Thermoelectric Coatings for Waste Heat Recovery and Photo-Thermal Power
An energy harvesting system for collecting energy from sources of thermal energy that exist in the environment and convert the energy to electricity. The system has N-P junctions mounted on the outer surface of a conduit, pipe or flue. A hot medium flows through the conduit, pipe or flue. The p-n junctions operate as thermoelectric power generators. Heat absorbed at the p-n junctions increases the kinetic energy of charge carriers causing migration of the charge carriers. This thermally-driven migration of charge carriers is used to drive an electrical current in an external circuit.
1 . An apparatus for energy harvesting, comprising:
a conduit,
a coating of an N-material on said conduit producing an N-junction on said conduit,
a coating of a P-material on said conduit producing a P-junction on said conduit,
a separator on said conduit between said N-junction on said conduit and said P-junction on said conduit, and
electrical connectors for said N-junction and said P-junction.
2 . The apparatus for energy harvesting of claim 1 wherein said electrical connectors for said N-junction and said P-junction include said conduit.
3 . The apparatus for energy harvesting of claim 1 including an insulator coating on said conduit between said coating of an N-material and said conduit; and
an insulator coating on said conduit between said coating of a P-material and said conduit.
4 . The apparatus for energy harvesting of claim 1 including
additional coatings of an N-material on said conduit producing additional N-junctions on said conduit,
additional coatings of a P-material on said conduit producing additional P-junction son said conduit,
additional separators on said conduit between said additional N-junctions and said additional P-junctions, and
additional electrical connectors for said additional N-junctions and said additional P-junctions.
5 . The apparatus for energy harvesting of claim 4 wherein said electrical connectors for said N-junction and said conduit and said P-junction are connected in series.
6 . The apparatus for energy harvesting of claim 4 wherein said electrical connectors for said N-junction and said conduit and said P-junction are connected in parallel.
7 . An apparatus for energy harvesting, comprising:
a conduit,
a coating of an N-material on said conduit producing a first N-junction on said conduit,
a coating of a P-material on said conduit producing a first P-junction on said conduit,
a separator on said conduit between said first N-junction and said first P-junction,
a coating of an N-material on said conduit producing a second N-junction on said conduit,
a coating of a P-material on said conduit producing a second P-junction on said conduit,
a separator on said conduit between said first N-junction and said first P-junction,
a separator on said conduit between said second N-junction and said second P-junction, and
an electrical conductor extending from said first N-junction to said first P-junction to said second N-junction to said second P-junction.
8 . The apparatus for energy harvesting of claim 7 wherein said electrical conductor extending from said first N-junction to said first P-junction to said second N-junction to said second P-junction includes said conduit.
9 . The apparatus for energy harvesting of claim 7 including an insulator between said conduit and said first N-junction,
an insulator between said conduit and said first P-junction,
an insulator between said conduit and said second N-junction, and
an insulator between said conduit and said second P-junction.
10 . The apparatus for energy harvesting of claim 7 including
additional coatings of an N-material on said conduit producing additional N-junctions on said conduit,
additional coatings of a P-material on said conduit producing additional P-junctions on said conduit,
additional separators on said conduit between said additional N-junctions and said additional P-junctions, and
additional electrical connectors for said additional N-junctions and said additional P-junctions.
11 . The apparatus for energy harvesting of claim 9 wherein said electrical connectors for said N-junction and said conduit and said P-junction are connected in series.
12 . The apparatus for energy harvesting of claim 9 wherein said electrical connectors for said N-junction and said conduit and said P-junction are connected in parallel.
13 . A multilayer apparatus for energy harvesting, comprising:
a conduit;
a first coating of an N-material on said conduit producing a first N-junction on said conduit;
a first coating of a P-material on said conduit producing a first P-junction on said conduit, and
a separator on said conduit between said first N-junction and said first P-junction, wherein said first N-junction and said first P-junction are a first layer on said conduit;
a second coating of an N-material producing a second N-junction on said first layer;
a second coating of a P-material on said conduit producing a second P-junction on said first layer;
a separator between said second N-junction and second first P-junction, wherein second N-junction and second P-junction are a second; and
an electrical conductor extending from said first N-junction to said first P-junction to said second N-junction to said second P-junction.
14 . The multilayer apparatus for energy harvesting of claim 7 including an insulator between said conduit and first layer on said conduit and an insulator between said first layer and said second layer.
15 . An apparatus for energy harvesting, comprising:
a conduit,
a coating of an N-material on said conduit producing an N-junction on said conduit,
a coating of a P-material on said conduit producing a P-junction on said conduit,
a separator on said conduit between said N-junction on said conduit and said P-junction on said conduit,
additional coatings of an N-material on said conduit producing additional N-junctions on said conduit,
additional coatings of a P-material on said conduit producing additional P-junctions on said conduit, and
electrical connectors for said N-junction, said P-junction, said additional N-junctions, and said additional N-junctions.
16 . The apparatus for energy harvesting of claim 14 wherein said electrical connectors for said N-junction, said P-junction, said additional N-junctions, and said additional N-junctions include said conduit.