Patent ID: 8904809

Claim:
A thermoelectric device comprising: a thermoelectric element comprising a first component in electrical contact with a second component at an interface, wherein the first component comprises a first material and the second component comprises a second material different from the first material; a first heat switch comprising a first terminal in thermal contact with the interface and a second terminal in thermal contact with a thermal reservoir; a second heat switch comprising a first terminal in thermal contact with the interface and a second terminal in thermal contact with a thermal load; and a control circuit configured to: in a first phase when the first and second heat switches are open, cause a first current to flow across the thermoelectric element from the first component to the second component, causing the interface to heat, wherein the heating of the interfaces causes a temperature difference between the interface and the thermal reservoir to increase above a closing threshold of the first heat switch, causing the first heat switch to close, resulting in a thermally conductive path between the interface and the thermal reservoir; in a second phase, at about the closing of the first heat switch, cause the first current to stop, wherein after the stopping of the first current, heat from the interface is transferred to the thermal reservoir causing the first heat switch to open; in a third phase when the first heat switch is open, cause a second current to flow across the thermoelectric element from the second component to the first component, causing the interface to cool, wherein the cooling of the interfaces causes a temperature difference between the interface and the thermal load to increase above a closing threshold of the second heat switch, causing the second heat switch to close, and, resulting in a thermally conductive path between the interface and the thermal load; and in a fourth phase, at about the closing of the second heat switch, cause the second current to stop, wherein after the stopping of the second current, heat from the thermal load is transferred to the interface, causing the second heat switch to open.