Did You Know...
...Chester Carlson was a patent agent who tired of having to make multiple copies of patent applications using the only duplication method available at the time: carbon paper. In 1959 he came up with a new copying system and took it to IBM for evaluation. The "experts" at IBM determined potential sales to be only 5,000 units because people wouldn't want to use a bulky machine when they had carbon paper. Carlson's invention was the xerography process, the company founded on the system is Xerox.
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US Patent 6218607 - Compact man-portable thermophotovoltaic battery charger
US Patent Issued on April 17, 2001
Estimated Patent Expiration Date:
May 15, 2018Estimated Expiration Date is calculated based on simple USPTO term provisions. It does not account for terminal disclaimers, term adjustments, failure to pay maintenance fees, or other factors which might affect the term of a patent.
Estimated Patent Expiration Date:
May 15, 2018Estimated Expiration Date is calculated based on simple USPTO term provisions. It does not account for terminal disclaimers, term adjustments, failure to pay maintenance fees, or other factors which might affect the term of a patent.AbstractA small and light cylindrical thermophotovoltaic generator uses gaseous fuels, a counter flow heat exchanger, regenerator and low bandgap photovoltaic cells. In the fuel injection system, with preheated air from a recuperator, fuel combustion begins immediately when the fuel and air first meet. A hot and compact burn results from complete and rapid fuel and air mixing. A venturi necks down the air flow, and a chemically etched jet shim disk creates over 150 small fuel jet streams. The emitter geometric configuration provides good hot gas energy transfer to the IR emitter. Four alternate emitter configurations accomplish the good heat transfer. One emitter is a composite SiC with integrally formed internal fins which extend into the combustion chamber. The photovoltaic converter assembly has good spectral control, good high rate but lightweight heat removal and high current-carrying capability, while maintaining low parasitic IR absorption. A modular photovoltaic converter circuit is complete with series connected low bandgap filtered cells, a heat spreader and high current-carrying mirror-shielded interconnects. An efficient but lightweight and short heat exchanger regenerator is fairly easy to fabricate by inserting an array of angled vanes through slits in a simple cylinder. One regenerator is formed with integrally extruded or machined fins on a high temperature SiC composite.Other References
| InventorsAssigneeApplicationNo. 079395 filed on 05/15/1998US Classes:136/253Radioactive, ionic, or thermo photoField of Search136/253Radioactive, ionic, or thermo photoExaminersPrimary: Chapman, MarkAttorney, Agent or FirmUS Patent References3433676, 3751303, 4234352, Thermophotovoltaic converter and cell for use thereinIssued on: 11/18/1980 Inventor: Swanson4707560, Thermophotovoltaic technology Issued on: 11/17/1987 Inventor: Hottel , et al.4776895, Multiband emitter matched to multilayer photovoltaic collector Issued on: 10/11/1988 Inventor: Goldstein5312521, Compact DC electric power generator using low bandgap thermophotovoltaic cell strings with a hydrocarbon gas burner fitted with a regenerator Issued on: 05/17/1994 Inventor: Fraas, et al.5356487, Thermally amplified and stimulated emission radiator fiber matrix burner Issued on: 10/18/1994 Inventor: Goldstein, et al.5383976, Compact DC/AC electric power generator using convective liquid cooled low bandgap thermophotovoltaic cell strings and regenerative hydrocarbon burner Issued on: 01/24/1995 Inventor: Fraas, et al.5401329, Thermophotovoltaic receiver assembly Issued on: 03/28/1995 Inventor: Fraas, et al.5403405, Spectral control for thermophotovoltaic generators Issued on: 04/04/1995 Inventor: Fraas, et al.5439532, Cylindrical electric power generator using low bandgap thermophotovolatic cells and a regenerative hydrocarbon gas burner Issued on: 08/08/1995 Inventor: Fraas5512109, Generator with thermophotovoltaic cells and hydrocarbon burner Issued on: 04/30/1996 Inventor: Fraas, et al.5551992, Thermophotovoltaic generator with low bandgap cells and hydrocarbon burner Issued on: 09/03/1996 Inventor: Fraas5560783, Thermophotovoltaic generator Issued on: 10/01/1996 Inventor: Hamlen5616186, Thermophotovoltaic electric generator using low bandgap photovoltaic cells with a hydrocarbon burner and enhanced catalytic infrared emitter Issued on: 04/01/1997 Inventor: Fraas, et al.5865906Energy-band-matched infrared emitter for use with low bandgap thermophotovoltaic cells Issued on: 02/02/1999 Inventor: Ferguson, et al. International ClassH01L 031/00 |
