Abstract: A subsea thermoelectric generator has a plurality of flat thermoelectric modules attached concentrically to the outside wall of an undersea line in which petroleum products extracted from a subsea drilling well circulate. The thermoelectric modules are disposed in flat-bottomed pans machined into the outside wall of the line. The pans are sealed by lids made of heat-conducting material and in thermal contact with the thermoelectric modules. Each lid defines, with the walls of the corresponding pan, a peripheral sealed chamber. The various chambers in the pans communicate with each other through passages provided in partitions that separate the pans and are filled with a soft (compliant), preferably non-heat-conducting, resin. At least one of the pans is provided with an orifice closed by a sealed deformable element.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an electric generator, of the type including thermoelectric cells electrically attached and insulated between both walls of a duct separating a moving internal fluid and an external fluid having a temperature different from that of the internal fluid. The thermoelectric cells are positioned in such a way that their surfaces of thermal exchange are approximately perpendicular to the outflow direction of the internal fluid. The thermoelectric cells are positioned on both faces of a flared flange radailly clamped onto the duct. An electric generator having these features provides increased electrical power and greater depth operation.