Patent ID: 8286424

Claim:
An apparatus comprising: an engine; a thermoelectric generator having an exhaust gas inlet and an exhaust gas outlet; an exhaust gas passage operatively connecting the engine and the exhaust gas inlet of the thermoelectric generator to permit exhaust gas flow through the thermoelectric generator from the exhaust gas inlet to the exhaust gas outlet; a plurality of coolant flow passages defining a coolant circuit operatively connecting the engine and the thermoelectric generator; wherein the thermoelectric generator has a first coolant port and a second coolant port; wherein the first coolant port is nearer to the exhaust gas outlet than to the exhaust gas inlet; wherein the second coolant port is nearer to the exhaust gas inlet than to the exhaust gas outlet; at least one valve positioned in the coolant circuit and movable between a first position and a second position; wherein the at least one valve is in the first position under a first set of operating conditions and is in the second position under a second set of operating conditions; wherein the at least one valve directs coolant flow through the thermoelectric generator from the first coolant port to the second coolant port when in the first position and directs coolant flow through the thermoelectric generator from the second coolant port to the first coolant port when in the second position.