Metallic Junction Thermoelectric (MJTE) Generator

The new TE device is fundamentally different from the conventional TE model in terms of high power density TE devices (at least > 30 W/kg) which is at least four times better than the radio-isotope thermoelectric generator (RTG). Innovations include: <p style="text-indent: 5em;"> &#8226Does not use any junction technology of n-type and p-type which imposes the Brillouin limit due to the anisotropic electron plasma at the interface between n- and p-types. <p style="text-indent: 5em;"> &#8226Does not manipulate and reduce the thermal conductivity of materials by tweaking morphological order of TE materials, which eventually causes a choking effect on thermal energy input into the system domain. <p style="text-indent: 5em;"> &#8226Built with thin-film structure. An array structure in plane is fabricated by a simple micro-fabrication process and tied up with another layer built on top of its original layer embodiment as a tandem mode. The TE device forms a tandem mode of multiple layers of thin-film TE array structure as repeated regenerative cycles to capture and convert more energy for high efficiency operation. NASA's Langley Research Center has developed a new concept thermoelectric (TE) principle based on thin-film metal-metal junctions. This approach substantially increases the TE efficiency and power density. When two metals with different vacancy states selected for the greatest possible disparity are in a junction, this junction naturally allows the greatest number of charges across the barrier by the charge disparity. Metals have higher electron pools 10³-10⁴ C/cm³ and the metal junctions, simpler than semiconductor junctions, can be made smaller and more energy compact.