ELECTROACTIVE POLYMER THERMAL ELECTRIC GENERATORS

摘要

These disclosed energy conversion devices (500) include one or more transducers (510) that use electroactive polymer films to convert thermally generated mechanical energy to electrical energy. The generators may include one or more transmission mechanisms (505) that convert a portion of thermal energy (501) generated from a heat source such as internal combustion, external combustion, solar energy, geothermal energy or waste heat, to mechanical energy that is used to drive the one or more transducers located in the generator. The energy received by the transducers may be converted to electrical energy (502) by the transducers in conjunction with conditioning electronics (515) located within the generator. One embodiment of the present invention provides an energy conversion device (800) with two chambers each chamber including a diaphragm transducer (520, 525) that may convert thermal energy to electricity using a thermodynamic cycle such as a Stirling gas cycle. The thermodynamic cycle of the energy conversion device may be reversed to provide cooling to an external device such as a semiconductor device.