Improvements in Thermo Electric Generators, and the Method of Operating same.
Year: 1895

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Thermo Electric Generators, and the Method of
Operating same.
I, HARRY BARRINGER Cox, of Hartford, in the County of Hartford, and State
of Connecticut, United States of America, Electrician, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed to he
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This invention relates to certain improvements in means for, and methods of
operating thermo electric generators.
The object of the invention is to provide an improved mode of maintaining the
inner surface of a thermo electric generator or battery of generators at an even
and uniform heat throughout.
A further object of the invention is to provide improved means for uniformly
heating a surface of a thermo electric generator by means of a heated moving
fluid with the employment of simple and easily controlled mechanism.
The invention consists in the peculiar method, and in novel features of construc-
tion and in combinations of parts more fully and particularly described and set
forth hereinafter.
Referring to the accompanying drawings which illustrate a convenient means for
carrying out my invention.
Figure 1 is a sectional view illustrating my invention applied to two generators.
Figure 2 is a similar view showing the invention applied for several generators.
In the drawings; a, is a thermo electric generator of any approved construction
preferably built up cylindrical in form with a surrounding cooling liquid jacket b,
having suitable inlet and outlet openings for the cooling medium.
The interior of the generator is usually coated with suitable refractory material,
substantially as shown.
If desired a vertical series of deflectors c, can be supported within the generator
to throw the heat laterally against the surface of the generator. These deflectors
may be graduated in size if needed.
In carrying out my improved method 1 employ a constantly moving body of
heated fluid as the medium for maintaining an even and uniform temperature at the
inner surface of the generator, by passing the fluid constantly through the interior
of the generator and through a heating device and providing ineans for propelling
the fluid and causing it to constantly circulate. A convenient means for carrying
out this method can consist of a continuous conduit comprising the one or more
(usually two or more) generators, a heating device which is conveniently shown
as a series of tubes above a gas jet, and a propelling fan or pump within the conduit
provided with exterior driving means. The conduit is filled with any conducting
fluid such as air.
In Figure 1, two parallel generators are shown. Suitable means, not shown, can
be provided to support them and the other devices shown.
e is a metal or other material pipe formed in U shaped sections. The upper
section has its lower ends secured to the upper heads of the two generators and
opening into and of about the same diameter as the interiors thereof.
The lower Ushaped section of the pipe has its ends secured to the lower heads
of the generators and opens into the interiors of the generators, and is of
approximately the same diameter as the upper section of the pipe.
The lower section of the conduit comprises the heating device consisting of the
plurality of heating tubes f, through which the fluid passes over the source of heat,
such as a Bunsen burner g, or a coal or similar fire impinging its heat against these
Pricals 1
.

page_text: tubes h, is a rotary propelling fan arranged in a suitable frame in the upper section-
of the conduit.
i, is a suitable electric motor suitably mounted on the exterior of the conduit
and geared to the fan by gearing j.
It will thus be seen that by maintaining a comparatively rapid circulation of the
air in the air circuit or conduit, the heat from the heating device will be transferred
to the generators and an approximately like and even temperature maintained
throughout the entire fluid circuit. Any suitable number of generators can be
placed in this circuit and all parts thereof heated approximately to the same
temperature by the heat conveyed by the air from the heater.
The generators absorb the heat they require from the air, which is being
constantly maintained at any desired (and easily controlled) temperature by the
heating device, the air going constantly around and the heater constantly
supplying all heat lost by absorption of the generators or through radiation.
In Figure 2 the hot air conduit is shown including a plurality of generators.
The air conduit is suitably insulated so that all waste of heat and energy will be
reduced to a minimum.
It is evident that various charges might be made in the forms, constructions, and
arrangements of the parts described without departing from the spirit and scope of
my invention, hence I do not wish to limit myself to the exact construction herein
set forth, but consider myself entitled to all such changes as fall within the spirit
and scope of my invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is: :-
1. The herein described mode of operating thermo electric generators which
consists in conveying the heat from the source of heat to the generator through
the medium of a constantly circulating confined body of fluid, substantially as
described.
2. The herein described mode of operating thermo electric generators which
consists in constantly circulating a confined body of thermic energy through the
generator, substantially as described.
3. The herein described mode of operating thermo electric generators which
consists in maintaining the heated surface of the generator at the desired
temperature through the medium of a confined body of air and constantly forcing
said air to rotate from the source of heat through the generator, substantially as
described.
4. A thermo electric generator having its surface to be heated comprised within
a fluid circuit or circuit means to heat the fluid in said conduit, and a propeller in
said conduit for circulating the fluid therein, substantially as described.
5. A thermo electric generator, a continuous flnid conduit including the generator,
a heater included in said conduit, and a propeller in said conduit provided with
exterior driving means, substantially as set forth.
6. A thermo electric generator, in combination with a continuous fluid conduit
including the generator and a heater, substantially as set forth.
7. One or more thermo electric generators, in combination with insulated pipes
connecting the interiors thereof so as to form a continuous closed air conduit, a
heater or heaters for the conduit through which the air passes, and an air circulating
device, substantially as described.
Dated this 18th day of September 1895