International Business Machines Corporation

Sheetak Inc.

Nanocoolers, Inc.

Uttam Shymalindu Ghoshal

Steven Alan Cordes

James Patrick Doyle

Chandler Todd McDowell

Li Shi

David R DiMilia

Matthew J Farinelli

Snigdha Ghoshal

Errol Wayne Robinson

James L Speidell

James Borak

Andrew Carl Miner

Ayan Guha

Michael James Cordes

Key Kolle

Bruce Bennett Doris

Sang Hoo Dhong

Kevin John Nowka

Emanuel Israel Cooper

Alan J Drake

Jeffrey L Burns

Kyung Tek Lee

Brandon Lee Noska

Dan Grimm

David Dimilia

Robin Altman Wanner

The present disclosure is related to thermoelectric energy harvesting and powering of Internet-of-Things (IoT) devices and systems. The thermoelectric energy harvesting device includes a thermoelectric converter electrically coupled to voltage rectifier and a power storage medium. The first side of the thermoelectric converter is exposed to ambient air with fluctuating temperatures, while the second side is anchored to a stable temperature. Power generated across the temperature differential can be captured in the power storage medium. The harvester may also include a device to move the harvester relative to the air and, by generating convection cooling of the first side, increase the net energy harvested.

Thermoelectric energy harvesting apparatus system and method

The disclosure is related to structures and method of making thermoelectric devices. The structures include an electrically and thermally nonconductive substrate with cylindrical or frustum-shaped tunnels. The tunnels may be filled with thermally and electrically conductive materials that resist diffusion. The structures include n-type and p-type materials, in homogeneous form or alternating with interlayers to block phonon conduction between layers of thermoelectric materials. The tunnels are individually associated with either n-type or p-type thermoelectric materials and connected in pairs to form alternating conductors on both sides of the substrate. The structures may also be coated with layers of gold and nickel and have thermoelectric materials deposited in the tunnels. The tunnels may be partially or fully capped with sintered nano-silver or solder. Notches may alternate sides to electrically isolate each side of the structure to provide current flow between the p-type and n-type thermoelectric layers.

Double-sided thermoelectric devices with insulators

A portable, independent thermoelectric temperature regulated system for providing active cooling to one or more payloads. The system includes a thermally insulated housing, one or more thermoelectric converters embedded in the thermally insulated housing, and a power source. The system may include one or more optional payload containers. Multiple payload containers may be used in the same housing. The system includes a control circuit for managing temperature of the payload(s) based on user selections. The housing may be hard or soft, and the multiple payload containers may be maintained at different temperatures. Optional phase change materials may be included that may be charged by the active thermoelectric converter discharged as a source of passive cooling or heating.

Portable temperature regulated container

The present disclosure is related to structures for and methods for producing thermoelectric devices. The thermoelectric devices include multiple stages of thermoelements. Each stage includes alternating n-type and p-type thermoelements. The stages are sandwiched between upper and lower sets of metal links fabricated on a pair of substrate layers. The metal links electrically connect pairs of n-type and p-type thermoelements from each stage. There may be additional sets of metal links between the multiple stages. The individual thermoelements may be sized to handle differing amounts of electric current to optimize performance based on their location within the multistage device.

Thermoelectric device structures

The present disclosure is related to nested cooling and heating systems. The cooling system includes an outer cooling assembly with an inner cooling assembly inserted within the outer cooling system. The inner cooling assembly includes thermoelectric coolers, and the outer cooling assembly may thermoelectric or vapor compression driven. Additional intermediate cooling assemblies may be nested together with the inner and outer cooling assemblies to increase the cooling effect in the innermost cooling assembly. Similarly, the heating system uses nested thermoelectric heating assemblies, and hot temperatures can be increased by adding intermediate nested heating assemblies. Intermediate and/or inner assemblies may be removed from the outer assembly to allow for easy transport.

Nested freezers for storage and transportation of covid vaccine

Integrated thermoelectric devices on insulating media

The present disclosure is related to thermoelectric panels and their use in cooling and heating systems. The cooling/heating systems may include a plurality of thermoelectric panels. The panels may include thermoelectric devices embedded between a housing formed by heat conductive layers and edge structures for preserve a low thermal conductivity volume.

Eco-friendly temperature system

A thermoelectric device may include first and second insulating substrates. An array of electrically conductive first metallizations may be positioned on one side of the first substrate, and an array of electrically conductive second metallizations may be positioned on a mating side of the second substrate. A plurality of thermoelectric elements may be positioned between the first and second substrates and interconnected together through the first and second metallizations in one of a square shaped network pattern or a delta shaped network pattern.

Thermoelectric devices and power systems

A method and system for efficiently cooling a fluid is provided. A cooling system includes a first chamber containing a first fluid, and a second chamber connected to the first chamber and containing a second fluid. The cooling system further includes one or more thermoelectric devices for cooling the second fluid in the second chamber, and a first body that acts as a thermal diode. The first body enables unidirectional transfer of heat from the thermoelectric devices to the first fluid. Further, the cooling system can be installed with one or more phase change materials or heat pipes that enhance the cooling efficiency of the cooling system. The thermoelectric devices are switched on for a certain time period, after which they are switched off and on repeatedly in cycles, depending on the temperature of the second fluid.

Method and apparatus for switched thermoelectric cooling of fluids

In various embodiments of the present invention, a thermoelectric device is provided. The thermoelectric device includes one or more thermoelements that transfer heat across the ends of the thermoelectric device. A method for creating the thermoelectric device includes forming a metal substrate, and etching one or more surfaces of the metal substrate to form etched portions. The unetched flat portions on the metal substrate are referred to as mesa cores. Thereafter, thermoelectric films are deposited on the one or more surfaces of the metal substrate. The deposition of the thermoelectric films on the mesa cores results in the formation of a thermoelement.

Enhanced metal-core thermoelectric cooling and power generation device

In various embodiments of the present invention, a thermoelectric cooling device with a thermoelectric device, heat pipe and a heat sink is provided. The thermoelectric device is connected to a chamber through a metal standoff. The chamber contains a fluid that needs to be cooled. The metal standoff has a shape, e.g. a bevel shape, to minimize heat leakage into the fluid. The heat pipes are preferably connected to the thermoelectric device with a Thermal Interface Material (TIM). In one embodiment, the heat pipes are attached to the thermoelectric device through screws which have an insulating standoff so as to minimize heat leakage into the fluid. In another embodiment of the present invention, two stage thermoelectric cooling devices with multiple heat pipes and common heat sink are provided to cool the fluid.

Heat pipes and thermoelectric cooling devices

Active cooling technologies such as thermoelectrics can be used to introduce thermal 'gain' into a cooling system and, when employed in combination with forced flow cooling loops, can provide an attractive solution for cooling high heat flux density devices and/or components. In such configurations, it can be advantageous to discontinuously flow thermal transfer fluid into thermal contact with the hot or cold side of a thermoelectric module (TEM), allow it to dwell while heat is transferred from or to the TEM, and resume the flow. In configurations in which the TEM operation is itself discontinuous, various relationships between thermal transfer fluid flow and TEM operation can be advantageously employed to temporally integrate thermoelectric action.

System employing temporal integration of thermoelectric action

Active cooling technologies such as thermoelectrics can be used to introduce thermal 'gain' into a cooling system and, when employed in combination with forced flow liquid metal cooling loops, can provide an attractive solution for cooling high heat flux density devices and/or components. In such configurations, it can be advantageous to configure fluid flows to provide heat transfer between hot-side and cold-side flows. For example, it can be desirable to substantially equilibrate temperature of liquid metal flows entering hot-side and cold-side paths. In this way, thermal differential (&#x394;T) across individual thermoelectric elements can be reduced, thereby improving efficiency of the thermoelectric. Various suitable recuperator designs are described including designs that provide heat exchange with and without mixture of respective flows.

Thermoelectric configuration employing thermal transfer fluid flow(s) with recuperator

Active cooling technologies such as thermoelectrics can be used to introduce thermal 'gain' into a cooling system and, when employed in combination with forced flow liquid metal cooling loops, can provide an attractive solution for cooling high heat flux density devices and/or components. Total cooling power can be increased by employing multiple thermoelectric elements. Indeed, by employing modern semiconductor technologies, including e.g., thin-film technologies, thermoelectric elements may be cost-effectively employed and configured in large arrays.

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Austin, TX, United States of America

Uttam Shymalindu Ghoshal