Patent ID: 7629530

Claim:
An energy recovery system for converting heat generated during operation of a working device into electrical energy using first and second thermal media and recovering the electrical energy, the system comprising: a cooling device that cools the first thermal media, generating a low temperature thermal medium by maintaining the temperature of the first thermal media at a predetermined value; and a thermoelectric converter that generates electricity by utilizing a temperature difference between the low temperature thermal medium and the second thermal media, with the second thermal media being maintained at a temperature higher than the low temperature thermal medium by heat generated during operation of the working device to generate a high temperature thermal medium with the second thermal media, wherein the cooling device is a heat pump that generates the low temperature thermal medium by utilizing heat from the high temperature thermal medium, wherein the working device is a drive source mounted on a vehicle for causing the vehicle to travel, and the high temperature thermal medium is high temperature coolant that has been used to cool the drive source.