Thermoelectric generator

Claim 1

Thermoelectric generator comprising chamber means for containing radioactive nuclide as heating source, a plurality of thermocouple elements disposed about said chamber means and respectively comprising a pair of thermocouple element legs having a hot side facing said chamber means and a cold side facing away therefrom, shielding means fully surrounding said chamber means and comprising an enclosure formed of a pair of tightly fitted telescoped hollow members having ovErlapping walls, a cover closing one end of the outer telescoped hollow member, the outer lateral surface of the inner member having a frustroconical shape tapering downwardly in direction from said cover thereof and form-lockingly fitted in a corresponding inner frustroconical surface of the outer member, the inner telescoped hollow member having a hollow interior and a bottom wall, said thermocouple element legs being located in said hollow interior of said inner hollow member of said telescoped pair of hollow members and extending radially therein substantially about an entire region thereof whereat the walls of both of said hollow members overlap, and respective contact bridges connecting one leg of adjacent pairs of thermocouple element legs to another at said cold side thereof, means firmly connecting said thermocouple element legs mechanically at said cold side thereof to the wall of said inner hollow member, said thermocouple element legs extending into said hollow interior at said hot side thereof, the walls of said telescoped hollow members serving as heat exchanger for said cold side of said pairs of thermocouple element legs, and second contact bridges interconnecting the legs of each of said pairs of thermocouple element legs at the hot side thereof, said second contact bridges being spaced from but directly exposed to heat radiation from the chamber means and, thus, serving as heat exchanger for the hot side of the pairs of thermocouple element legs, each of the second contact bridges and the adjacent portion of the thermocouple element legs connect thereto being free of firm mechanical connection to any other part of the generator.