Electrical generator

Claim 2

The generator of claim 2, including a heat shield that provides the dual function of gettering, as well as providing low thermal losses (high insulating capability) and also provides gamma-energy attenuation biological shield protection.

Claim 3

A thermoelectric generator including at least one thermoelectric module having a plurality of opposite-polarity thermoelectric elements electrically connected to form a hot junction and a cold junction for said module and said module also having a heat-transfer conductor thermally connected to said cold junction, a radioactive heat source, and a radioactivity shield for said source, a heat sink, and means for resiliently supporting said module, said supporting means including means for resiliently urging said heat transfer conductor into heat transfer engagement with said shield so that said source is in heat transfer relationship betweEn said source and module; and said supporting means also including shock-mount means for suspending said module from said container, said shock-mount means interconnecting said heat-removal conductor and said heat sink and providing a highly thermally conducting path between said heat-removal conductor and said heat sink.

Claim 4

A thermoelectric generator including a container, a radioactive heat source and a radioactivity shield for said source in heat deriving relationship with said source, a spider of tensioned connectors anchored to the walls of said container and connected to said shield for supporting said source and shield from said walls of said container in low thermal transfer relationship, at least one thermoelectric module having a plurality of opposite polarity thermoelectric elements electrically connected to form a hot junction and a cold junction, and a heat-transfer conductor thermally connected to said hot junction, and a heat-removal conductor thermally connected to said cold junction, and means connecting said shield in heat transfer relationship with said heat-transfer conductor.

Claim 5

A module for a thermoelectric generator including a plurality of opposite-polarity thermoelectric elements connnected to form a hot and cold junction, a stack of sheets of heat shielding material encircling said elements, the said sheets being ridged and the successive sheets of the stack being engaged only at the intersection points of the ridges to minimize thermal conduction loss between sheets, and thermally and electrically insulating means interposed between said sheets and said elements.

Claim 6

A module for a thermoelectric generator including a plurality of opposite-polarity thermoelectric elements connected to form a hot and a cold junction, and a stack of sheets of heat shielding material encircling said elements, the said sheets being ridged and the successive sheets of the stack being engaged only at the intersection points of the ridges to minimize thermal conduction loss between sheets.

Claim 7

A thermoelectric generator including an evacuated container, a heat source in said container, a thermoelectric converter in said container, means connecting said connector to said source in heat-to-electricity converting relationship, and a heat reflecting shield enclosing said source and converter in source-to-converter heat-concentrating relationship, said shield including a stack of sheets, said stack including a plurality of sheets of one material nearer said source and a plurality of sheets of another material more remote from said source, the sheets nearer said source being composed of a gettering heat-reflective material and the sheets more remote from said source being composed of heat-reflecting material.

Claim 8

The generator of claim 8 wherein the sheets nearer said source are composed substantially of titanium and the sheets more remote from said source are composed substantially of aluminum.

Claim 9

A thermoelectric generator including a first container which is evacuated and includes therein at least one thermoelectric module having a second container which is gastight and has therein an inert-gas atmosphere at substantial pressure, said module including in said second container a plurality of opposite-polarity thermoelectric elements electrically connected to form a hot junction and a cold junction for said module, said module also having a heat-transfer conductor thermally connected to said hot junction and a heat-removal conductor thermally connected to said cold junction, said first container also including therein a radioactive heat source and a radioactivity shield for said source, said shield being in thermal interchange relationship with said source and with said heat-transfer conductor, and a radiation-reflecting heat shield in said first container for reflecting the heat radiation from said source toward said heat-transfer conductor, said heat shield including a stack of sheets said stack including sheets substantially of titanium nearer said source aNd sheets substantially of aluminum more remote from said source.