THERMAL INSULATION MATERIALS AND APPLICATIONS OF THE SAME
A thermally insulated structure comprising a first surface and a second surface is provided. The second surface is disposed in a spaced apart relationship with the first surface to define a gap, within which a layer of thermal insulation is provided. The thermal insulation includes a thermoelectric material.
1 . A thermally insulated structure comprising:
a first surface bounding a chamber;
a second surface disposed in a spaced apart relationship with the first surface to define a gap between the first surface and the second surface; and
a layer of thermal insulation disposed in the gap and in thermal communication with the first surface and the second surface, wherein the layer of thermal insulation comprises a thermoelectric material.
2 . The thermally insulated structure of claim 1 , wherein the structure further comprises a thermoelectric device configured to generate electricity, the thermoelectric device comprising the thermoelectric material.
3 . The thermally insulated structure of claim 1 , wherein the thermoelectric material has an average figure-of-merit greater than about 0.1.
4 . The thermally insulated structure of claim 2 , wherein the thermoelectric device comprises at least one p-type segment and at least one n-type segment, wherein the at least one p-type segment and the at least one n-type segment are connected electrically in series and thermally in parallel.
5 . The thermally insulated structure of claim 1 , wherein the thermoelectric material comprises a nanostructured material.
6 . The thermally insulated structure of claim 5 , wherein the nanostructured material comprises nanowires, nanotubes, nanoparticles, nanodots, nanolayers, nanocomposites or any combinations thereof.
7 . The thermally insulated structure of claim 1 , wherein the thermoelectric material comprises at least one species selected from the group consisting of indium-antimony-based alloys, indium-arsenic-based-alloys, lead-tellurium-based alloys, lanthanum-tellurium-based alloys, bismuth-tellurium-based alloys, bismuth-antimony-based alloys, silicon-germanium-based alloys, zinc-based alloys, III-V, IV, IV-VI, and II-VI semiconductors, Half-Heusler alloys and any combinations thereof.
8 . The thermally insulated structure of claim 1 , wherein the thermoelectric material comprises a porous material.
9 . The thermally insulated structure of claim 8 , wherein the porous material has a feature size in the range from about 5 nanometers to about 100 nanometers.
10 . The thermally insulated structure of claim 1 , wherein the structure further comprises a power management module disposed in electrical communication with the thermal insulation.
11 . The thermally insulated structure of claim 10 , wherein the power management module comprises a power storage device.
12 . The thermally insulated structure of claim 10 , wherein the power management module comprises a DC to AC converter, a DC to DC converter or any combinations thereof.
13 . The thermally insulated structure of claim 10 , wherein the structure further comprises a component configured to receive a power input at an interface, and wherein the power management module is in electrical communication with the interface of the component.
14 . The thermally insulated structure of claim 1 , wherein the structure is at least a portion of a vehicle.
15 . The thermally insulated structure of claim 14 , wherein the vehicle is an aircraft.
16 . The thermally insulated structure of claim 14 , wherein at least the portion of the vehicle is an aircraft passenger cabin.
17 . The thermally insulated structure of claim 1 , wherein the structure is a storage tank.
18 . The thermally insulated structure of claim 17 , wherein the storage tank is a fuel tank.
19 . The thermally insulated structure of claim 17 , wherein the storage tank is a cryogenic liquid storage tank.
20 . The thermally insulated structure of claim 17 , wherein the storage tank is a water heater tank.
21 . The thermally insulated structure of claim 1 , wherein the structure comprises a component of a turbine assembly.
22 . The thermally insulated structure of claim 21 , wherein the component of the turbine assembly is selected from a group consisting of a combustor, duct, transition piece, stator, rotor, blade, vane and any combinations thereof.
23 . The thermally insulated structure of claim 1 , wherein the structure comprises a household appliance.
24 . The thermally insulated structure of claim 23 , wherein the household appliance comprises an oven, a refrigerator, a heater, a dishwasher or any combinations thereof.
25 . The thermally insulated structure of claim 1 , wherein the structure is a building.
26 . The thermally insulated structure of claim 1 , wherein the structure is configured to maintain a temperature of the chamber that is higher than an ambient temperature.
27 . The thermally insulated structure of claim 1 , wherein the structure is configured to maintain a temperature of the chamber that is lower than an ambient temperature.
28 . A method of generating electrical energy comprising:
providing a first surface bounding a chamber;
providing a second surface disposed in a spaced apart relationship with the first surface to define a gap between the first surface and the second surface; and
disposing a layer of thermal insulation in the gap, wherein the layer of thermal insulation comprises a thermoelectric material and is in thermal communication with the first surface and the second surface, and wherein the layer of thermal insulation comprises a thermoelectric device configured to generate electricity.