Abstract: Provided is a contactless power transfer device for a moving object. Each of a power transmission coil and a power receiving coil comprises an H-shaped core, and first, second and third search coils are installed on a magnetic pole object of the H-shaped core of the power transmission coil. A y-direction positional deviation between the power transmission coil and the power receiving coil is detected using voltages measured at the first and second search coils, and an x-direction positional deviation is detected using voltages measured at the third search coils.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, contactless power transfer apparatus includes: transmission coil; primary capacitor; reception coil opposing transmission coil through gap; and secondary capacitor. Specification of frequency of the transmission coil and that of the reception coil are equal. At least one of electrical power specification and gap length specification of the transmission coil differ from the reception coil. When the electrical power specification of the power transmission coil differ from that of the power reception coil, the power is supplied from the transmission coil to the reception coil by using smaller one of the power of the transmission coil and of the reception coil as maximum power. When the gap length specification of the transmission coil differs from that of the reception coil, the transmission coil opposes the reception coil through the gap length, which is the specification of the transmission coil.

Abstract: A half-bridge inverter is used for a high frequency alternating current power supply to be connected to a primary side of a contactless power transformer, and a voltage-doubler rectifier is used to convert a secondary-side alternating current output of the contactless power transformer into a direct current.

Abstract: A thermoelectric semiconductor is formed of a sintered semiconductor layer and metal layers arranged on sides of opposite end faces of the sintered semiconductor layer. These metal layers are to inhibit a reaction between the sintered semiconductor layer and solder layers through which electrodes are joined to the sintered semiconductor layer. The sintered semiconductor layer and the metal layers have been obtained beforehand by integrally sintering a semiconductor powder layer and metal sheets arranged on sides of opposite end faces of the semiconductor powder layer.

Abstract: An object of this invention is to provide a thermoelectric apparatus, which is excellent in performance and has sufficiently high thermoelectric conversion ability.Supply means 6,7 for supplying a liquid heat transfer medium 21 against a side of a substrate with N-type semiconductor layers and P-type semiconductor layers supported thereon, said side being opposite to a semiconductor-layer-supporting side of the substrate, is arranged so that the liquid heat transfer medium 21 strikes against the opposite side of the substrate.

Abstract: A thermoelectric apparatus is composed of a heat-absorbing-side heat-exchanging base and a heat-dissipating-side heat-exchanging base having good thermal conductivity and arranged in a mutually opposing relationship with a group of thermoelectric elements interposed therebetween. The thermoelectric apparatus comprises a frame made of a synthetic resin material and holding one of the heat-absorbing-side heat-exchanging base and the heat-dissipating-side heat-exchanging base at an outer peripheral portion thereof. The frame and the other heat-exchanging base, which is not held by the frame, are both provided with extended portions extending substantially along and substantially in the same direction as a stacked direction of the heat-absorbing-side heat-exchanging base, the group of thermoelectric elements and the heat-dissipating-side heat-exchanging base. The extended portions are joined together.

Abstract: A thermoelectric semiconductor is formed of a sintered semiconductor layer nd metal layers arranged on sides of opposite end faces of the sintered semiconductor layer. These metal layers are to inhibit a reaction between the sintered semiconductor layer and older layers through which electrodes are joined to the sintered semiconductor layer. The sintered semiconductor layer and the metal layers have been obtained beforehand by integrally sintering a semiconductor powder layer and metal sheets arranged on sides of opposite end faces of the semiconductor powder layer.

Abstract: A thermoelectric device is provided which is good in terms of responsibility to heat, by which a relatively large electric power can be produced, which is good in terms of durability, and which can be manufactured at reduced cost. The thermoelectric device includes a substrate having a thickness of 2.0 mm or less, and a thick-film type thermoelectric material formed on the substrate, and having a thickness of from 0.01 mm to 1.0 mm. The thick-film type thermoelectric material is covered with a glassy coating. By the coating, the thick-film type thermoelectric material is inhibited from coming off, and from deteriorating oxidatively.

Abstract: A thermoelectric semiconductor material comprises Si crystal and crystal of metal silicide selected from the group consisting of Fe, Co, Cr, Mn and Ni. It is preferable that the metal silicide is .beta.-FeSi.sub.2. Moreover, the thermoelectric semiconductor material further contains at least one element selected from the group consisting of Vb, VIb, IIIb, VIII, VIIa and VIa in the atomic periodic table as an additive. This element can be used as a dopant. Furthermore, since both the phase of the Si crystal and the phase of the crystal of the metal silicide are changed to be an n-type or a p-type, a thermoelectric characteristics are improved.

Abstract: A P-type thermoelectric material consists essentially of iron disilicide, metallic manganese and metallic aluminium dissolved in or alloyed with the iron disilicide, and silicon oxide and/or aluminum oxide present in the iron disilicide. The manganese is contained in an amount of from 1.67 to 4.1 atomic % with respect to a sum of atoms of iron and silicon constituting the iron disilicide, the metallic manganese and the metallic aluminum taken as 100 atomic %, and the metallic aluminum contained in an amount of from 1.33 to 3.33 atomic % with respect thereto, and a sum of the metallic manganese and the metallic aluminum in an amount of from 4.0 to 5.34 atomic % with respect thereto. The P-type thermoelectric material having such a composition produces a thermoelectromotive force equal to or greater than those of the conventional P-type thermoelectric materials comprised of iron disilicide, and it exhibits a mean resistivity equal to or smaller than that of the N-type thermoelectric material.

Abstract: There are provided a gaseous-diffusion electrode which can exhibit sufficient gas-supplying ability and gas-discharging ability and an excellent durability even when partly immersed in an electrolysis solution; and an electrochemical reactor using the gaseous-diffusion electrode. A porous membrane 15 which is permeable to gas but not to an electrolysis solution is fixed to the surface of the gaseous-diffusion layer 13 of a gaseous-diffusion electrode 11 obtained by joining a reaction layer 12 supporting a catalyst metal and a gaseous-diffusion layer 13 to each other, so as to cover the surface of the gaseous-diffusion layer 13. When a gas passageway member 17 serving as gas passageway to the gaseous-diffusion layer 13 is inserted between the surface of the gaseous-diffusion layer 13 and the porous membrane 15, the gas-supplying ability and the gas-discharging ability becomes greatly improved.