Torus semiconductor thermoelectric chiller

Abstract

An improved torus multi-element semiconductor thermoelectric heater and chiller utilizes torus thermoelectric generator to provide high current to force heat flow. Overall efficiency of heat conversion is improved by coupling a thermoelectric generator directly to a torus heater and chiller. A thermoelectric generator exhaust heat drives a second thermoelectric generator connected to a thermoelectric heater and chiller to produce heat flow in the heater and chiller using air, gas, or liquid to convey heat into and away from the thermoelectric device.

We claim:  
     
         1 . A chiller electrically driven torus heating and cooling thermoelectric device comprising a means for input of ac electricity, a switching power supply to convert alternating current to high frequency ac current and then to dc current, a torus thermoelectric element and a means to transfer heated fluid, gas or air and cooled fluid, gas or air from said chiller.  
     
     
         2 . A chiller according to  claim 1  wherein said switching power supply can be modulated to provide variable output.  
     
     
         3 . A chiller according to  claim 2  wherein said switching power supply comprises a primary winding with center tap for push-pull operation and secondary high current windings.  
     
     
         4 . A chiller according to  claim 2  wherein said means to modulate current is a powerstat.  
     
     
         5 . A chiller according to  claim 2  wherein said means to modulate current is manual electric range burner control duty cycle element.  
     
     
         6 . A chiller according to  claim 2  wherein said means to modulate current is a triac programmed to adjust the input duty cycle.  
     
     
         7 . A chiller according to  claim 1  wherein said means for input of electricity is an electrical connection to the electric utility grid.  
     
     
         8 . A chiller according to  claim 1  wherein said means for input of electricity is an electrical connection to the output of a thermoelectric generator.  
     
     
         9 . A chiller according to  claim 1  wherein said means for input of electricity is an electrical connection to the output of an internal combustion generator.  
     
     
         10 . A chiller according to  claim 1  wherein said means to transfer heated gas or air and cooled gas or air from said thermoelectric torus is an electrically driven fan that blows air over heated or cooled fins.  
     
     
         11 . A chiller according to  claim 1  wherein said means to transfer heated fluid and cooled fluid from said thermoelectric torus is an electrically driven pump that circulates fluid over the heated or cooled fins.  
     
     
         12 . A chiller according to  claim 1  wherein hot fins and cold fins are enclosed each in a leak proof chamber.  
     
     
         13 . A chiller according to  claim 1  wherein heated or cooled gas, air or fluid is exhausted to an environment to be heated or cooled.  
     
     
         14 . A chiller according to  claim 13  wherein said chiller is placed in one or more climate control ducts.  
     
     
         15 . A chiller according to  claim 13  wherein said chiller is placed in a window.  
     
     
         16 . A chiller electrically driven torus heating and cooling thermoelectric device comprising a means for input of dc electricity, a torus thermoelectric element and a means to transfer heated fluid, gas or air and cooled fluid, gas or air from the thermoelectric torus.  
     
     
         17 . A chiller according to  claim 16  further comprising a means to change the polarity of the dc current in said torus thermoelectric device.  
     
     
         18 . A chiller according to  claim 17  wherein said means to change the polarity of said dc current is a set of electrically alterable switching bridges.  
     
     
         19 . A chiller according to  claim 17  wherein said means to change the direction of said dc current is a manual switch.  
     
     
         20 . A chiller according to  claim 16  wherein said means to transfer heated gas or air and cooled gas or air from said chiller is one or more electrically driven fan that blows air over the hot or cold fins.  
     
     
         21 . A chiller according to  claim 16  wherein said means to transfer heated fluid and cooled fluid from said thermoelectric torus is two or more electrically driven pumps that circulate fluid over the hot or cold fins.  
     
     
         22 . A chiller according to  claim 16  wherein said means for input dc electricity is one or more batteries having voltage reduced current increased using a dc-dc voltage down converter.  
     
     
         23 . A chiller according to  claim 22  wherein the amount of power to said chiller is controlled by a thermostat.  
     
     
         24 . A chiller hybrid comprising a chiller electrically driven heating and cooling thermoelectric component and a thermoelectric generator component wherein said thermoelectric generator comprises a heat source, a means to convey heat to hot fins of said thermoelectric generator, a means to allow excess heat to be removed from said thermoelectric generator a means to cool cold fins of said generator, and a means to directly connect said generator to said torus thermoelectric chiller element.  
     
     
         25 . A chiller hybrid according to  claim 24  further comprising a thermostatic control to regulate said heat source.  
     
     
         26 . A chiller hybrid according to  claim 24  further comprising a manual control to regulate said heat source.  
     
     
         27 . A chiller hybrid according to  claim 24  further comprising a digital fuel control system wherein multiple nozzles of various sizes operate in an open or closed mode as needed to control fuel levels.  
     
     
         28 . A chiller hybrid according to  claim 24  wherein said means to connect said generator to said chiller is a solid connection of each output terminal of said generator to its corresponding input terminal of said chiller element by welding, brazing or soldering.  
     
     
         29 . A chiller hybrid according to  claim 24  wherein said means to connect said generator to said chiller component is an electrically alterable MOSfet switching bridge.  
     
     
         30 . A chiller hybrid according to  claim 24  further comprising a means to switch current polarity in the chiller component of said generator hybrid thereby heating fins that were otherwise cooled and cooling fins that were otherwise heated.  
     
     
         31 . A chiller hybrid according to  claim 24  further comprising a physical means to exchange hot output means and cold output means in said chiller hybrid to allow an environment that was otherwise chilled to be heated and an environment that was heat to be chilled.  
     
     
         32 . A chiller hybrid according to  claim 24  wherein said switching means is an electrically, mechanically or pneumatically controlled manual double pole double throw switch.  
     
     
         33 . A thermoelectric generator-chiller hybrid comprising a first torus thermoelectric generator producing electricity, a second thermoelectric generator utilizing heat exhausted from said first thermoelectric generator to produce current to derive a torus thermoelectric chiller component.  
     
     
         34 . A chiller hybrid according to  claim 33  wherein said chiller component has a means to transfer heated fluid, gas or air and cooled fluid, gas or air from said chiller component.  
     
     
         35 . A chiller hybrid according to  claim 34  wherein said chiller hybrid further comprises a means to electrically or manually reverse current flow direction through said chiller component thereby altering the direction of heat flow.  
     
     
         36 . A chiller hybrid according to  claim 33  wherein said chiller further comprises a means to electrically or manually adjust current flow in the thermoelectric chiller to alter heat flow in said chiller.  
     
     
         37 . A chiller hybrid according to  claim 33  wherein said chiller has a means to electrically or manually reverse current direction and magnitude into said thermoelectric chiller.  
     
     
         38 . A chiller system according to  claim 33  further comprising a battery system to provide short term energy while other components equilibrate.  
     
     
         39 . A thermoelectric heating and cooling generator system according to  claim 38  further comprising a means to connect and convert grid electricity to said batteries.  
     
     
         40 . A chiller hybrid comprising a chiller electrically driven heating and cooling thermoelectric component having compartmentalized chambers for heat exchange and a thermoelectric generator component wherein said thermoelectric generator comprises compartmentalized section where hot fins are heated, a means to convey heat to said compartment of said generator, a compartment where heat is removed from cold fins and a means to allow excess heat to be removed from said cold fins, and a means to electronically connect said generator component to said chiller component.  
     
     
         41 . A chiller hybrid according to  claim 40  further comprising a means of tapping dc current to power motors and control systems.  
     
     
         42 . A cascade torus thermoelectric chiller comprising two or more compartmentalized chiller electrically driven torus thermoelectric components wherein the cold fins of a first chiller are thermally connected to hot fins of a second torus chiller, a means to supply current to said cascade chiller and a means to transfer heat from hot fins of a first compartment and a means to transfer heat from a last compartment.  
     
     
         43 . A cascade chiller according to  claim 42  wherein cold fins from a first component and hot fins of a second component are a common element.  
     
     
         44 . A cascade chiller according to  claim 42  wherein cold fins from a first chiller component are adjacent to hot fins of a second chiller component.  
     
     
         45 . A cascade chiller according to  claim 42  wherein fluid surrounding cold fins from a first chiller component is pumped to a chamber containing hot fins of said second chiller component.  
     
     
         46 . A cascade chiller according to  claim 42  wherein air surrounding cold fins from said first chiller component is pumped to a chamber containing hot fins of said second chiller component.  
     
     
         47 . A cascade chiller according to  claim 42  wherein said means for input of electricity is a switching power supply to convert alternating current to high frequency ac current and then to de current.  
     
     
         48 . A cascade chiller according to  claim 47  wherein said switching power supply can be modulated to provide variable output.  
     
     
         49 . A cascade chiller according to  claim 42  wherein said means to supply current is a switching power supply comprising a primary winding with center tap for push-pull operation and secondary high current windings.  
     
     
         50 . A cascade chiller according to  claim 42  wherein said means to supply current is a powerstat.  
     
     
         51 . A cascade chiller according to  claim 42  wherein said means to supply current is manual electric range burner control duty cycle element.  
     
     
         52 . A cascade chiller according to  claim 42  wherein said means to supply current is a triac programmed to adjust the input duty cycle.  
     
     
         53 . A cascade chiller according to  claim 42  wherein said means to supply current is an electrical connection to the electric utility grid.  
     
     
         54 . A cascade chiller according to  claim 42  wherein said means to supply current is an electrical connection to the output of a thermoelectric generator.  
     
     
         55 . A cascade chiller according to  claim 42  wherein said means to supply current is an electrical connection to the output of an internal combustion generator.  
     
     
         56 . A cascade chiller according to  claim 42  wherein said means to transfer heat is to move hot gas or air and cooled gas or air from said thermoelectric torus by one or more electrically driven fan.  
     
     
         57 . A cascade chiller according to  claim 42  wherein said means to transfer heat is to move heated fluid and cooled fluid from said thermoelectric torus using one or more electrically driven pump.  
     
     
         58 . A cascade chiller according to  claim 42  further comprising two or more torus thermoelectric generators each generator driving at least one chiller component of said torus cascaded chiller.  
     
     
         59 . A chiller system according to claims  24  and  40  wherein heat energy is obtained from concentrated sunlight.  
     
     
         60 . A chiller system according to  claim 59  wherein sunlight is concentrated by a solar tracking cone, a solar tracking Fresnel focusing lens, a solar tracking single or double parabolic mirror, or a stationary parabolic reflector trough.  
     
     
         61 . A solar powered thermoelectric heating and cooling system according to  claim 59  further comprising thermal storage component.