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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 5137583 | Emission technology An emission system includes emitter support structure with a plurality of flow passages therethrough and an array of emitter members that are in adjacent relation to the flow passages and that project outwardly from a surface of the support structure with... | 08/11/1992 |
| 5124610 | Tritiated light emitting polymer electrical energy source An electrical energy source is created by the combination of a light emitting polymer material having at least one light emitting surface emitting light energy of a specified frequency bandwidth and a photovoltaic cell having a light collecting surface an... | 06/23/1992 |
| 5122332 | Protecting organisms and the environment from harmful radiation by controlling such radiation and safely disposing of its energy A radiation gradient is utilized to transform harmful radiant energy into safer, more useful forms, thus collecting, controlling and consuming the energies of radiant emissions and protecting the environment and living organisms from them. More specifical... | 06/16/1992 |
| 5111099 | Apparatus and method for converting radioactive energy into electrical energy There is provided an apparatus and method for converting radioactive energy into electrical energy, with the apparatus including an outer radioactive protective shell and a radioactive fuel source located within that shell. In a preferred embodiment, thre... | 05/05/1992 |
| 5092767 | Reversing linear flow TPV process and apparatus A linear combustion emitter regenerator process capable of operating at high temperatures for sustained periods of time, that includes flowing reactants including fuel and air to a combustion zone; adding regenerated heat to at least one of the reactants ... | 03/03/1992 |
| 5082505 | Self-sustaining power module A self-sustaining power module (10) that combines the technologies of radioactivity with photovoltaic cells (12) to produce an electrical power supply having a useful life of over ten years. The radioactive source is a tritium capsule (22) that interfaces... | 01/21/1992 |
| 5080724 | Selective emitters This invention relates to a small particle selective emitter for converting thermal energy into narrow band radiation with high efficiency. The small particle selective emitter is used in combination with a photovoltaic array to provide a thermal to elect... | 01/14/1992 |
| 5066339 | Rotary radiating bed thermophotovoltaic process and apparatus A combustion/emitter/regeneration process capable of operating at high temperature for sustained periods of time, that includes flowing reactants including fuel and air to a combustion zone; adding recuperated heat to at least two of the reactants flowing... | 11/19/1991 |
| 5057162 | Thermophotovoltaic technology A high-output, narrow band thermally energized radiation source comprises a rare earth oxide radiator member that has a cross-sectional dimension in the range of five to thirty micrometers, the rare earth oxide radiator member, when heated to about 1700°... | 10/15/1991 |
| 5044939 | Reversing linear flow TPV process and apparatus A linear combustion emitter regenerator process capable of operating at high temperatures for sustained periods of time, that includes flowing reactants including fuel and air to a combustion zone; adding regenerated heat to at least one of the reactants ... | 09/03/1991 |
| 5008579 | Light emitting polymer electrical energy source An electrical energy source is created by the combination of a light emitting polymer material having at least one light emitting surface emitting light energy of a specified frequency bandwidth and a photovoltaic cell having a light collecting surface an... | 04/16/1991 |
| 4976606 | Thermophotovoltaic technology A high output, narrow band thermally energized radiation source comprises a rare earth oxide radiator member that has a cross-sectional dimension in the range of five to thirty micrometers, the rare earth oxide radiator member, when heated to about 1700°... | 12/11/1990 |
| 4967112 | Electrical power cell energized by high frequency electromagnetic radiation A power cell for generating useful electrical power from high frequency electromagnetic radiation comprising a spiral-wound, multi-layer film forming a cylindrical body with a central opening for receiving the radiation source. The film has in succession ... | 10/30/1990 |
| 4948365 | High-temperature, gas-burning furnace A novel high-temperature, gas-burning furnace has a rotating porous-ceramic bed, which serves the integral functions of wall insulator, thermal regenerator, combustion chamber, and radiant heater. The configuration permits high chamber temperatures (up to... | 08/14/1990 |
| 4906178 | Self-powered gas appliance Embodiments of gas-fired appliances which generate sufficient electricity to be self-powered include water heaters, space heaters, air conditioning units, and electric power and steam cogeneration systems. In such apparatus, gas is burned in a porous cera... | 03/06/1990 |
| 4900368 | Foamed energy cell A photovoltaic material having an open-cellular foamed nature incorporated into an electric current generating cell activated by a material circulated through the open cells of the foam.... | 02/13/1990 |
| 4836862 | Thermophotovoltaic system A highly efficient combustor/reactor for a thermophotovoltaic process is provided. It includes: (a) an insulated combustion chamber containing a combustion zone, (b) first and second beds of refractory particles exposed to that zone, (c) structure for supplying a f... | 06/06/1989 |
| 4793799 | Photovoltaic control system An apparatus (1) is disclosed for controlling oxidation of a fuel in an oxidation source (2,3). The apparatus includes photovoltaic means (5) for receiving electromagnetic radiation (6) from the oxidation source and for producing electric power having a g... | 12/27/1988 |
| 4784700 | Point focus solar concentrator using reflector strips of various geometries to form primary and secondary reflectors A point focus solar concentrator which uses various geometries of cylindrical reflector strips some of which are tilted to simulate a point focus by overlaying the line focii of each segment at a coincident point. Several embodiments of the invention are ... | 11/15/1988 |
| 4778378 | Self-powered intermittent ignition and control system for gas combustion appliances A self-powered control system for a gas-fired appliance having a pilot burner and a main burner includes an emissive surface in the flame of the pilot burner and a photovoltaic device for irradiation from the emissive surface for providing electrical powe... | 10/18/1988 |
| 4776895 | Multiband emitter matched to multilayer photovoltaic collector A thermophotovoltaic electric generating system provides high thermal to electric conversion efficiency by use of matched radiation emitter and radiation collector. The radiation emitter comprises ceramic materials which emit thermally stimulated quantum ... | 10/11/1988 |
| 4750943 | Thermophotovoltaic system A thermophotovoltaic energy conversion system includes a thermal energy source and a narrow band emitter spaced and optically isolated from the thermal energy source. Thermal energy is transferred between the thermal energy source and the emitter by a non... | 06/14/1988 |
| 4746370 | Photothermophotovoltaic converter A photothermophotovoltaic energy conversion system converts solar energy to electrical energy and includes a radiator and a photovoltaic cell. The photovoltaic cell receives incoming energy, including solar energy, and converts a first portion of the inco... | 05/24/1988 |
| 4707560 | Thermophotovoltaic technology A thermophotovoltaic system includes structure defining a diffusion flame burner having separate but adjacent fuel and oxidant inlets, and structure defining a combustion chamber in which an emitter structure is disposed for exposure to combustion product... | 11/17/1987 |
| 4628143 | Foamed nuclear cell An electric current generating cell comprising an open-cellular foamed semiconductor and means to excite the semiconductor to produce electric potential.... | 12/09/1986 |
| 4584426 | Thermophotovoltaic technology A high output, narrow band thermally energized radiation source comprises a rare earth oxide radiator member that has a cross-sectional dimension in the range of five to thirty micrometers, the rare earth oxide radiator member, when heated to about 1700°... | 04/22/1986 |
| 4528417 | Thermionic-photovoltaic energy converter A thermionic-photovoltaic energy conversion device comprises a thermionic diode 10 mounted within a hollow tubular photovoltaic converter 12. The thermionic diode maintains a cesium discharge for producing excited atoms that emit line radiation in the wav... | 07/09/1985 |
| 4419532 | Thermophotovoltaic power source A thermophotovoltaic power source comprising a Cassegrain solar collector and concentrator, a thermal vessel including a containment vessel holding thermal storage material therein, the containment vessel having the shape of an annulus closed at one end a... | 12/06/1983 |
| 4415526 | Metal phthalocyanine on a substrate A nuclear fission electrical generator for extracting electrical power from fissionable material having semi-conductor characteristics without the necessity of an intervening thermal energy. Unwanted, randomly created electron-hole pairs are depleted from... | 11/15/1983 |
| 4392006 | Solar cell activation system A system for activating solar cells involves the use of phosphorescent paint, the light from which is amplified by a thin magnifying lens and used to activate solar cells. In a typical system, a member painted with phosphorescent paint is mounted adjacent... | 07/05/1983 |
| 4331829 | Thermophotovoltaic converter A thermophotovoltaic converter of the type comprising a concentrating optical system and a transducer for solar radiation provided with at least one lens and with at least one photovoltaic cell is described. The principal feature of this converter is that the ... | 05/25/1982 |
| 4316048 | Energy conversion Energy conversion capable of receiving input energy in thermal or radiant form at a variable rate and releasing energy in thermal, radiant or electrical form independent of rate is accomplished by providing a buffer member of a material that has three cri... | 02/16/1982 |
| 4313425 | Spectral convertor A spectral converter which is to be used to produce chemical reactions. Full spectrum solar radiation is received, concentrated and directed into a blackbody collector. The collector converts the energy of solar radiation into heat. The collector then con... | 02/02/1982 |
| 4313024 | Conversion of solar to electrical energy Solar energy is collected by a concave mirror and directed onto a body located within a container which is lined with solar cells. The heated body radiates energy to the solar cells. The solar cells convert a portion of such radiated energy to electricity... | 01/26/1982 |
| 4242147 | Device for converting waste nuclear energy to electricity A device for converting waste nuclear energy to electricity comprising a shielded casing housing, a plurality of holders of radioactive materials surrounded by tubes of phosphorescent material to convert the radiation to electricity in adjacent photocells... | 12/30/1980 |
| 4234352 | Thermophotovoltaic converter and cell for use therein Disclosed is a thermophotovoltaic converter which includes a parabolic cone radiation concentrator portion and a processor portion including a radiator which absorbs concentrated radiation and generates incandescent radiation. A photovoltaic cell in close... | 11/18/1980 |
| 4178524 | Radioisotope photoelectric generator This disclosure is directed to a radioisotope photoelectric generator for producing electrical energy. The construction of the generator is similar to that of a well-known storage battery. The generator is composed of alternate layers of high-Z, (high ato... | 12/11/1979 |
| 4160927 | Ferroelectric ceramic devices An electrical battery comprised of a substrate of a radioactively ionized, electrically polarized, polycrystalline ferroelectric ceramic material, which is disposed between a pair of conductive electrodes. The radioactive ionization produces non-equilibri... | 07/10/1979 |
| 4119768 | Photovoltaic battery A photovoltaic battery in which a body of a photoactive material is disposed between first and second layers of ionically conductive material. The second layer is relatively high in ionic conductivity as compared to the first layer. An electric field orie... | 10/10/1978 |
| 3956017 | Optoelectric transducer A metal layer made of a high heat conductivity material such as silver or aluminum is provided at the rear surface of a solar battery with the use of vacuum evaporation technology. A thermoelectric converter is attached to the metal layer in a manner to c... | 05/11/1976 |
