Patent ID: 7770645

Claim:
A system for providing electric power in a wellbore comprising tubing which defines a flowpath for conveyance of hydrocarbon fluid with an entry point for hydrocarbon fluid to flow into the well bore from subterranean rock, said system comprising: at least one thermoelectric generator at a downhole location, to generate electricity from heat flowing between the fluid passing the thermoelectric generator and a region surrounding said location; and one or more thermally insulated sections of wellbore tubing, entirely located downhole, having a lower heat conductivity than another section of wellbore tubing extending downstream from said one or more thermally insulated sections, where one or more of said thermally insulated sections of wellbore tubing is located upstream of the generator such as to reduce heat loss of fluid flowing through the wellbore from the entry point of said fluid to the location of the generator and thereby increase a temperature difference across the thermoelectric generator between the fluid passing the generator and the surrounding geothermal temperature.