THERMOELECTRIC BATTERY Russian patent published in 2004 - IPC

FIELD: direct thermal-to-electrical energy conversion. SUBSTANCE: thermoelectric battery has vacuum-tight protective jacket with pressure seals accommodating thermoelements separated from jacket walls with hot and cold heat-transfer surfaces by insulating barriers. Jacket walls on at least one of heat transfer surfaces are multilayer structures. Thermoelements elevation difference compensator is inserted in clearance between multilayer walls of jacket. At least one surface facing the compensator is covered with diffusion-preventing coating. Thermoelements are provided with lock holding them in position relative to side wall of jacket. Elevation difference compensator is made of plastic heat-conducting material such as lead, tin, copper, aluminum, titanium, and alloys on their base. Diffusion-preventing coating is made of titanium nitride. Clearance between jacket walls is hermetically sealed in case of use of oxidizing compensators such as titanium. Inner surface of jacket is provided on hot end with anticorrosive coating made of titanium, aluminum, rhenium, molybdenum, tungsten, and alloys on their base to protect its semiconducting structural materials from sublimation. Lock holding thermoelements in horizontal position is made in the form of clamp made of insulating material such as mica. EFFECT: enhanced service life and specific power characteristics of battery. 6 cl, 1 dwg