Patent ID: 8713924
Filing Date: 2014-05-06
Classification: F01N,F02G,F02M,H01L,Y02T

Abstract:
1. A device for producing electrical energy from an exhaust gas of an internal combustion engine, the device comprising: a generator having an exhaust gas inlet, an exhaust gas outlet and a heat exchange portion disposed between said exhaust gas inlet and said exhaust gas outlet; said heat exchange portion having a multiplicity of flow paths for the exhaust gas, said flow paths including upstream portions immediately downstream of said exhaust gas inlet and downstream portions immediately upstream of said exhaust gas outlet, the exhaust gas being hotter in said upstream portions than in said downstream portions; a cooling device; thermoelectric elements at least partially surrounding said flow paths and having a side facing away from one of said flow paths and being in thermally conductive communication with said cooling device; at least one of said flow paths having at least one element for flow manipulation or different types of said thermoelectric elements being disposed at least along one of said flow paths; and thermally conductive structures disposed only in said downstream portions and configured to cause an increase in dissipation of residual heat of the exhaust gas from the exhaust-gas flow for improving efficiency of said generator and said thermally conductive structures not being disposed in said upstream portions to prevent overheating of said thermoelectric elements disposed in said upstream portions.