Patent ID: 9003784
Filing Date: 2015-04-14
Classification: H01L,Y10T

Abstract:
1. A thermoelectric generator, comprising: a housing; at least one fluid inlet and at least one fluid outlet disposed at said housing; at least one coolant inlet and at least one coolant outlet disposed at said housing; an electrical conductor including a plate-shaped electrical conductor body having a first end face, a second end face, a circumferential surface, and at least a plurality of orifices interconnecting said first and second end faces; and a plurality of modules each including a first end, a second end, first contacts, an inner tube, an outer tube and thermoelectric elements disposed between said inner and outer tubes, said thermoelectric elements electrically interconnected in series and electrically isolated from said inner and outer tubes, said plurality of modules configured to generate an electrical current as a result of a temperature difference between said inner and outer tubes generated by a fluid and a coolant and said plurality of modules configured to discharge the electrical current through an electrode toward components of a vehicle or a system, each of said plurality of modules being received in a respective one of said plurality of orifices at least at said first end or said second end by way of said inner tube or said outer tube; first and second electrical conductors each connected to a respective one of said first and second ends and electrically conductively connecting said plurality of modules in parallel between said electrode and said housing forming an electrical ground; and said first and second electrical conductors each having respective electrically conductive second contacts for electrically conductively connecting said first contacts of said plurality of modules to said first and second electrical conductors.