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. 22, 2000
Filed:
Apr. 30, 1998
Masakazu Kobayashi, Kanagawa, JP;
Kazuhiko Shinohara, Yokohama, JP;
Keiko Kushibiki, Kanagawa, JP;
Kenji Furuya, Yokohama, JP;
Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., Yokohama, JP;
Abstract
An apparatus for generating a thermoelectric power and method for driving the same. The disclosed apparatus comprises: a plurality of power generation units, each power generator unit including at least one thermocouple and being capable of mutually generating an equal output voltage; a connection form switch for switching an electrical connection form of each one of the power generator units between a serial connection of the corresponding one of the power generator units to another of the remaining power generator units and a parallel connection thereof to another of the remaining power generator units; a parallel voltage detector for measuring a parallel voltage when the plurality of power generator units are connected in parallel to each other; a connection form detector for determining the connection form of all of the power generator units in one of three forms consisting of a serial connection, a parallel connection, and a combination of the serial and parallel connections, so as to generate a thermoelectric power according to a load connected to the thermoelectric power generating apparatus on the basis of a value of the parallel voltage measured by the parallel voltage measuring block; and a broken wire detector for detecting whether a wire breakage in each of the power generator units occurs.