Invention Grant
- Patent Title: Thermoelectric generator for transmission warm-up
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Application No.: US15228944Application Date: 2016-08-04
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Publication No.: US10094464B2Publication Date: 2018-10-09
- Inventor: Douglas Dickson , Lawrence P. Ziehr , James R. Salvador , Daniel J. Shepard
- Applicant: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
- Applicant Address: US MI Detroit
- Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
- Current Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
- Current Assignee Address: US MI Detroit
- Main IPC: F01N3/00
- IPC: F01N3/00 ; F01N3/02 ; F16H57/04 ; B60H1/22 ; F01N5/02 ; F01N9/00 ; F01P5/10

Abstract:
A vehicle, system, and method of warming the transmission fluid with a thermoelectric generator is also provided. Disclosed is vehicle having an internal combustion engine, a transmission containing a transmission fluid, a coolant circuit configured to remove heat from the engine, and a thermoelectric generator. The thermoelectric generator is in non-contact thermal communication with the hot exhaust gas produced by the engine and the relatively cooler coolant circulating through the coolant circuit. The thermoelectric generator produces a current from the temperature gradient between the exhaust gas relative and coolant and transfers heat from the exhaust gas to the coolant. The heat coolant is conveyed to a transmission heat exchanger to heat the transmission fluid. A heating element is disposed in thermal contact with the transmission fluid and the heating element is powered by the electric current produced by the thermoelectric generator.
Public/Granted literature
- US20180038473A1 THERMOELECTRIC GENERATOR FOR TRANSMISSION WARM-UP Public/Granted day:2018-02-08
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