Energy harvesting system

US9003789B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignees

• GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC · US
• Dynalloy, Inc. · US
• THE REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN · US

Inventors

• Alan L. Browne · Grosse Pointe, US
• Nancy L. Johnson · Northville, US
• Paul W. Alexander · Ypsilanti, US
• John Andrew Shaw · Toronto, CA
• Christopher B. Churchill · Ventura, US
• Andrew C. Keefe · Calabasas, US
• Geoffrey P. McKnight · Los Angeles, US
• Guillermo A. Herrera · Calabasas, US
• Nilesh D. Mankame · Ann Arbor, US
• Richard J. Skurkis · Lake Orion, US
• Wayne Brown · Brooks Road, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Dec 30, 2011
• Grant date: Apr 14, 2015
• Expiry date: Jul 8, 2032

Classification

• Technology area (CPC F): Mechanical Engineering; Lighting; Heating
• CPC primary: F03G7/0641
• WIPO field: Engines, pumps, turbines
• WIPO sector: Mechanical engineering

Abstract

An energy harvesting system for converting thermal energy to mechanical energy includes a heat engine that operates using a shape memory alloy active material. The shape memory alloy member may be in thermal communication with a hot region at a first temperature and a cold region at a second temperature lower than the first temperature. The shape memory alloy material may be configured to selectively change crystallographic phase between martensite to austenite and thereby one of contract and expand in response to the first and second temperatures. A thermal conduction element may be in direct contact with the SMA material, where the thermal conduction element is configured to receive thermal energy from the hot region and to transfer a portion of the received thermal energy to the SMA material through conduction.