1.  Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to vehicle fluid thermal energy exchanger systems and associated methods of use and manufacture.  More particularly, the invention is related to vehicle liquid thermal energy exchanger systems, utilizing commercially available thermoelectric heat transfer devices that have the capability to concurrently provide heating and cooling on opposing sides of the device. 
2.  Description of the Related Art
The heating and/or cooling of liquid in transit or at a point of accumulation has been effectuated in a multitude of fashions dating back as far as the origin of the very reasons for such heat transfer.  Older pieces of art typically center around heat transfer from or to a fluid by the circulation of currents from one region to another, or by the emission and propagation of energy in the form of rays or waves. 
More specifically, in the area of internal combustion engines, it is well known in the art that cooling the engine below the temperature at which thermal breakdown of materials occurs is necessary.  Various methods have been developed to cool the engine from forced air convection to the more common form of convection where a liquid is pumped around or through the engine to draw thermal energy off the engine as a result of combustion.  However, little attention has been paid to the cooling of combustion fuels before these fuels enter the combustion chamber.  U.S. Pat.  No.  5,887,555 issued to Schmitz, discloses a fuel cooling device for marine application.  The invention discloses a housing in which the fuel pump is contained in and utilizes water as the cooling agent.  The water circulating in the housing is operative to cool the fuel pump and fuel therein. 
Alternatively, fuels such as diesel, are optimally heated before entry into the combustion chamber.  This heating ensures less activation energy is required for the fuel to combust.  Additionally, fuels such as diesel will become gelatinous at lower temperatures, thereby hindering the transfer from the fuel tank to the combustion chamber.  Traditionally, the solution to the aforementioned problem has been to utilize fuel additives which retard the increase in viscosity as the temperature decreases. 
Cooling lubricants is also well known within the prior art.  Various methods have been developed which utilize fluid currents (air and coolant fluid) to draw thermal energy away from a lubricant.  These methods include the use of devices known as heat sinks, which typically are designed for absorbing or dissipating thermal energy by having a large surface area to volume ratio.  Some heat sinks employ electromechanical devices that produce fluid currents thereby increasing the potential for thermal energy transfer by decreasing the boundary layer between the heat sink and fluid. 
The most common version of a thermal energy transfer device is a vehicle radiator.  The radiator contains fluid within channels providing thermal communication between the engine and the fluid, such that the radiator fluid carries away thermal energy from the engine.  The radiator fluid is thereafter cooled by passing through conduits having a high degree of surface area which enable fluids passing over the conduits to carry away a portion of the thermal energy of the radiator fluid.  Alternatively, engine block heaters have been developed which heat radiator fluid.  The most common versions of these devices are powered by AC current and utilize electrical resistance to current flow to produce thermal energy which is transferred to the radiator fluid.  One version, utilizes a thermal energy measuring device which controls power to a heating element and a pump which circulates the radiator fluid, while another device strictly utilizes a heater which takes advantage of thermal gradients within the radiator fluid itself to provide thermal energy to the fluid. 
The present invention relates to vehicle fluid thermal energy exchanger systems and associated methods of use and manufacture.  More particularly, the invention is related to vehicle liquid thermal energy exchanger systems.  The invention may utilize one or more thermoelectric devices manufactured from two ceramic wafers and a series of xe2x80x9cP and Nxe2x80x9d doped semiconductor blocks sandwiched therebetween.  The ceramic wafered thermoelectric devices provide concurrent thermal energy absorption and dissipation on the opposing wafers.  The thermoelectric devices take advantage of the Peltier effect; a phenomenon which occurs whenever electrical current flows through two dissimilar conductors.  Depending upon the flow of the current, the junction of the two conductors will either absorb or dissipate thermal energy.  The thermal energy is moved by the charge carriers in the direction of current flow throughout the circuit. 
The invention utilizes this movement of thermal energy within the thermoelectric device to create thermal gradients between the target and a corresponding wafer surface.  If the target is a fluid, such as water to be cooled, the temperature of the water and the temperature of the cooler surface of the wafer are the points of reference for determining the thermal energy gradient.  So long as the mean temperature of the cooler surface is less than that of the target, thermal energy will be drawn from the target and absorbed by the cooler surface, thereby cooling the target.  In some applications in which the target is a fluid, it may not be desired that the thermoelectric device come into direct contact with the target; only thermal communication is necessary for thermal energy transfer.  As such, the fluid targets may be contained in a reservoir or a conduit.  In these examples, the thermoelectric device will not necessarily be in direct contact with the fluid, but may be positioned such that thermal energy may be exchanged between the target and at least one surface of the thermoelectric device. 
In particular, the thermoelectric devices may be positioned in such a manner so as to cool or heat vehicle fluids.  In an illustrative example, vehicle fuel coming from a fuel source may be cooled by the present invention before being combusted.  Alternatively, the fuel may pass within thermal communication of the warmer surface and thereby be heated before being combusted.  In these examples, thermal communication allows for the exchange of thermal energy between the target and at least one surface of the thermoelectric device.  In an exemplary embodiment, the cooler surface is in thermal communication with a heat transfer material, which is subsequently in thermal communication with the target vehicle fluid.  The process of thermal energy transfer from a contained target to the warmer surface in a cooling operation includes: thermal energy leaving the target fluid and being absorbed by the heat transfer material; thermal energy leaving the heat transfer material and being absorbed by the cooler surface of the thermoelectric device; and, thermal energy being moved or pumped, from the cooler surface along with thermal energy produced from the resistance to current flow, to the warmer surface of the thermoelectric device. 
Advantageously, the ceramic wafered thermoelectric devices operate on relatively low power and voltages and are relatively durable.  Because the ceramic wafered thermoelectric devices dissipate heat on the side (warming side) of the device opposite that of the cooling side (absorbing heat), the above describedexemplary embodiment of the invention may utilize a heat sink to improve dissipation of such excess thermal energy from the warming side. 
It is a first aspect of the present invention to provide a vehicle system for transferring thermal energy in relation to a vehicle fluid comprising: at least one thermoelectric device, having at least two surfaces, concurrently dissipating thermal energy on a first surface and absorbing thermal energy on a second surface, mounted in proximity to a contained vehicle fluid, and providing thermal communication between the contained vehicle fluid and at least one of the first and second surfaces of the thermoelectric device. 
It is a second aspect of the present invention to provide a method of cooling a vehicle fluid that includes the steps of: (a) providing at least one thermoelectric device, having at least a first surface that changes temperature in a first direction upon activation of the thermoelectric device and a second surface opposing the first surface that changes temperature in an opposite direction upon activation of the thermoelectric device; (b) positioning the thermoelectric device such that the first surface is in thermal communication with a contained vehicle fluid; and (c) activating the thermoelectric device to develop a thermal gradient between the contained vehicle fluid and the first surface. 
It is a third aspect of the present invention to provide a method of retrofitting a vehicle with a vehicle fluid cooling system including: (a) mounting a vehicle cooling system for transferring thermal energy in relation to a closed vehicle fluid system, where the vehicle cooling system includes at least one thermoelectric device with at least two surfaces, a first and second surface acting concurrently where the first surface absorbs thermal energy and the second surface dissipates thermal energy; and (b) configuring the thermoelectric device to receive power from at least one power source. 
It is a fourth aspect of the present invention to provide a vehicle fuel cooling system including: (a) a heat sink; (b) a first heat transfer material block having a fuel conduit extending therethrough; and (b) at least one ceramic wafered thermoelectric device, having a cooling wafer and a heating wafer, positioned (or sandwiched) between the heat transfer material block and the heat sink in such a way that the heat transfer material block contacts the cooling wafer and the heat sink contacts the heating wafer. 
It is a fifth aspect of the present invention to provide a method of cooling a vehicle fuel comprising the steps of: (a) providing at least one ceramic wafered thermoelectric device having at least a cooler and warmer ceramic surfaces opposing one another; and (b) utilizing the ceramic wafered thermoelectric device to develop a gradient between the vehicle fuel and the cooler ceramic surface of the ceramic wafered thermoelectric device. 
It is a sixth aspect of the present invention to provide a vehicle fuel cooling system comprising: (a) first heat transfer material block having a fuel conduit extending therethrough; (b) a finned heat transfer material block; (c) at least one ceramic wafered thermoelectric device, having a cooling surface and a heating surface, sandwiched between the first heat transfer material block and the finned heat transfer material block in such a way that the first heat transfer material block contacts the cooling wafer surface and the finned heat transfer material block contacts the heating wafer surface; and (d) a power source supplying power to the ceramic wafered thermoelectric device. 
It is a seventh aspect of the present invention to provide a vehicle fuel heating system comprising: (a) a heat sink; (b) a first heat transfer material block having a fuel conduit extending therethrough; and (c) at least one ceramic wafered thermoelectric device, having a cooling wafer and a heating wafer, sandwiched between the first heat transfer material block and At the heat sink in such a way that the first heat transfer material block contacts the heating wafer and the heat sink contacts the cooling wafer. 
It is an eighth aspect of the present invention to provide a method of heating a vehicle fuel comprising the steps of: (a) providing at least one ceramic wafered thermoelectric having at least a cooler and warmer ceramic surfaces opposing one another; and (b) utilizing the ceramic wafered thermoelectric device to develop a gradient between a vehicle fuel and the warmer ceramic surface of the device. 
It is a ninth aspect of the present invention to provide a vehicle fuel heating system comprising: (a) a first heat transfer material block having a fuel conduit extending therethrough; (b) a finned heat transfer material block; (c) at least one ceramic wafered thermoelectric device, having a cooling surface and a heating surface, sandwiched between the first heat transfer material block and the finned heat transfer material block in such a way that the first heat transfer material block faces the heating surface and the finned heat transfer material block faces the cooling wafer surface; and (d) a power source to supply electricity to the ceramic wafered thermoelectric device. 
It is a tenth aspect of the present invention to provide a vehicle lubricant cooling system comprising: (a) a heat sink; (b) a first heat transfer material block having a heat transfer appendage extending into a vehicle lubricant accumulation vessel; and (c) at least one ceramic wafered thermoelectric device having a cooling and heating wafer, positioned between the heat sink and the first heat transfer material block and positioned in such a manner that the cooling wafer is in thermal communication with the first heat transfer material block and the heating wafer is in thermal communication with the heat sink. 
It is an eleventh aspect of the present invention to provide a method of cooling vehicle lubricants comprising the steps of: (a) providing at least one ceramic wafered thermoelectric device having opposing cooler and warmer surfaces; and (b) utilizing the ceramic wafered thermoelectric device to develop a gradient between the vehicle lubricant and the cooler ceramic wafer surface of the thermoelectric device. 
It is a twelfth aspect of the present invention to provide a vehicle lubricant cooling system comprising: (a) a vehicle lubricant accumulation vessel having a vehicle lubricant inlet and a vehicle lubricant outlet; (b) a first heat transfer material block having a heat transfer appendage extending into the lubricant accumulation vessel; (c) a heat sink; (d) at least one ceramic wafered thermoelectric device having a cooling and heating surface, sandwiched between the heat sink and the first heat transfer material block and positioned in such a manner that the cooling surface faces the first heat transfer material block and the warmer surface faces the heat sink; and (e) a power source to supply electricity to the ceramic wafered thermoelectric device. 
It is a thirteenth aspect of the present invention to provide a vehicle lubricant heating system comprising: (a) a heat sink; (b) a first heat transfer material block having a heat transfer appendage extending therefrom and into a vehicle lubricant accumulation vessel; and (c) at least one ceramic wafered thermoelectric device having a cooler wafer and a heating wafer, sandwiched between the first heat transfer material block and the heat sink such that the heating wafer contacts the first heat transfer material block and such that the cooling wafer contacts the heat sink. 
It is a fourteenth aspect of the present invention to provide a method of heating a vehicle lubricant comprising the steps of: (a) providing at least one ceramic wafered thermoelectric device having at least a cooler ceramic surface and a warmer ceramic surface opposing the cooler ceramic surface; and (b) utilizing the ceramic wafered thermoelectric device to develop a gradient between a vehicle lubricant and the warmer ceramic surface of the ceramic wafered thermoelectric device. 
It is a fifteenth aspect of the present invention to provide a vehicle lubricant heating system comprising: (a) a vehicle lubricant accumulation vessel having a vehicle lubricant inlet and a vehicle lubricant outlet; (b) a first heat transfer material block having a heat transfer appendage extending therefrom and into the vehicle lubricant accumulation vessel; (c) a heat sink; (d) at least one ceramic wafered thermoelectric device having a cooling surface and a heating surface, sandwiched between the first heat transfer material block and the heat sink such that the heating surface contacts the first heat transfer material block and such that the cooling surface contacts the heat sink; and (e) a power source operatively coupled to the ceramic wafered thermoelectric device. 
It is a sixteenth aspect of the present invention to provide a method for pre-heating a vehicle lubricant including the steps of: (a) providing a vehicle lubricant vessel, installed onto a vehicle, for storing a vehicle lubricant; (b) extending an appendage of heat transfer material into the vehicle lubricant stored within the vehicle lubricant vessel; and (c) heating the appendage of heat transfer material by activating a ceramic wafered thermoelectric device having a cooling surface and an opposed heating surface, wherein the heating surface is operatively coupled to the appendage.