Classifications

• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H10—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES; ELECTRIC SOLID-STATE DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • H10N—ELECTRIC SOLID-STATE DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • H10N10/00—Thermoelectric devices comprising a junction of dissimilar materials, i.e. devices exhibiting Seebeck or Peltier effects
  • H10N10/10—Thermoelectric devices comprising a junction of dissimilar materials, i.e. devices exhibiting Seebeck or Peltier effects operating with only the Peltier or Seebeck effects
  • H10N10/13—Thermoelectric devices comprising a junction of dissimilar materials, i.e. devices exhibiting Seebeck or Peltier effects operating with only the Peltier or Seebeck effects characterised by the heat-exchanging means at the junction
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H10—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES; ELECTRIC SOLID-STATE DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • H10N—ELECTRIC SOLID-STATE DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • H10N10/00—Thermoelectric devices comprising a junction of dissimilar materials, i.e. devices exhibiting Seebeck or Peltier effects
  • H10N10/10—Thermoelectric devices comprising a junction of dissimilar materials, i.e. devices exhibiting Seebeck or Peltier effects operating with only the Peltier or Seebeck effects
  • H10N10/17—Thermoelectric devices comprising a junction of dissimilar materials, i.e. devices exhibiting Seebeck or Peltier effects operating with only the Peltier or Seebeck effects characterised by the structure or configuration of the cell or thermocouple forming the device

Definitions

• thermoelectric device in particular for generating an electric current in a motor vehicle
• the present invention relates to an assembly of a plurality of fluid circulation tubes and a plurality of elements, said electrical thermo, for creating an electric current from a temperature gradient. It also relates to a thermoelectric device, in particular for generating an electric current in a motor vehicle, comprising such assemblies.
• thermoelectric devices using so-called electric thermo elements, for generating an electric current in the presence of a temperature gradient between two of their opposite faces according to the phenomenon known as the Seebeck effect.
• These devices comprise a stack of first tubes, intended for the circulation of the exhaust gases of an engine, and second tubes, intended for the circulation of a heat transfer fluid of a cooling circuit.
• the electrical thermo elements are sandwiched between the tubes so as to be subjected to a temperature gradient from the temperature difference between the hot exhaust gases and the cold cooling fluid.
• Such devices are particularly interesting because they make it possible to produce electricity from a conversion of the heat coming from the exhaust gases of the engine. They thus offer the possibility of reducing the fuel consumption of the vehicle by replacing, at least partially, the alternator usually provided therein to generate electricity from a belt driven by the engine crankshaft. .
• a constraint encountered with the known devices is that they require that a very good contact is ensured between the electrical thermo elements and the tubes so as to ensure a satisfactory conduction between them. It is thus necessary to have tubes having perfect flatness and excellent surface condition impacting the cost of the device.
• a first solution consisting of reinforcing the contact with external tie rods exerting a compressive force on the stack of tubes.
• This solution requires the use of tubes that do not risk crashing on themselves as a result of this effort, leading to overconsumption of material.
• the quality of the contact assured is also insufficient, particularly because of the disparity in size of the thermoelectric elements.
• the aim of the invention is to improve the situation by proposing a set of a plurality of tubes for circulating a fluid, extending parallel to each other, and a plurality of elements, referred to as electric thermo, which make it possible to create an electric current from a temperature gradient applied between two of their faces, said contact face, said electric thermoelectric elements being distributed over said plurality of tubes with which they are in contact by one of their contact face, said assembly being configured to allow the introduction of circulation tubes of another fluid, intended to be in contact with said thermoelectric elements by the other of their contact face and to present a secant extension direction to the direction of extension of the fluid circulation tubes of said assembly.
• the contact surfaces are segmented with respect to the electric thermoelectric elements and it is easier to take into account the these latter. It is also possible to exercise a compressive force of the thermoelectric elements on the tubes better distributed. According to different embodiments of the invention, taken together or separately:
• thermoelectric elements are distributed in groups distant from one another in said direction of extension of the circulation tubes of said assembly,
• said direction of extension of said circulation tubes of the other fluid is a direction orthogonal to the direction of extension of the circulation tubes of said assembly
• circulation tubes of said assembly are spaced from each other in a direction orthogonal to their direction of extension
• said circulation tubes of said assembly have a plurality of fluid circulation channels
• the circulation tubes of said assembly are provided with tracks for conduction of the current generated by said electric thermoelectric elements
• said assembly further comprises a collecting plate connecting one end of said circulation tubes of said assembly, in particular for the assemblies comprising a plurality of tubes intended to allow the circulation of the fluid of the highest temperature,
• said assembly further comprises a manifold in fluid communication with one end of said circulation tubes of said assembly, in particular for the assemblies comprising a plurality of tubes intended to allow the circulation of the fluid of the lowest temperature,
• said circulation tubes of said assembly are provided capable of permitting an exhaust gas circulation and the number of circulation tubes of said assembly is between three and five,
• thermoelectric device comprising one or more sets of a plurality of circulation tubes.
• a first fluid said to be hot
• a plurality of electric thermoelectric elements as described above, alternating in a so-called stacking direction with sets of a plurality of circulation tubes of a second fluid, said cold, having a temperature lower than that of the hot fluid, and a plurality of electric thermo elements, also as described above, the extension direction of the cold fluid circulation tubes being intersecting, in particular orthogonal to the direction of extension of the hot fluid circulation tubes, so as to define intersecting areas of the tubes at which said electric thermoelectric elements are provided, said thermoelectric elements of one of said sets being in contact with the tubes from a neighboring set.
• the tubes of said sets have two opposite faces and the electric thermo elements of a set of said sets are in contact with one of the faces of the tubes of said set, the electric thermo elements of a neighboring set being in contact with the other side of said tubes.
• the device comprises means for compressing the tubes towards each other in said stacking direction.
• the compression means comprise clamping rods, oriented in the stacking direction,
• the circulation tubes of the first fluid and the circulation tubes of the second fluid are configured, for example, to leave passages for said clamping rods between said intersection zones.
• the cold fluid flow tubes are serpentine-connected from an assembly comprising said cold fluid flow tubes to an assembly including said adjacent cold fluid flow tubes.
• the device comprises a manifold in fluid communication with the hot fluid circulation tubes, at one of their ends.
• FIG. 1 illustrates in perspective two exemplary embodiments of an assembly according to the invention, superimposed on one another
• FIG. 2 illustrates in perspective a first exemplary embodiment of a device according to the invention
• FIG. 3 is a view along a section plane orthogonal to the direction of extension of the cold fluid circulation tubes of the device of FIG. 2,
• FIG. 4 illustrates in perspective another embodiment of a device according to the invention.
• the invention firstly relates to an assembly of a plurality of tubes 1, 2 for circulating a fluid, extending parallel to each other.
• a plurality of tubes 1 for circulation of a fluid, said to be hot and a plurality of tubes 2 for the circulation of a fluid, said to be cold, of temperature lower than the temperature of the hot fluid, which belong to respectively to a first and a second sets, according to the invention, superimposed.
• the circulation tubes 1 of the first set are intended to allow the circulation of exhaust gas and are three in number to five, here four, while the circulation tubes 2 of the second set are intended to allow the circulation of a cooling fluid and are five in number to ten, here eight.
• Said assemblies also comprise a plurality of elements 3, termed electrical thermo, making it possible to create an electric current from a temperature gradient applied between two of their faces 4a, 4b, called the contact face (in FIG. the thermoelectric elements of the assembly provided with the plurality of circulation tubes 1 is visible).
• substantially parallelepiped shaped elements generating an electric current, according to the Seebeck effect.
• Such elements allow the creation of an electric current in a load connected between said contact faces 4a, 4b.
• such elements consist, for example, of Bismuth and Tellurium (Bi 2 Te 3).
• thermoelectric elements may be, for a first part, elements 3p of a first type, said P, for establishing a difference in electric potential in a direction, said positive, when they are subjected to a temperature gradient given, and, for the other part, elements 3n of a second type, said N, allowing the creation of a difference of electric potential in an opposite direction, said negative, when they are subjected to the same temperature gradient .
• thermoelectric elements 3 are distributed over said plurality of tubes 1 with which they are in contact by one of their contact face 4b.
• Said assembly is configured to allow the introduction of circulation tubes of another fluid, intended to be in contact with said thermoelectric elements 3 by the other 4a of their contact face and to present a direction of secant extension, particularly orthogonal, to the direction of extension of the fluid circulation tubes of said assembly.
• said circulation tubes of the other fluid are not shown but could have a configuration identical to the circulation tubes 2 of the second set so as to be superimposed in the same way on the circulation tubes 1 of the first set . It is thus possible to establish a temperature gradient between the thermoelectric elements 3 in contact, on the one hand, the circulation tubes 1 of the first set and the circulation tubes of the other fluid.
• Subdividing the flow of fluids into a plurality of tubes in the same assembly makes it possible to have more satisfactory surface-state tubes than in the case of larger tubes. It also allows, as further developed, according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention, to be able to exert a compressive force on the tubes which is closer to the areas to be compressed to ensure good contact with the electric thermo elements 3 .
• the tubes 1, 2 are, for example, provided with tracks, not shown, for the conduction of the current generated by said electric thermo elements. More specifically, they may be coated with a layer of electrically insulating material 35 and thermally conductive, for example ceramic, on which are provided said tracks, in particular provided copper. Said tracks connect in series and / or in parallel, the electric thermo elements 3 arranged on the tubes. All or part of the elements of the same type P or N of a tube 1, 2 may be grouped to be connected in parallel while an element or group of P type elements of a tube will be connected in series with a element or group of N-type elements of the same tube or other tube. In other words, different configurations of electrical circuits can be provided on the surface of the tubes 1, 2.
• thermoelectric elements 3 are distributed, for example, by group 4 spaced apart from each other in said direction of extension of the tubes 1, 2 of circulation of said sets.
• remote is meant that the distance between two adjacent thermoelectric elements of the same group 4 is much less than the distance between two neighboring groups 4.
• the electric thermo elements are here grouped by four.
• Said circulation tubes 1, 2 have, for example, a flattened section in an elongation direction, orthogonal to the direction of extension of the tubes. As the interest will appear below, said tubes 1, 2 of the same set are spaced from each other in said direction of elongation.
• Said circulation tubes 1, 2 are, for example, flat tubes. This means that they have two large parallel faces connected by short sides. Said pluralities of tube 1, 2 also extend in planes parallel to said large faces.
• said tubes have, for example, a multiplicity of channels 5.
• said tubes 2 consist for example of aluminum and / or of aluminum alloy. They are, in particular, extruded. Their channels can be of round section.
• said tubes 2 consist, in particular, of stainless steel. They are formed, for example, by profiling, welding and / or brazing.
• the channels 5 of fluid passage are separated, in particular, by partitions 6 connecting the opposite planar faces 7a, 7b of the tubes.
• said assembly may further comprise a header plate 8, 9, connecting one end of said tubes 1, 2 circulation of said assembly.
• Said collector plate 8, 9 is provided, for example at each end of the tubes of the same set.
• the at least one assembly may also comprise a manifold 10 in fluid communication with one end of said circulation tubes of said assembly.
• Said manifold 10 is provided, for example at each end of the tubes of the same set.
• the manifolds 10 comprise said collector plates 9, provided in the form of a half-cylinder, and a lid 1 1 of complementary shape, partitions 12 being arranged at each longitudinal end of the boxes 10. Fluid inlet / outlet pipes 13, mounted on said manifolds 10, may also be provided.
• the invention also relates to a thermoelectric device, comprising one or more sets of a plurality of hot fluid circulation tubes 1, and a plurality of electric thermoelectric elements 3, such as described above, alternating in a direction D, said stacking, with sets of a plurality of tubes 2 for circulating the cold fluid and a plurality of electric thermo elements 3, also as described above.
• the direction of extension of the cold fluid circulation tubes 2 is intersecting, in particular, orthogonal to the direction of extension of the hot fluid circulation tubes 1, so as to define intersection zones 14 (better visible at the 1) tubes at which said electric thermo elements 3 are provided.
• intersection zones 14 better visible at the 1 tubes at which said electric thermo elements 3 are provided.
• intersection it does not mean that the hot and cold tubes intersect because, because of their superimposed disposition, they are in different planes, but rather that they overlap. In other words, it is more exactly their projections according to the stacking direction that intersect.
• thermoelectric elements 3 of one of said sets are in contact with the tubes of a neighboring set.
• the sets comprising the tubes 2 for circulating the cold fluid may comprise the same number of tubes. Similarly for the sets comprising the tubes 1 of hot fluid circulation.
• the stacking direction is both orthogonal to the extension direction of the hot fluid circulation tubes 1 and the cold fluid circulation tubes 2.
• the tubes 2 of the first and last sets according to the stacking direction may have electric thermo elements 3 on only one of their face.
• the thermoelectric elements 3 of a set of said assemblies are in contact with one of the faces 7a of the tubes of said assembly, the electric thermo elements 3 of a neighboring assembly being in contact with the other face 7b of said tubes.
• Electrical connectors not shown, connected to the electrical circuits of said assemblies, are provided for a connection of the device to an electrical network that it will contribute to power.
• the tubes 1 for circulating the hot fluid and the circulation tubes 2 for the cold fluid are configured to leave a passage 16 between the said intersection zones 14.
• the device may further comprise means for compressing the tubes towards one another in said stacking direction.
• Said compression means comprise clamping rods 15, oriented in the stacking direction, passing through said passages 16. They furthermore comprise, for example, plates 17 provided with holes 18 for the passage of the clamping rods 15 and nuts 19 for clamping on said clamping rods 15 to apply the plates 17 against the tubes of the first and the last set in the stacking direction.
• Said device may further comprise a manifold, not shown, in fluid communication with the tubes 1 for circulating the hot fluid at one of their ends.
• a manifold not shown, in fluid communication with the tubes 1 for circulating the hot fluid at one of their ends.
• said collecting plate 8 is, for example, flat and allows the attachment of a lid, not shown, defining with the plate 8, the one or more collector boxes. These are provided with inlet / outlet ports of the hot fluid.
• the tubes 2 for circulating the cold fluid are identical and are superimposed on each other, in the stacking direction, of an assembly comprising said tubes 2 for circulating cold fluid at another.
• said cold fluid circulation tubes 2 superimposed on each other are connected in a coil.
• the device comprises serpentine tubes arranged at a distance from each other in the direction of elongation of the section of the tubes.
• the manifolds 10 for the cold fluid will then be located at the end of the serpentine tubes, that is, at the first and the last plurality of tubes 2 for circulating the cold fluid, in the stacking direction.

Landscapes

• Heat-Exchange Devices With Radiators And Conduit Assemblies (AREA)
• Filling Or Discharging Of Gas Storage Vessels (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=45937342

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (5)

Families Citing this family (3)

Citations (3)

Family Cites Families (6)

• 2011
  • 2011-03-31 FR FR1152699A patent/FR2973577B1/fr active Active
• 2012
  • 2012-03-29 EP EP12713108.4A patent/EP2691995A1/de not_active Withdrawn
  • 2012-03-29 WO PCT/EP2012/055743 patent/WO2012131012A1/fr active Application Filing
  • 2012-03-29 US US14/008,608 patent/US20140338714A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2012-03-29 JP JP2014501644A patent/JP6009534B2/ja active Active

Patent Citations (3)

Non-Patent Citations (1)

Also Published As

Similar Documents

Legal Events