Abstract: A thermoelectric device comprising an elongated panel of two foam layers, and having an inserted thermoelectric string is incorporated into a seat cushion, planting pot, and battery thermal manager. Several enhancements to the string and the panel improve its durability, visual appeal, and tactile appeal over the prior art.

Abstract: A thermoelectric device including a panel, formed of a thermally insulating material, and having a plurality of thermoelectric elements including compacted conductors inside the insulating material and expanded conductors outside the insulating material wherein the thermoelectric elements run substantially parallel to or at an acute angle relative to the long dimension of the panel. The thermoelectric device may be integrated into a variety of surfaces or enclosures needing heating or cooling with controls and configurations to optimize the application.

Abstract: A thermoelectric device comprising an elongated panel of two foam layers, and having an inserted thermoelectric string is incorporated into a seat cushion, planting pot, and battery thermal manager. Several enhancements to the string and the panel improve its durability, visual appeal, and tactile appeal over the prior art.

Abstract: Inexpensive, lightweight, flexible heating and cooling panels with highly distributed thermoelectric elements are provided. A thermoelectric “string” is described that may be woven or assembled into a variety of insulating panels such as seat cushions, mattresses, pillows, blankets, ceiling tiles, office partitions, under-desk panels, electronic enclosures, building walls, refrigerator walls, and heat conversion panels. The string contains spaced thermoelectric elements which are thermally and electrically connected to lengths of braided, meshed, stranded, foamed, or otherwise expandable and compressible conductor. The elements and a portion of compacted conductor are mounted within the insulating panel On the outsides of the panel, the conductor is expanded to provide a very large surface area of contact with air or other medium for heat absorption on the cold side and for heat dissipation on the hot side.

Abstract: A thermoelectric device comprising an elongated panel, formed of a thermally insulating material, and having a plurality of thermoelectric elements comprising compacted conductors inside the insulating material and expanded conductors outside the insulating material is combined with other layers for leakage current interception, bodily fluid absorption, and pillars that preserve pressure re-distribution. The thermoelectric device may be integrated into a variety of surfaces or enclosures needing heating or cooling and manufactured using pre-existing automated equipment.

Abstract: A thermoelectric device includes an elongated panel, formed of a thermally insulating material, and having a plurality of thermoelectric elements formed from compacted conductors inside the insulating material and expanded conductors outside the insulating material wherein the thermoelectric elements run substantially parallel to or at an acute angle relative to the long dimension of the panel. The thermoelectric device may be integrated into a variety of surfaces or enclosures needing heating or cooling with controls and configurations to optimize the application.

Abstract: Inexpensive, lightweight, flexible heating and cooling panels with highly distributed thermoelectric elements are provided. A thermoelectric “string” is described that may be woven or assembled into a variety of insulating panels such as seat cushions, mattresses, pillows, blankets, ceiling tiles, office partitions, under-desk panels, electronic enclosures, building walls, refrigerator walls, and heat conversion panels. The string contains spaced thermoelectric elements which are thermally and electrically connected to lengths of braided, meshed, stranded, foamed, or otherwise expandable and compressible conductor. The elements and a portion of compacted conductor are mounted within the insulating panel On the outsides of the panel, the conductor is expanded to provide a very large surface area of contact with air or other medium for heat absorption on the cold side and for heat dissipation on the hot side.

Abstract: The Seebeck effect is the generation of a voltage between two junctions of dissimilar materials, and this effect is used to convert heat to electricity using thermoelectric modules containing a plurality of junctions. The efficiency of power generation using these modules is typically very low and much lower than rotating machines such as gas turbines and steam turbines combined with rotating electrical generators. This disclosure presents a method for increasing the efficiency of these thermoelectric modules significantly by thermally switching the heat source to the thermoelectric elements.

Abstract: An improved design for maintaining separation between electrodes in tunneling, resonant tunneling, diode, thermionic, thermo-photovoltaic and other devices is disclosed. At least one electrode 1 is made from flexible material. A magnetic field B is present to combine with the current flowing in the flexible electrode 1 and generate a force or a thermal expansion force combined with a temperature distribution that counterbalances the electrostatic force or other attracting forces between the electrodes. The balancing of forces allows the separation and parallelism between the electrodes to be maintained at a very small spacing without requiring the use of multiple control systems, actuators, or other manipulating means, or spacers. The shape of one or both electrodes 1 is designed to maintain a constant separation over the entire overlapping area of the electrodes, or to minimize a central contact area.

Abstract: An improved design for maintaining separation between electrodes in tunneling, diode, thermionic, thermophotovoltaic and other devices is disclosed. At least one electrode is made from flexible material. A magnetic field is present to combine with the current flowing in the flexible electrode and generate a force that counterbalances the electrostatic force or other attracting forces between the electrodes. The balancing of forces allows separation and parallelism between the electrodes to be maintained at a very small spacing without requiring the use of multiple control systems, actuators, or other manipulating means, or spacers. The shape of one or both electrodes is designed to maintain a constant separation over the entire overlapping area of the electrodes.

Abstract: An improved design for maintaining separation between electrodes in tunneling, resonant tunneling, diode, thermionic, thermo-photovoltaic and other devices is disclosed. At least one electrode 1 is made from flexible material. A magnetic field B is present to combine with the current flowing in the flexible electrode 1 and generate a force or a thermal expansion force combined with a temperature distribution that counterbalances the electrostatic force or other attracting forces between the electrodes. The balancing of forces allows the separation and parallelism between the electrodes to be maintained at a very small spacing without requiring the use of multiple control systems, actuators, or other manipulating means, or spacers. The shape of one or both electrodes 1 is designed to maintain a constant separation over the entire overlapping area of the electrodes, or to minimize a central contact area.

Abstract: An improved design for maintaining separation between electrodes in tunneling, diode, thermionic, thermophotovoltaic and other devices is disclosed. At least one electrode is made from flexible material. A magnetic field is present to combine with the current flowing in the flexible electrode and generate a force that counterbalances the electrostatic force or other attracting forces between the electrodes. The balancing of forces allows separation and parallelism between the electrodes to be maintained at a very small spacing without requiring the use of multiple control systems, actuators, or other manipulating means, or spacers. The shape of one or both electrodes is designed to maintain a constant separation over the entire overlapping area of the electrodes.

Abstract: An improved design for maintaining nanometer separation between electrodes in tunneling, thermo-tunneling, diode, thermionic, thermoelectric, thermo-photovoltaic and other devices is disclosed. At least one electrode is of a curved shape. All embodiments reduce the thermal conduction between the two electrodes when compared to the prior art. Some embodiments provide a large tunneling area surrounding a small contact area. Other embodiments remove the contact area completely. The end result is an electronic device that maintains two closely spaced parallel electrodes in stable equilibrium with a nanometer gap there-between over a large area in a simple configuration for simplified manufacturability and use to convert heat to electricity or electricity to cooling.

Abstract: An improved design for maintaining separation between electrodes in tunneling, diode, thermionic, and other devices is disclosed. At least one electrode is made from flexible material. A magnetic field is present to combine with the current flowing in the flexible electrode and generate a force that counterbalances the electrostatic force between the electrodes. The balancing of forces allows the separation and parallelism between the electrodes to be maintained at a very small spacing without requiring the use of multiple control systems, actuators, or other manipulating means, or spacers. The shape of one or both electrodes is designed to maintain a constant separation over the entire overlapping area of the electrodes. The end result is an electronic device that maintains two closely spaced parallel electrodes in stable equilibrium with a uniform gap therebetween over a large area in a simple configuration for simplified manufacturability and use to convert heat to electricity or electricity to cooling.