DEVICE FOR RELEASING OR ABSORBING HEAT Russian patent published in 2010 - IPC H01L35/00 B82B1/00 

FIELD: physics.

SUBSTANCE: device for releasing or absorbing heat has a cathode and an anode which have different electron Fermi energy and are connected to an electric voltage source. The cathode and anode are spaced apart by a 10-100 mcm gap and the cathode includes needle electrodes. Materials of the cathode and anode are selected from such materials for which the following condition is satisfied: q/Q=1+(Fk-Fa)/eU, where q is extra heat release or heat absorption; Q=IU, I is current in the circuit, U is applied voltage; Fk, Fa is Fermi energy of the cathode and anode respectively. The anode is heated at q>0 and cooled at q<0. In the preferred version, the gap between the cathode and the anode is evacuated, the needle electrodes are made in form of carbon nanotubes, their diametre d is much less than length f, the distance between them b is greater than f, and the gap between the anode L is much greater than f. There are versions where the cathode and the anode are mounted in an electrically insulating housing or an electric insulator is placed between them, e.g. in form of point supports.

EFFECT: more efficient thermo-electric conversion and higher efficiency of cooling the anode.

7 cl, 4 dwg