Claims
- 1. A thermoelectric generator system for converting a portion of heat flowing from a heat source to electricity which comprises
- a boiler means (11) adapted to have thermal contact with said heat source for heating a liquid solution of a first component and a second component;
- a separator means (13) communicating with said boiler means (11) such that when said solution is heated by said heat from said source (24), said liquid solution passing into said separator means (13) is separated into liquid first component and gaseous second component;
- an absorption means (36) for mixing said first and second components and exhausting heat of solution generated by mixing said first and second components;
- first conduit means (35) for conducting said first component from said separator means (13) to said absorption means (36);
- a condensing means (31) for condensing said second component from a gaseous second component to a liquid second component;
- a second conduit means (30) for conducting said gaseous second component from said separator means (13) to said condenser means (31) whereby said gaseous second component is condensed to a liquid second component;
- an evaporator means (27) communicating with said condenser means (31) for converting said liquidus second component to gaseous second component;
- a third conduit means (33) for enabling said evaporator means (27) to communicate with said absorption means (36) such that said gaseous second component passes from said evaporator means (27) to said absorption means (36) and mix with said liquid first component means returning from said separator means;
- at least one thermopile means for generating thermoelectricity, each of said at least one thermopile having a first surface and a second surface where a portion of heat flowing into said first surface and out of said second surface is converted to the thermoelectricity;
- any one of said at least one thermopile being located in any one of:
- (i) a first position where said first surface is in thermal contact with said source of heat and said second surface is in contact with said boiler whereby heat flows from said source of heat through said thermoelectric pile to said boiler whereby thermoelectricity is generated in said thermoelectric pile;
- (ii) a second position where said first surface is in thermal contact with said condenser means and said second surface is in contact with said evaporator means whereby heat flows from said condenser means through said thermoelectric pile to said evaporator means such as to generate thermoelectricity in said thermoelectric pile;
- (iii) a third position where said first surface is in thermal contact with said absorption means and said second surface is in contact with said evaporator means whereby heat flows from said absorption means through said thermoelectric pile to said evaporator means such as to generate thermoelectricity in said thermoelectric pile;
- (iv) a fourth position where said first surface is in thermal contact with said condenser means and said second surface is in contact with means for removing heat from said system whereby heat flows from said condenser means through said thermoelectric pile and out of said system such as to generate thermoelectricity in said thermoelectric pile.
- 2. The system of claim 1 which comprises a fifth conduit means (16) for circulating air from a location (29) proximal to said condenser means (31) to a location (21) proximal to said absorption means (36) to a location (38) proximal to said burner means (24) and thence to a location proximal to said first surface of said at least one thermocouple means (28).
- 3. The system of claim 2 which comprises means for ballasting pressure between said evaporator means and said absorption means.
- 4. The system of claim 3 wherein said ballasting means comprises:
- means for introducing a controlled amount of a gaseous third component into said third conduit means (33);
- a fourth conduit means (35) for conducting said third component from said absorption means (36) to said evaporator means (27).
- 5. The system of claim 4 wherein said fourth conduit means comprises a pump means (23) for pumping said gaseous third component through said fourth conduit means from said absorption means to said evaporator means (27).
- 6. The system of claim 1 wherein said at least one thermopile means comprises lead telluride.
- 7. The system of claim 1 wherein said thermopile comprises bismuth telluride.
- 8. The system of claim 1 wherein said first component is water.
- 9. The system of claim 1 wherein said second component comprises ammonia.
- 10. The system of claim 4 wherein said third component is hydrogen.
- 11. The system of claim 1 wherein said heat source is a combustible fuel.
- 12. The system of claim 1 wherein said heat source is selected from a group of sources which consists of sources of solar energy, energy from catalytic conversion of a fuel, nuclear energy, geothermal energy.
- 13. A thermoelectric power generation system which comprises:
- a plurality of thermoelectric power stages wherein each stage includes:
- (i) a boiler means having a first location and adapted for absorbing heat from a source of heat at said first location;
- (ii) said boiler means adapted for holding a liquid solution of a first component and a second component;
- (iii) a separator means communicating with said boiler means such that when said solution is heated by said thermal energy, said liquid solution passes into said separator means where said second component is separated as a gas from said liquid first component;
- (iv) an absorption means for mixing said first and second components whereby a liquid mixture of said first and second components is formed;
- (v) first conductor means for conducting said first component from said separator means to said absorption means;
- (vi) a condensing means for condensing said second component from a gaseous second component to a liquid second component;
- (vii) a second conductor means for conducting said gaseous second component from said separator means to said condenser means whereby said gaseous second component is condensed to liquid second component;
- (viii) an evaporator means communicating with said condenser means for converting said liquidus second component means to gaseous second component means;
- (ix) a third conduit means connecting said evaporator means and said absorption means such that said gaseous second component passes from said evaporator means to said absorption means;
- (x) a fourth conduit means adapted for conducting a gaseous third component from said absorption means to said evaporator means;
- (xi) means for introducing a predetermined amount of a gaseous third component into one of:
- (a) said third conduit means;
- (b) said fourth conduit means;
- such that said predetermined amount of said third component is selected to ballast pressure in said evaporator and absorber means;
- (xii) a pump means connected to said fourth conduit means adapted for pumping said gaseous third component from said absorption means to said evaporator means;
- a high end stage of said plurality of stages having said respective boiler having a first location adapted to be in thermal contact with said source of heat;
- said plurality of stages being serially connected in a succession of said stages beginning with said high end stage connected to a neighboring stage such that each stage has one of:
- (i) a respective condenser;
- (ii) a respective absorber;
- in thermal contact respectively with said respective boiler of another neighboring stage and ending with a low end stage having a respective condenser in thermal contact with a heat sink whereby heat flows from said source of heat through said system and is discharged to said heat sink.
CROSS REFERENCE TO OTHER APPLICATIONS
This application is a continuation in part of application Ser. No. 08/491,787 filed Jun. 19, 1995 now abandoned.
US Referenced Citations (8)
Non-Patent Literature Citations (1)
Entry |
Heat and Thermodynamics, Zemansky, 1943 Published by McGraw Hill pp. 211-215. |
Continuation in Parts (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
491787 |
Jun 1995 |
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