The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Feb. 04, 2025
Filed:
Jul. 22, 2021
Fondazione Istituto Italiano Di Tecnologia, Genoa, IT;
Politecnico Di Torino, Turin, IT;
Alessandro Chiolerio, Turin, IT;
Erik Garofalo, Nole, IT;
Luca Cecchini, Ariccia, IT;
Matteo Bevione, Bra, IT;
FONDAZIONE ISTITUTO ITALIANO DI TECNOLOGIA, Genoa, IT;
POLITECNICO DI TORINO, Turin, IT;
Abstract
A device for converting thermal energy into electrical energy has a first and second layer of thermally conductive material, and an intermediate layer of polymer material arranged between the first and second layers and having a thermal conductivity lower than the first and the second layers. A plurality of channels in which a colloidal suspension of active particles is contained is arranged inside the intermediate layer, the colloidal suspension being capable of flowing along each of the channels as a result of a temperature gradient applied between the first and second layers. Pick-up elements arranged along the channels are configured to extract electrostatic force or electromotive force induced as a response to a flow of the colloidal fluid as a result of at least one among a pyroelectric effect, a triboelectric effect, and thermomagnetic advection. Each channel forms a closed loop and has an outgoing branch and a return branch.