Patent ID: 8590303

Claim:
An energy harvesting system comprising: a first region having a first temperature; a second region having a second temperature that is different from the first temperature; a conduit located at least partially within the first region; a heat engine configured for converting thermal energy to mechanical energy including: a shape memory alloy forming at least one generally continuous loop, wherein the shape memory alloy is disposed in heat exchange contact with each of the first region and the second region; a carrier surrounding the conduit such that the carrier is driven to rotate around the conduit by the shape memory alloy in response to the temperature difference between the first region and the second region; a plurality of inner pulleys and a plurality of outer pulleys rotatably mounted to the carrier in an alternating relationship to one another, and wherein the shape memory alloy is alternately threaded about an interior of the plurality of inner pulleys and an exterior of the plurality of outer pulleys to form the at least one continuous loop; and a component driven by the rotation of the carrier.