Method of and apparatus for thermal energy-to-electrical energy conversion using charge carrier excitation transfer through electrostatic coupling between hot and relatively cold juxtaposed surfaces separated by a small gap and using single carrier cold-side conversion

摘要

An improved method of and apparatus for thermal-to-electric conversion involving relatively hot and cold juxtaposed surfaces separated by a small vacuum gap wherein the cold surface provides an array of single charge carrier converter elements along the surface and the hot surface transfers excitation energy to the opposing cold surface across the gap through Coulomb electrostatic coupling interaction.