Method and apparatus for thermal-to-electrical energy conversion

Abstract

An improved method and apparatus for thermal-to-electric conversion involving relatively hot and cold juxtaposed surfaces separated by a small vacuum gap wherein the cold surface provides an array of single charge carrier converter elements along the surface and the hot surface transfers excitation energy to the opposing cold surface across the gap through Coulomb electrostatic coupling interaction.

1 - 57 . (canceled) 
     
     
         58 . A thermal-to-electric conversion apparatus comprising:
 a cold side element having: a first cold side quantum element with at least one cold side charge carrier; a second cold side quantum element; and a potential barrier between the first and second cold side quantum element; and   a hot side element juxtaposed to the cold side element and separated by a small gas-filled or vacuum gap, the hot side element having a hot side quantum element with at least one hot side charge carrier, wherein the at least one cold side charge carrier electrostatically Coulomb-couples across the gap to the at least one hot side charge carrier, such that when the hot side charge carrier undergoes a transition to a lower energy level from an upper energy level in the hot side quantum element, energy is transferred across the gap through excitation transfer mediated by electrostatic Coulomb coupling causing the at least one cold side charge carrier in the first cold side quantum element to be promoted to an upper energy level from a lower energy level and, in turn, the at least one promoted cold side charge carrier tunnels through the potential barrier to the second cold side quantum element.   
     
     
         59 . A thermal-to-electric conversion apparatus as recited in  claim 58 , wherein the gap is in a range of 1 nanometer to 100 nanometers. 
     
     
         60 . A thermal-to-electric conversion apparatus as recited in  claim 58 , wherein:
 the at least one cold side charge carrier is supplied from a first cold side reservoir to the first cold side quantum element; and   the second cold side quantum element is connected to a second cold side reservoir at elevated voltage.   
     
     
         61 . A thermal-to-electric conversion apparatus as recited in  claim 60 , wherein the second cold side reservoir is connected to the first cold side reservoir through an electrical load. 
     
     
         62 . A thermal-to-electric conversion apparatus as recited  claim 58 , wherein the quantum elements are selected from the group consisting of dots, cylinders, wires, wells, quantum well sheets, molecules, rectangular boxes and bar elements. 
     
     
         63 . A thermal-to-electric conversion apparatus comprising:
 a cold side element having: a first cold side quantum element with at least one cold side charge carrier; a second cold side quantum element; and a potential barrier between the first cold side quantum element and the second cold side quantum element; and   a hot side element comprising at least one hot side dipole juxtaposed to the cold side element and separated by a small gas-filled or vacuum gap, the at least one cold side charge carrier electrostatically Coulomb-couples across the gap to the at least one hot side dipole such that excitation energy is transferred across the gap through excitation transfer mediated by electrostatic Coulomb coupling causing the at least one cold side charge carrier in the first cold side quantum element to be promoted to an upper energy level from a lower energy level and, in turn, the at least one promoted cold side charge carrier tunnels through the potential barrier to the second cold side quantum element.   
     
     
         64 . A thermal-to-electric conversion apparatus as recited in  claim 63 , wherein the gap is in a range of 1 nanometer to 100 nanometers. 
     
     
         65 . A thermal-to-electric conversion apparatus as recited in  claim 61 , wherein:
 the at least one cold side charge carrier is supplied from a first cold side reservoir to the first cold side quantum element; and   the second cold side quantum element is connected to a second cold side reservoir at elevated voltage.   
     
     
         66 . The thermal-to-electric conversion apparatus as recited  claim 63 , wherein the quantum elements are selected from the group consisting of dots, cylinders, wires, wells, quantum well sheets, molecules, rectangular boxes and bar elements. 
     
     
         67 . The thermal-to-electric conversion apparatus of  claim 65 , wherein the one or more second cold side reservoirs are connected to the one or more first cold side reservoirs through one or more electrical loads. 
     
     
         68 . The thermal-to-electric conversion apparatus of  claim 63 , wherein the second cold side quantum element is selected from the group consisting of dots, cylinders, wires, wells, quantum well sheets, molecules, rectangular boxes and bar elements.