Improvements in Thermo-electric Piles.
Year: 1899

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Thermo-electric Piles.
I, Dr. LUCIAN GOTTSCHO, of No. 4, Stuttgarterplatz, Charlottenburg, near
Berlin, in the Empire of Germany, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of
my said invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be par-
ticularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
-
The present invention relates to improvements in thermo-electric piles and
one of its principal objects is, to prevent as far as possible, heat from being given
off from the warm joints or points of juncture of the metals forming the pile.
In order to attain this object an intermediate conductor is inserted between the
warm and cold joints and the cross section of the said conductor is reduced as far
as possible having due regard to the exterior current strength. Furthermore
according to the present invention a heat retaining mass or partition is provided
which encloses the warm joints only and separates them from the exterior space
in which the cold joints are arranged.
In order to render the present specification easily intelligible reference is had
to the accompanying diagram.
The joints of the two metals, for instance bismuth and antimony, which are
arranged in the heated room or space R are designated by a¹ a² a", whilst the
corresponding cold joints b1 62 61 (which may be of similar metals) are arranged
outside the room or chamber R and kept at a lower temperature. The wall of
the chamber R which is indicated in dotted lines may consist of sheet metal lined
on both sides with asbestos.
The hot joints a¹ a" are connected by means of intermediate conductors c with
the corresponding cold parts b₁ 61. The bismuth plate of the joint a¹ and the
antimony plate of a" are the poles of the battery formed, so that the antimony
plate of a is connected to the antimony of the joint 6' and that of a² to that
of etc. by means of metallic conductors, which may if desired, be of wire.
Further connections c are arranged from the bismuth of joint b₁ to that of joint a²
and from the bismuth of joint be to that of a³ etc.
Thus a thermo-electric pile is attained, which is distinctly different from those
hitherto known and in use. The great loss of heat, hitherto noticeable, and which
was caused by the transmission of heat by the metal connecting the joints, is
very considerably diminished, in that the cross-section of the intermediate con-
ductor c, which is, in the present case, determined exclusively by the amount of
current necessary in the exterior circuit, is very considerably reduced. Since the
5 heated joints a¹ to a are arranged in a heated chamber R, which is practically
thermally insulated as far as the exterior is concerned, the loss of heat by trans-
mission and radiation is practically obviated.
In addition to these facts the apparatus has constructional advantages. Since
the arrangement of the warm joints a¹ a is entirely independent of the cold
O joints, these points being connected by comparatively thin wires or the like, the

page_text: size of the conducting surfaces at the joints is in no way limited and thus other
materials than those hitherto employed for the outer members of the thermo-
electric field of tension, may be used, such materials being of an extremely sen-
sitive nature as regards the working and strain of the same. Thus the bismuth
may be replaced by German silver which may be more easily worked.
The possibility of increasing the size of the points of conduct may under cir-
cumstances obviate the necessity of special cooling surfaces. Thus the cold joint
may be of such dimensions that the heating of the same per superficial area
would be quite insignificant. This heating, as is well known results from the
so-called "Peltier" effect, from the "Joules" heat generated and from the heat
transmitted directly from the hot joints, the whole heat being distributed over
the entire surface. The main idea and object of the device forming the present
invention is to utilise the heat as far as possible in an undisturbed condition or
statically and thus to considerably increase the effect attained by the conversion
of heat into electricity.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is :-
In a thermo electric pile, the combination of a heat retaining diaphragm or
wall to enclose the heated joints only and a series of conductors of relatively
small cross section to connect these with the cold joints in the manner and for
the purpose substantially as described.
TONGUE & BIRKBECK,
Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.
TONGUE & BIRKBECK,
Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.