Thermoelectric voltage generator

Claim 1

A vehicle hot exhaust thermoelectric voltage generator utilizing hot exhaust pipe gases from an internal combustion engine for providing electrical energy, said generator comprising in combination: an exhaust pipe having a plurality of inner fin heat collectors on the interior thereof; an inner layer of insulation around the exterior of said exhaust pipe at least surrounding said plurality of heat collectors, said inner layer of insulation being electrically insulative and heat conductive; a plurality of inner electrical contacts contiguous with said inner layer of insualtion; a plurality of thermoelectric elements comprised of alternate N- and P-type semiconductors having air spaces therebetween; a plurality of outer electrical contacts; an outer layer of insulation contiguous with and surrounding said plurality of outer electrical contacts, said outer layer of insulation being electrically insulative and heat conductive, wherein said plurality of inner electrical contacts connected across alternate air spaces to said N- and P-type semiconductors to form hot thermojunctions at the interface of said plurality of inner electrical contacts and said plurality of N- and P-type semiconductors and wherein said plurality of outer electrical contacts connected across alternate air spaces to said N- and P-type semiconductors to form cold thermojunctions at the interface of said plurality of outer electrical contacts whereby said plurality of N- and P-type semiconductors are electrically in series; a heat sink contiguous with said outer layer of insulation; and electrical connections connected to opposite ends of the serially connected plurality of thermoelectric elements for providing an electrical energy source to an external device by the Seebeck effect across the serially connected plurality of thermoelectric elements.