CYLINDRICAL ECO-FRIENDLY TEMPERATURE SYSTEM
The present disclosure is related to thermoelectric panels and their use in cooling and heating systems. The cooling/heating systems may include a cylindrical 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.
1 . A thermoelectric apparatus, the apparatus comprising:
a curved surface comprising:
a first curved surface layer having an inner side and an outer side, wherein the first curved surface layer prevents diffusion of gasses and is thermally conductive;
a plurality of curved surface thermoelectric devices disposed on the inner side of the first curved surface layer;
a second curved surface layer having an inner side and an outer side, wherein the second curved surface layer prevents diffusion of gasses and is thermally conductive, the plurality of thermoelectric devices is disposed on the inner side of the second curved surface layer, and the second curved surface layer is curved to maintain a fixed distance between the first curved surface layer and the second curved surface layer;
a plurality of edge structures connected to the first curved surface layer and the second curved surface layer to form a volume between the first curved surface layer, the second curved surface layer, and the plurality of edge structures, wherein each of the edge structures comprises:
a u-shaped housing of thermal insulation;
a gas diffusion resistant layer disposed on the u-shaped housing; and
a plurality of thermally non-conductive pillars disposed within the u-shaped housing between parallel sides of the u-shaped housing; and
wherein the second curved surface layer forms a cylinder-shape with a first end and a second end and comprising at least one of a thermally nonconductive removable cap and thermally nonconductive nonremovable base disposed on each of the first end and the second end, and wherein the second curved surface layer and the thermally nonconductive cap or base on first and second ends form a closed system.
2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a plurality of cooling structures disposed on the outer side of the first curved surface layer.
3 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of curved surface thermoelectric devices comprises:
a first substrate layer;
a first set of metal links disposed on one side of the first substrate layer;
a first stage of thermoelements disposed on and in electrical and thermal communication with the first set of metal links and comprising:
a first plurality of n-type thermoelements; and
a first plurality of p-type thermoelements alternating with the first plurality of n-type thermoelements;
a second stage of thermoelements disposed on and in electrical and thermal communication with the first stage of thermoelements and comprising:
a second plurality of n-type thermoelements; and
a second plurality of p-type thermoelements alternating with the second plurality of n-type thermoelements;
a second set of metal links disposed on and in electrical and thermal communication with the second stage of thermoelements; and
a second substrate layer disposed on the second set of metal links.
4 . The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the thermoelements of the second stage have greater electrical resistances than the thermoelements of the first stage.
5 . The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the n-type thermoelements comprise an n-type thermoelectric material comprising at least one of: alloys of Bismuth Telluride and Bismuth Selenide, Bi 2 Te 2.7 Se 0.3 P-doped SiGe, YbAl 3 P-doped Si, SiGe nanowires, rare earth tellurides, La 3 Te 4 Pr 3 Te 4 skutterudites, Ba-Yb-CoSb 3 chacogenides, Pb-Sb-Ag-Te, Pb-Te-Se, Mg-Ag-Sb, half-Heusler alloys, and Hf-Zr-Ni-Sn-Sb.
6 . The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the p-type thermoelements comprise a p-type thermoelectric material comprising at least one of: alloys of bismuth telluride and antimony telluride, Bi 0.5 Sb 1.5 Te 3 B-doped SiGe, B-doped Si, SiGe nanowires, Zn 4 Sb 3 skutterudites, CeFe 3.5 Co 0.5 Sb 12 Zintl compounds, Yb 14 MnSb 11 rare earth tellurides, Ce 3 Te 4 MnSi 1.73 SnSe, PbSbAgSnTe, CePd 3 NaCo 2 O 4 half-Heusler alloys, and Nb-Ti-Fe-Sb-Sn.
7 . The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the n-type thermoelements comprise Bi 2-x Sb x Te 3 and the p-type thermoelements comprise Bi 2 Te 3-y Se y where x is between about 1.4 and 1.6 and y is between about 0.1 and 0.3.
8 . The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the substrate layer comprises a ceramic.
9 . The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the ceramic comprises at least one of: alumina Al 2 O 3 aluminum nitride (AlN), berylium oxide (BeO), boron nitride (BN), diamond (C), silicon nitride (SiN), and sapphire (SiC).
10 . The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the metal links comprise at least one of: 1) copper, 2 ) copper with a coating of nickel, gold, platinum/gold alloy, or silver, 3 ) nickel with a coating of gold, platinum/gold alloy, or silver.
11 . The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein each of the n-type and p-type thermoelements comprises:
a pair of metal layers;
a pair of coating layers disposed between the metal layers; and
one of an n-type and p-type thermoelectric material disposed between the pair of coating layers.
12 . The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the coating layers comprise at least one of: titanium tungsten (TiW), tantalum nitride (TaN), tantalum (Ta), and nickel (Ni).