KR20190044236A - Thermoelectric element and thermoelectric conversion device comprising the same - Google Patents

Abstract

According to an embodiment of the present invention, a thermoelectric device comprises: an annular first base layer; an annular second base layer for surrounding the first base layer to be spaced apart from the first base layer at a predetermined interval; a plurality of P-type and N-type thermoelectric legs alternately disposed between the first and second base layers; and a plurality of first and second electrodes alternately disposed between the P-type and N-type thermoelectric legs. At least one surface of the first electrodes is bonded to the P-type thermoelectric legs, another surface thereof is bonded to the N-type thermoelectric legs, and another surface thereof is bonded to the first base layer. Also, at least one surface of the second electrodes is bonded to the N-type thermoelectric legs, another surface thereof is bonded to the P-type thermoelectric legs, and another surface thereof is bonded to the second base layer.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD [0001] The present invention relates to a thermoelectric conversion device and a thermoelectric conversion device including the thermoelectric conversion device.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention [0001] The present invention relates to a thermoelectric element, and more particularly, to a thermoelectric conversion device for generating electricity by using heat from hot air.

Thermoelectric phenomenon is a phenomenon caused by the movement of electrons and holes inside a material, which means direct energy conversion between heat and electricity.

Thermoelectric elements are collectively referred to as elements utilizing thermoelectric phenomenon and have a structure in which a p-type thermoelectric material and an n-type thermoelectric material are bonded between metal electrodes to form a PN junction pair.

The thermoelectric element can be classified into a device using a temperature change of electrical resistance, a device using a Seebeck effect that generates electromotive force by a temperature difference, a device using a Peltier effect that is a phenomenon in which heat is generated by heat or a heat is generated .

Thermoelectric devices are widely applied to household appliances, electronic components, and communication components. For example, a thermoelectric element can be applied to a cooling device, a heating device, a power generation device, and the like. As a result, there is a growing demand for thermoelectric performance of thermoelectric elements.

BACKGROUND ART [0002] In recent years, there has been a need to generate electricity using waste heat and thermoelectric elements generated from engines such as automobiles and ships. At this time, a structure for enhancing power generation performance is required.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides a thermoelectric conversion device and a thermoelectric conversion device using the same.

An annular first base layer according to an embodiment of the present invention; an annular second base layer surrounding the first base layer to be spaced apart from the first base layer by a predetermined distance; A plurality of P-type thermoelectric legs and a plurality of N-type thermoelectric legs alternately arranged between the base layers, and a plurality of first electrodes alternately arranged between the plurality of P-type thermoelectric legs and the plurality of N-type thermoelectric legs, Wherein at least one of the plurality of first electrodes is bonded to the P-type thermoelectric leg, the other surface is bonded to the N-type thermoelectric leg, and the other surface is bonded to the first base layer At least one of the plurality of second electrodes is bonded to the N-type thermoelectric leg, the other surface is bonded to the P-type thermoelectric leg, and the other surface is bonded to the second base layer.

One of the plurality of P-type thermoelectric legs is connected to a first terminal, and one of the plurality of N-type thermoelectric legs adjacent to the P-type thermoelectric leg connected to the first terminal is connected to a second Terminal.

Wherein at least one end surface of the plurality of first electrodes has a narrower width as it is closer to the first base layer side from the second base layer side, To the second base layer side.

At least one end surface of the plurality of first electrodes may be widened again as the P-type thermoelectric leg and the N-type thermoelectric leg are spaced apart from the first base layer toward the first base layer side have.

The plurality of first electrodes and the plurality of second electrodes may be bonded to the plurality of P-type thermoelectric legs and the plurality of N-type legs by solder.

The first base layer and the second base layer may be filled with a polymer.

At least one of the first base layer and the second base layer may be made of aluminum whose surface is anodized.

At least one of the first base layer and the second base layer may be made of aluminum oxide.

The thermoelectric conversion device according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a first thermoelectric element and a second thermoelectric element stacked on the first thermoelectric element, wherein each of the first thermoelectric element and the second thermoelectric element includes an annular member A first base layer, an annular second base layer surrounding the first base layer so as to be spaced apart from the first base layer by a predetermined distance, a plurality of P layers alternately arranged between the first base layer and the second base layer, Type thermoelectrons, a plurality of first electrodes and a plurality of second electrodes alternately arranged between the plurality of P-type thermoelectric legs and the plurality of N-type thermoelectric legs, wherein the plurality At least one of the first electrodes of the plurality of second electrodes is bonded to the P-type thermoelectric leg, the other surface is bonded to the N-type thermoelectric leg, and the other surface is bonded to the first base layer, At least one side is N-type Bonded to the entire leg and the other face is bonded, and the P-type thermoelectric legs, the other side is bonded to the second base layer.

One of the plurality of P-type thermoelectric legs is connected to a first terminal, and one of the plurality of N-type thermoelectric legs adjacent to the P-type thermoelectric leg connected to the first terminal is connected to a second Wherein each of the first thermoelectric element and the second thermoelectric element includes a first terminal, a plurality of P-type thermoelectric legs and an N-type thermoelectric leg alternately arranged, and the second terminal is arranged in a clockwise direction The first terminal of the first thermoelectric element is connected to the second terminal of the second thermoelectric element or the second terminal of the first thermoelectric element is connected to the first terminal of the second thermoelectric element have.

According to the embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to obtain a thermoelectric conversion device having excellent power generation performance. Particularly, according to the embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to obtain a thermoelectric conversion device having a small volume and high power generation efficiency. Further, according to the embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to obtain a thermoelectric conversion device capable of increasing the power generation capacity by stacking a plurality of unit thermoelectric elements.

Fig. 1 is a cross-sectional view of the thermoelectric element, and Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the thermoelectric element.
3 is a cross-sectional view of a thermoelectric device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
4 is a cross-sectional view of a thermoelectric device according to another embodiment of the present invention.
5 is a cross-sectional view of a thermoelectric device according to another embodiment of the present invention.
6 is a cross-sectional view of a thermoelectric device according to another embodiment of the present invention.
7 is an exploded perspective view of a thermoelectric conversion device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
8 is a perspective view of a thermoelectric conversion device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
9 is a view for explaining a method of connecting terminals of a thermoelectric generator according to an embodiment of the present invention.
10 is a view illustrating a method of connecting terminals of a thermoelectric generator according to another embodiment of the present invention.

The present invention is capable of various modifications and various embodiments, and specific embodiments are illustrated and described in the drawings. It should be understood, however, that the invention is not intended to be limited to the particular embodiments, but includes all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the invention.

The terms including ordinal, such as second, first, etc., may be used to describe various elements, but the elements are not limited to these terms. The terms are used only for the purpose of distinguishing one component from another. For example, without departing from the scope of the present invention, the second component may be referred to as a first component, and similarly, the first component may also be referred to as a second component. And / or < / RTI > includes any combination of a plurality of related listed items or any of a plurality of related listed items.

It is to be understood that when an element is referred to as being "connected" or "connected" to another element, it may be directly connected or connected to the other element, . On the other hand, when an element is referred to as being "directly connected" or "directly connected" to another element, it should be understood that there are no other elements in between.

The terminology used in this application is used only to describe a specific embodiment and is not intended to limit the invention. The singular expressions include plural expressions unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. In the present application, the terms "comprises" or "having" and the like are used to specify that there is a feature, a number, a step, an operation, an element, a component or a combination thereof described in the specification, But do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, or combinations thereof.

Unless defined otherwise, all terms used herein, including technical or scientific terms, have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. Terms such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries are to be interpreted as having a meaning consistent with the contextual meaning of the related art and are to be interpreted as either ideal or overly formal in the sense of the present application Do not.

Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein like or corresponding elements are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description thereof will be omitted.

Fig. 1 is a cross-sectional view of the thermoelectric element, and Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the thermoelectric element.

1 and 2, a thermoelectric element 100 includes a lower substrate 110, a lower electrode 120, a P-type thermoelectric leg 130, an N-type thermoelectric leg 140, an upper electrode 150, (160).

The lower electrode 120 is disposed between the lower substrate 110 and the lower surface of the P-type thermoelectric leg 130 and the N-type thermoelectric leg 140, and the upper electrode 150 is disposed between the upper substrate 160 and the P- Type thermoelectric transducer 130 and the upper surface of the N-type thermoelectric leg 140. Accordingly, the plurality of P-type thermoelectric legs 130 and the plurality of N-type thermoelectric legs 140 are electrically connected by the lower electrode 120 and the upper electrode 150. A pair of P-type thermoelectric legs 130 and N-type thermoelectric legs 140, which are disposed between the lower electrode 120 and the upper electrode 150 and are electrically connected to each other, may form a unit cell.

For example, when a voltage is applied to the lower electrode 120 and the upper electrode 150 through the lead wires 181 and 182, the current flows from the P-type thermoelectric leg 130 to the N-type thermoelectric leg 140 due to the Peltier effect, The substrate on which the current flows can act as a cooling part, and the substrate through which current flows from the N-type thermoelectric leg 140 to the P-type thermoelectric leg 130 can be heated and act as a heat generating part.

Here, the P-type thermoelectric leg 130 and the N-type thermoelectric leg 140 may be bismuth telluride (Bi-Te) thermoelectric legs containing bismuth (Bi) and tellurium (Te) as main raw materials. The P-type thermoelectric leg 130 is formed of a material selected from the group consisting of antimony (Sb), nickel (Ni), aluminum (Al), copper (Cu), silver (Ag), lead (Pb), boron 99 to 99.999 wt% of a bismuth telluride (Bi-Te) based raw material containing at least one of gallium (Ga), tellurium (Te), bismuth (Bi) and indium (In) and 0.001 Lt; / RTI > to 1 wt%. For example, the base material may be Bi-Se-Te, and may further contain Bi or Te in an amount of 0.001 to 1 wt% of the total weight. The N-type thermoelectric leg 140 is made of selenium (Se), nickel (Ni), aluminum (Al), copper (Cu), silver (Ag), lead (Pb), boron (B) 99 to 99.999 wt% of a bismuth telluride (Bi-Te) based raw material containing at least one of gallium (Ga), tellurium (Te), bismuth (Bi) and indium (In) and 0.001 Lt; / RTI > to 1 wt%. For example, the base material may be Bi-Sb-Te and may further contain Bi or Te in an amount of 0.001 to 1 wt% of the total weight.

The P-type thermoelectric leg 130 and the N-type thermoelectric leg 140 may be formed in a bulk or laminated form. Generally, the bulk type P-type thermoelectric leg 130 or the bulk N-type thermoelectric leg 140 is manufactured by heat-treating the thermoelectric material to produce an ingot, crushing and sieving the ingot to obtain a thermoelectric leg powder, Sintered body, and cutting the sintered body. The laminated P-type thermoelectric leg 130 or the laminated N-type thermoelectric leg 140 is formed by applying a paste containing a thermoelectric material on a sheet-shaped substrate to form a unit member, then stacking and cutting the unit member Can be obtained.

At this time, the pair of the P-type thermoelectric legs 130 and the N-type thermoelectric legs 140 may have the same shape and volume, or may have different shapes and volumes. Since the electrical conduction characteristics of the P-type thermoelectric leg 130 and the N-type thermoelectric leg 140 are different from each other, the height or the cross-sectional area of the N-type thermoelectric leg 140 may be set to a height or a cross- May be formed differently.

The performance of a thermoelectric device according to an embodiment of the present invention can be represented by a Gebeck index. The whiteness index (ZT) can be expressed by Equation (1).

Here, α is the Seebeck coefficient [V / K], σ is the electric conductivity [S / m], and α ² σ is the power factor (W / mK ² ). T is the temperature, and k is the thermal conductivity [W / mK]. k is a · c _p · ρ where a is the thermal diffusivity [cm ² / S], c _p is the specific heat [J / gK], and ρ is the density [g / cm ³ ].

In order to obtain the whiteness index of the thermoelectric element, the Z value (V / K) is measured using a Z meter, and the Zebek index (ZT) can be calculated using the measured Z value.

Here, the lower electrode 120 disposed between the lower substrate 110 and the P-type thermoelectric leg 130 and the N-type thermoelectric leg 140, the upper substrate 160 and the P-type thermoelectric leg 130, and the N- The upper electrode 150 disposed between the thermoelectric legs 140 may include at least one of copper (Cu), silver (Ag), and nickel (Ni).

The lower substrate 110 and the upper substrate 160, which are opposite to each other, may be an insulating substrate or a metal substrate. The insulating substrate may be an alumina substrate or a polymer resin substrate having flexibility. The flexible polymer resin substrate having flexibility has high permeability such as polyimide (PI), polystyrene (PS), polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), cyclic olefin copoly (COC), polyethylene terephthalate (PET) Plastic, and the like. Alternatively, the insulating substrate may be a fabric. The metal substrate may comprise Cu, a Cu alloy, or a Cu-Al alloy. When the lower substrate 110 and the upper substrate 160 are metal substrates, a dielectric layer 170 is formed between the lower substrate 110 and the lower electrode 120 and between the upper substrate 160 and the upper electrode 150, Can be formed. The dielectric layer 170 may include a material having a thermal conductivity of 5 to 10 W / K.

At this time, the P-type thermoelectric leg 130 or the N-type thermoelectric leg 140 may have a cylindrical shape, a polygonal columnar shape, an elliptical columnar shape, or the like.

Alternatively, the P-type thermoelectric leg 130 or the N-type thermoelectric leg 140 may have a laminated structure. For example, the P-type thermoelectric leg or the N-type thermoelectric leg may be formed by stacking a plurality of structures coated with a semiconductor material on a sheet-like base material and then cutting the same. Thus, it is possible to prevent the loss of the material and improve the electric conduction characteristic.

Alternatively, the P-type thermoelectric leg 130 or the N-type thermoelectric leg 140 may be manufactured according to a zone melting method or a powder sintering method. According to the zone melting method, an ingot is produced using a thermoelectric material, refined to heat the ingot slowly in a single direction, and slowly cooled to obtain a thermoelectric leg. According to the powder sintering method, an ingot is produced using a thermoelectric material, and then the ingot is pulverized and sieved to obtain a thermoelectric material powder, and the thermoelectric material is obtained by sintering the thermoelectric material.

However, according to such a structure, a heat sink must be disposed in order to facilitate heat exchange between the heat absorbing portion side and the heat radiating portion side. The heat sink may be disposed on the lower substrate 110 and the upper substrate 160, respectively. At this time, since the volume of the heat sink is large, there is a problem in that the size of the thermoelectric conversion device including the thermoelectric element becomes large.

Further, according to this structure, there is a problem that it is not easy to further increase the power generation amount in addition to the predetermined power generation amount.

According to the embodiment of the present invention, it is desired to realize high power generation efficiency with a small volume using the structure of the thermoelectric element.

3 is a cross-sectional view of a thermoelectric device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

3, the thermoelectric element 300 includes a first base layer 310, a second base layer 320, a plurality of P-type thermoelectric legs 330, a plurality of N-type thermoelectric legs 340, And includes a first electrode 350 and a plurality of second electrodes 360.

The first base layer 310 and the second base layer 320 are all annular and the second base layer 320 is surrounded by the first base layer 310 so as to be spaced apart from the first base layer 310 by a predetermined distance It can be rice. The first base layer 310 and the second base layer 320 may all be thermally conductive insulating layers. For this purpose, the first base layer 310 and the second base layer 320 may be made of aluminum oxide, or the surface may be made of anodized aluminum. Alternatively, the first base layer 310 and the second base layer 320 may be made of a thermally conductive polymer resin composition.

As shown, the first base layer 310 and the second base layer 320 may be circular, hollow, of the same center and different in radius, but are not limited thereto, and may be elliptical, rectangular, or pentagonal The above hollow may be hollow.

A plurality of P-type thermoelectric legs 330 and a plurality of N-type thermoelectric legs 340 are alternately arranged between the first base layer 310 and the second base layer 320. For example, the P-type thermoelectric leg 330, the N-type thermoelectric leg 340, the P-type thermoelectric leg 330, and the P-type thermoelectric leg 330 are arranged clockwise along the space between the first base layer 310 and the second base layer 320, The N-type thermoelectric legs 340 and the P-type thermoelectric legs 330 are sequentially arranged in this order from the side of the N-type thermoelectric legs 340, the N-type thermoelectric legs 340, Can be arranged sequentially. The configuration, composition, composition, manufacturing method, performance, and the like of the plurality of P-type thermoelectric legs 330 and the plurality of N-type thermoelectric legs 340 are similar to those described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, and thus duplicated description will be omitted.

The plurality of first electrodes 350 and the plurality of second electrodes 360 are alternately arranged between the plurality of P-type thermoelectric legs 330 and the plurality of N-type thermoelectric legs 340. For example, the P-type thermoelectric leg 330, the first electrode 350, the N-type thermoelectric leg 340, and the P-type thermoelectric leg 330 are formed in a clockwise direction along a space between the first base layer 310 and the second base layer 320, The second electrode 360, the P-type thermoelectric leg 330, the first electrode 350 and the N-type thermoelectric leg 340 are sequentially arranged in this order, or the N-type thermoelectric leg 340 and the second electrode 360 The P-type thermoelectric leg 330, the first electrode 350, the N-type thermoelectric leg 340, the second electrode 360, and the P-type thermoelectric leg 330 may be sequentially arranged in this order. Accordingly, electric current can flow clockwise along the space between the first base layer 310 and the second base layer 320.

The other surface 354 of the first electrode 350 is joined to the P-type thermoelectric leg 330 and the other surface 354 is joined to the N-type thermoelectric leg 340, Is bonded to the outer peripheral surface of the first base layer (310). One surface 362 of the second electrode 360 is bonded to the N-type thermoelectric leg 340, the other surface 364 is bonded to the P-type thermoelectric leg 330, and the other surface 366 is bonded to the N- And is bonded to the inner peripheral surface of the second base layer 320. Accordingly, at least one of the first base layer 310 and the second base layer 320 functions as a heat absorbing portion, and the other may serve as a heat dissipating portion. For example, when the first base layer 310 functions as a heat dissipation portion and the second base layer 320 functions as a heat absorbing portion, cooling water flows through a tube formed by the inner peripheral surface of the first base layer 310, Waste heat can flow outside the base layer 320. On the contrary, when the first base layer 310 functions as a heat absorbing portion and the second base layer 320 functions as a heat dissipating portion, waste heat flows through a tube formed by the inner peripheral surface of the first base layer 310, Coolant may flow outside the layer 320.

The waste heat may be, for example, waste heat generated from an engine such as an automobile or a ship. The temperature may be 100 ° C or higher, preferably 200 ° C or higher, more preferably 220 ° C to 250 ° C, It is not.

And, the cooling water may be water, but is not limited thereto, and may be various kinds of fluids having cooling performance. The temperature of the cooling water may be less than 100 ° C, preferably less than 50 ° C, more preferably less than 40 ° C, but is not limited thereto.

According to the embodiment of the present invention, electric power can be produced by using the temperature difference between the thermal head and the cooling water, that is, the temperature difference between the heat absorbing surface and the heat generating surface of the thermoelectric element 300.

At this time, since the first base layer 310 and the second base layer 320 have a circular annular shape, they have a predetermined curvature. The first electrode 350 and the P-type thermoelectric leg 330, the N-type thermoelectric leg 340 and the first base layer 310 and the junction between the second electrode 360 and the N-type thermoelectric leg The end face of the first electrode 350 joining with the first base layer 310 is formed in the second base layer 320 in order to stabilize the joining between the P type thermoelectric leg 330 and the second base layer 320. [ The second base 360 and the second base 360 are formed to have a width from the first base layer 310 toward the first base layer 310 and the second base 360 from the second base layer 320 to the second base 360, And the width may be increased toward the base layer 320 side. As described above, it is possible to arrange a plurality of the P-type thermoelectric legs 330 and the plurality of the N-type thermoelectric legs 340 circularly using the shapes of the first electrode 350 and the second electrode 360.

The connection between the first electrode 350 and the P-type thermoelectric leg 330 and the N-type thermoelectric leg 340 and the connection between the second electrode 360 and the N-type thermoelectric leg 340 and the P- For bonding, solder can be used. The plurality of first electrodes 350 and the plurality of second electrodes 360 can be bonded to the plurality of P-type thermoelectric legs 330 and the plurality of N-type thermoelectric legs 340 by solder 370 .

The void space between the first base layer 310 and the second base layer 320 may be filled with a polymer. Here, the polymer may be a super engineering plastic having high strength, heat resistance, impact resistance and aging resistance, and low thermal conductivity. For example, the polymer can be polyacetal (POM), polycarbonate (PC), polyimide (PI), polyetherimide (PEI), polyetheretherketone (PEEK), and the like. Accordingly, a plurality of P-type thermoelectric legs 330, a plurality of N-type thermoelectric legs 340, a plurality of first electrodes 350, and a plurality of N-type thermoelectric elements 350 disposed in the first base layer 310 and the second base layer 320, The bonding structure of the plurality of second electrodes 360 can be stably supported and they can be protected from moisture.

In order to supply electricity to the thermoelectric element 300 according to the embodiment of the present invention, one of the plurality of P-type thermoelectric legs 330 is connected to the first terminal 380, and a plurality of N-type thermoelectric legs 340 may be connected to the second terminal 382 having a different polarity from the first terminal 380. To this end, the second base layer 320 may be annular that is not closed. For example, the second base layer 320 may be partially annular in shape and may include a first terminal 380 and a second terminal 382 in thermally conductive legs disposed first in a clockwise direction with respect to the open region, And the other of the first terminal 380 and the second terminal 382 may be connected to the finally disposed thermoelectric leg. For example, in the case where the thermoelectric leg arranged first in the clockwise direction on the basis of the opened region is the P-type thermoelectric leg 330 and the finally arranged thermoelectric leg is the N-type thermoelectric leg 340, The first terminal 380 may be connected to the leg 330 and the second terminal 382 may be connected to the N type thermoelectric leg 340. [ Alternatively, when the thermoelectric leg arranged first in the clockwise direction with respect to the opened region is the N-type thermoelectric leg 340 and the thermally-arranged last leg is the P-type thermoelectric leg 330, the N-type thermoelectric leg 340 and the first terminal 380 may be connected to the P-type thermoelectric leg 330. The first terminal 380 may be connected to the P- Although not shown, the first base layer 310 may be an annular, unclosed, like the second base layer 320. For example, the first base layer 310 may be partially annularly open.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a thermoelectric device according to another embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a thermoelectric device according to another embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of a thermoelectric device according to another embodiment of the present invention, Sectional view. The same description as that of FIG. 3 will not be repeated.

Referring to FIG. 4, a cross section of the first electrode 350 to be bonded to the first base layer 310 may be a butterfly shape. That is, the cross section of the first electrode 350 between the P-type thermoelectric legs 330 and the N-type thermoelectric legs 340 becomes narrower toward the first base layer 310 side from the second base layer 320 side The space between the P-type thermoelectric leg 330 and the N-type thermoelectric leg 340 and the first base layer 310, that is, the P-type thermoelectric leg 330 and the N-type thermoelectric leg 340, In the space that is separated from the layer 310, the width may be further widened toward the first base layer 310 side. As a result, the bonding area between the first base layer 310 and the first electrode 350 can be secured, so that the first electrode 350 can be stably bonded to the first base layer 310, The heat transfer efficiency between the electrode 350 and the first base layer 310 can be increased.

5, a heat sink or radiating fin 390 may be further disposed on at least one of the inner circumferential surface of the first base layer 310 and the outer circumferential surface of the second base layer 320. The heat sink or radiating fin 390 is thermally conductive and flexible. Thereby reducing the tolerance between the tube and the first base layer 310 when coupled to the annular tube and improving the bonding force. It may also be formed to be more compact. Accordingly, the heat transfer efficiency of the thermoelectric element 300 can be increased.

Referring to FIG. 6, the first base layer 310 and the second base layer 320 may have a rectangular shape. The plurality of P-type thermoelectric legs 330 and the plurality of N-type thermoelectric legs 340 may be stably arranged by arranging the first electrode 350 or the second electrode 360 disposed at the corner side as a sector- As shown in FIG. In addition, the first base layer 310 and the second base layer 320 may have a rectangular shape, and the other constructions may be similarly applied, except for the difference between the annular shape and the shape of FIG. 3 to FIG. 5.

Meanwhile, the thermoelectric element according to the embodiment of the present invention may be a unit thermoelectric element, and a plurality of unit thermoelectric elements may constitute one thermoelectric conversion apparatus.

FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view of a thermoelectric conversion device according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a thermoelectric conversion device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

7 to 8, the thermoelectric conversion device 700 may include a first thermoelectric conversion element 710 and a second thermoelectric conversion element 720 disposed on the first thermoelectric conversion element 710. The structure of the first thermoelectric element 710 and the second thermoelectric element 720 is the same as the structure of the thermoelectric element 300 described with reference to FIGS. 3 to 6, and thus the same contents as those described in FIGS. It is omitted. For convenience of explanation, the thermoelectric conversion device 700 is illustrated as including two thermoelectric elements 710 and 720, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and the thermoelectric conversion device 700 may include a plurality of thermoelectric elements , And may be configured in various numbers depending on the required power generation capacity.

The height of the first base layer 310 is higher than the height of the second base layer 320 and the first thermoelectric element 710 and the second thermoelectric element 720 are disposed on the first base layer 310, respectively. A groove 312 is formed in the upper surface of the first base layer 310 and a groove 312 is formed in the upper surface of the first base layer 310 of the first thermoelectric element 710 and the upper surface of the first thermoelectric element 720, The lower surface of the base layer 320 may be sealed by an O-ring 730. Accordingly, the space formed by the inner circumferential surface of the first base layer 320 can be airtightly isolated from the outside, so that cooling water flows or waste heat flows. Alternatively, although not shown, the upper surface of the first base layer 310 of the first thermoelectric element 710 and the lower surface of the first base layer 310 of the second thermoelectric element 720 may be female / .

The first thermoelectric element 710 and the second thermoelectric element 720 may be covered by a cover 740, respectively.

According to this structure, it is possible to freely attach and detach a plurality of thermoelectric elements according to a required power generation capacity.

The first terminal 380 of the first thermoelectric element 710 is connected to the second terminal 382 of the second thermoelectric element 720 or the first terminal 380 of the first thermoelectric element 710 is connected to the second thermoelectric element 720. [ And the second terminal 382 of the first thermoelectric element 710 may be connected to the first terminal 380 of the second thermoelectric element 720.

FIG. 9 is a view for explaining a terminal connecting method of a thermoelectric generator according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 10 is a view for explaining a terminal connecting method of a thermoelectric generator according to another embodiment of the present invention. For convenience of explanation, only the terminals of the stacked thermoelectric elements are shown instead of the entire structure of the thermoelectric elements.

9 to 10, a structure in which four unit thermoelectric elements are stacked is illustrated. 9, all the four unit thermoelectric elements stacked include a first terminal 380, a plurality of P-type thermoelectric legs 330 and a plurality of N-type thermoelectric legs 340 arranged alternately, and a second terminal 382, 10, the two unit thermoelectric elements of the four unit thermoelectric elements stacked include a first terminal 380, a plurality of P-type thermoelectric legs 330 alternately arranged A plurality of N-type thermoelectric elements 340 and a plurality of second terminals 382 are arranged in a clockwise direction, and the other two thermoelectric elements arranged alternately with these two thermoelectric elements are connected to a second terminal 382, A plurality of N-type thermoelectric legs 340 and a plurality of P-type thermoelectric legs 330 arranged alternately and a first terminal 380 are arranged in a clockwise direction.

Referring to FIG. 9, the wires W for connecting the first terminal 380 of one unit thermoelectric element and the second terminal 382 of another unit thermoelectric element may be arranged diagonally.

Referring to FIG. 10, the wires W for connecting the first terminal 380 of one unit thermoelectric element and the second terminal 382 of another unit thermoelectric element may be arranged in a straight line.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made in the present invention without departing from the spirit or scope of the present invention as defined by the following claims It can be understood that

Claims (10)

An annular first base layer,
An annular second base layer surrounding the first base layer to be spaced apart from the first base layer by a predetermined distance,
A plurality of P-type thermoelectric legs and a plurality of N-type thermoelectric legs alternately arranged between the first base layer and the second base layer, and
A plurality of first electrodes and a plurality of second electrodes alternately arranged between the plurality of P-type thermoelectric legs and the plurality of N-type thermoelectric legs,
At least one of the plurality of first electrodes is bonded to the P-type thermoelectric leg, the other surface is bonded to the N-type thermoelectric leg, and the other surface is bonded to the first base layer,
Wherein at least one surface of the plurality of second electrodes is bonded to the N-type thermoelectric leg, the other surface is bonded to the P-type thermoelectric leg, and the other surface is bonded to the second base layer. The method according to claim 1,
One of the plurality of P-type thermoelectrons is connected to a first terminal,
And one of the plurality of N-type thermoelectric legs adjacent to the P-type thermoelectric leg connected to the first terminal is connected to a second terminal having a different polarity from the first terminal. The method according to claim 1,
At least one end face of the plurality of first electrodes is narrower in width from the second base layer side toward the first base layer side,
Wherein a cross section of at least one of the plurality of second electrodes increases in width from the first base layer side toward the second base layer side. The method of claim 3,
Wherein at least one end surface of the plurality of first electrodes has a thermoelectric effect in which a width is further widened as the P-type thermoelectric transducer and the N-type thermoelectric transducer become closer to the first base layer side in a space apart from the first base layer, device. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the plurality of first electrodes and the plurality of second electrodes are bonded to the plurality of P-type thermoelectric legs and the plurality of N-type legs by solder. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the first base layer and the second base layer are filled with a polymer. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein at least one of the first base layer and the second base layer is made of aluminum whose surface is anodized. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein at least one of the first base layer and the second base layer is made of aluminum oxide. A first thermoelectric element and a second thermoelectric element stacked on the first thermoelectric element,
Each of the first thermoelectric element and the second thermoelectric element
An annular first base layer,
An annular second base layer surrounding the first base layer to be spaced apart from the first base layer by a predetermined distance,
A plurality of P-type thermoelectric legs and a plurality of N-type thermoelectric legs alternately arranged between the first base layer and the second base layer, and
A plurality of first electrodes and a plurality of second electrodes alternately arranged between the plurality of P-type thermoelectric legs and the plurality of N-type thermoelectric legs,
At least one of the plurality of first electrodes is bonded to the P-type thermoelectric leg, the other surface is bonded to the N-type thermoelectric leg, and the other surface is bonded to the first base layer,
At least one of the plurality of second electrodes is bonded to the N-type thermoelectric leg, the other surface is bonded to the P-type thermoelectric leg, and the other surface is bonded to the second base layer
Thermoelectric conversion device. 10. The method of claim 9,
One of the plurality of P-type thermoelectrons is connected to a first terminal,
One of the plurality of N-type thermoelectric legs adjacent to the P-type thermoelectric leg connected to the first terminal is connected to a second terminal having a different polarity from the first terminal,
Wherein each of the first thermoelectric element and the second thermoelectric element includes a first terminal, a plurality of P-type thermoelectric legs and an N-type thermoelectric leg alternately arranged, and the second terminal is arranged in a clockwise direction, Wherein the first terminal of the element is connected to the second terminal of the second thermoelectric element or the second terminal of the first thermoelectric element is connected to the first terminal of the second thermoelectric element.

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