/13
Abstract
Thermoelectric heat pumps using recuperative heat exchange are described. These devices use sets of thermocouples (thermoelectric couples) arranged side-by-side to form a plate. The plate is positioned in a fluid-containing vessel and heat exchanging fluid is flowed down one side of the plate and up the other side. In these devices the heat flow, and thus the driving thermal gradient on each thermoelectric couple in the device, is in a direction from one side of the plate to the other side, i.e., other than the direction of the device's working thermal gradient, which is the direction of the flow of fluid. Generally these two directions (driving gradient on the thermoelectric couples and fluid flow-working thermal gradient) are essentially orthogonal to each other.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.