Thermoelectric heat transfer apparatus

Claim 1

Thermoelectric heat transfer apparatus comprising a first heat sink, a second heat sink and a laminated assembly of bimetallic elements in each of which two ferromagnetic metals having different thermoelectric properties have electrical interface contact in a composite structure as a metal lamination, these laminar elements being arranged between the heat sinks with opposite edge surfaces in thermal contact with the surfaces of the first and second heat sinks, and adjacent elements in the assembly being assembled in interfacing electrical contact through a third non-ferromagnetic metal, all interface connections through that third metal being between different ferromagnetic metal type and the opposite non-interfacing edge surfaces of the bimetallic laminar elements of this assembly forming two surfaces across which heat may be transferred, there being external electrically powered circuit control means arranged to produce a polarizing bias at the junction interface, and there being electrically powered priming control means independent from the externally powered circuit control means by which to activate and sustain thermoelectric current circulation within each lamination by establishing a priming temperature differential between the heat sinks, whereby, when a temperature differential exists between the heat sinks and the said two surfaces, thermoelectric currents circulate between the two ferromagnetic metals in each element and the passage of electric current through the non-ferromagnetic metal of the laminated assembly and in a direction transverse to the laminations encounters a negative resistance upon entry into the ferromagnetic metal owing to thermoelectric action corresponding to the conversion from thermal to electrical energy.