Patent ID: 8174245
Filing Date: 2012-05-08
Classification: F25B,H01L,Y02B

Abstract:
1. A thermal-to-electrical energy conversion method, comprising: (a) subjecting a field-responsive material including a magnetocaloric material to a magnetic field to induce a temperature change in the field-responsive material; (b) creating a temperature change in at least one thermal to electrical energy conversion component in thermal contact with the field-responsive material based on the temperature change in the field-responsive material; (c) creating electrical energy in the at least one thermal to electrical energy conversion component based upon the temperature change experienced by the thermal to electrical energy conversion component and outputting the electrical energy created; (d) removing the field from the field-responsive material to allow the field-responsive material and the at least one thermal to electrical energy conversion component to approach thermal equilibrium; (e) repeating steps (a)-(d) to repeatedly create and output electrical energy.