Voltage conversion apparatus and method

Abstract

A body force per unit mass acting on mobile charge carriers within a first electrically conducting material is configured to induce at least one region of accumulation of charge within at least a portion of the first material. The magnitude of the associated change in the voltage between two given points within the first material is a function of the relevant electrical properties of the material. A second electrically conducting material can be electrically coupled to the first material via a first electrical contact. The relevant electrical properties of the second material can be configured to be different to the relevant electrical properties of the first material. The voltage difference between the two points in the first material can be different to the voltage difference between two equivalent points in the second material. The difference in the voltage difference can be employed to increase the voltage of mobile charge carriers within a portion of an open or closed electrical circuit relative to another portion of said circuit. A voltage conversion apparatus and method can be used to convert thermal energy into electrical energy, for example.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of potential energy modification, comprising:
 providing a body force on charge carriers on a first material, the body force configured to induce a region of accumulation of charge within the first material, wherein the first material is electrically conducting, and wherein the first material comprises a first point and a second point, and wherein the second point is located on a boundary of the region of accumulation of charge, and wherein the region of accumulation of charge has a non-zero electric field magnitude;   providing a second material, wherein the second material is electrically conducting, and wherein the second material comprises a first point and a second point; and   wherein a steady electrical current can be made to flow in a closed circuit, wherein the closed circuit is formed when the second point in the first material is electrically coupled to the second point in the second material and the first point in the first material is electrically coupled to the first point in the second material, and wherein the steady current exceeds the current due to a Seebeck or Peltier effect; and   wherein a relevant property of the second material is different relative to the same property in the first material.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein a relevant property comprises the nominal number of mobile charge carriers per unit volume in a material. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein a relevant property comprises the nominal electrical conductivity of a material. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the relevant properties comprise the absolute permittivity within the material. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the relevant properties comprise the number of atoms per unit volume. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the relevant properties comprise the number of donor atoms or acceptor atoms in a doped semiconductor per unit volume. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the relevant properties comprise the temperature of the material. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the relevant properties comprise the average charge carried by a mobile charge carrier within the material. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein relevant properties comprise the average effective mass of a mobile charge carrier within a material. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising: applying a body force on charge carriers on the second material, the body force configured to induce a region of accumulation of charge within the second material, and wherein the second point in the second material is located on a boundary of the region of accumulation of charge, and wherein the region of accumulation of charge has a non-zero electric field magnitude. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein relevant properties comprise the electric field strength at a boundary of the region of accumulation of charge within a material. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein applying the body force comprises subjecting the material to an electric field, wherein at least a portion of the body force is electric in nature. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein applying the body force comprises subjecting the material to a gravitational field, and wherein at least a portion of the body force is gravitational in nature. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein applying the body force comprises subjecting the material to a magnetic field, and wherein at least a portion of the body force is magnetic in nature. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein applying the body force comprises subjecting the material to an electromagnetic field, and wherein at least a portion of the body force is electromagnetic in nature. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein applying the body force comprises subjecting the material to an acceleration in an inertial frame, and wherein at least a portion of the body force is magnetic in nature, wherein at least a portion of the body force is inertial in nature. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the method comprises electrically coupling the second point in the first material to the second point in the second material and electrically coupling the first point in the first material to the first point in the second material. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the electrically coupling comprises closing an electrical switch. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the electrically coupling comprises the transmitting of electromagnetic energy. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the electrical coupling comprises providing an electrical load. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the method further comprises converting thermal energy into electromagnetic energy. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the steady electrical current can be made to flow when the closed circuit is in thermal contact with a single thermal reservoir. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first material or second material can comprise a solid, liquid, gas, or plasma. 
     
     
         24 . A potential energy modification apparatus, wherein the potential energy modification apparatus comprises:
 a body force generating apparatus, wherein the body force generating apparatus is configured to apply a body force on charge carriers;   a first material, wherein the body force generating apparatus can be configured to induce a region of accumulation of charge within the first material, wherein the first material is electrically conducting, and wherein the first material comprises a first point and a second point, and wherein the second point is located on a boundary of the region of accumulation of charge, and wherein the region of accumulation of charge has a non-zero electric field magnitude; and   a second material, wherein the second material is electrically conducting, and wherein the second material comprises a first point and a second point;   wherein a relevant property of the second material is different relative to the same property in the first material, and   wherein a steady electrical current can be made to flow in a closed circuit, wherein the closed circuit is formed when the second point in the first material is electrically coupled to the second point in the second material and the first point in the first material is electrically coupled to the first point in the second material, and wherein the steady current exceeds the current due to a Seebeck or Peltier effect.   
     
     
         25 . The potential energy modification apparatus of  claim 24 , wherein the first point in the first material is located in a neutrally charged region within the first material in an open circuit scenario. 
     
     
         26 . The potential energy modification apparatus of  claim 24 , wherein the first point in the first material is located in a charged region within the first material in an open circuit scenario. 
     
     
         27 . The potential energy modification apparatus of  claim 26 , wherein the second point in the first material is located in a charged region within the first material in an open circuit scenario. 
     
     
         28 . The potential energy modification apparatus of  claim 27 , wherein the average charge of the first material at the first point is opposite in sign to the average charge of the first material at the second point. 
     
     
         29 . The potential energy modification apparatus of  claim 27 , wherein the average charge of the first material at the first point is of the same sign as the average charge of the first material at the second point. 
     
     
         30 . A system comprising two or more of the potential energy modification apparatuses of  claim 25 , wherein a first potential energy modification apparatus is electrically coupled in series with a second potential energy modification apparatus. 
     
     
         31 . The system of  claim 30 , wherein the two or more potential energy modification apparatuses are arranged in a planar array. 
     
     
         32 . The system of  claim 30 , wherein the first point in a second material of a first potential energy modification apparatus is electrically coupled to the first point in a first material in a second potential energy modification apparatus. 
     
     
         33 . The system of  claim 30 , wherein the accumulation of net charge in the first material at the second point consists at least in part of an accumulation of mobile charge. 
     
     
         34 . A system comprising two or more of the potential energy modification apparatuses of  claim 26 , wherein a first potential energy modification apparatus is electrically coupled in series with a second potential energy modification apparatus. 
     
     
         35 . The system of  claim 34 , wherein the two or more potential energy modification apparatuses are arranged in a planar array. 
     
     
         36 . The system of  claim 34 , wherein the first point in a second material of a first potential energy modification apparatus is electrically coupled to the first point in a first material in a second potential energy modification apparatus. 
     
     
         37 . The system of  claim 34 , wherein the accumulation of net charge in the first material at the second point consists at least in part of an accumulation of mobile charge. 
     
     
         38 . The apparatus of  claim 24 , wherein a steady voltage difference between the first point in the first material and the first point in the second material can be measured in an open circuit scenario, wherein the voltage difference is different to the voltage difference due to a Peltier or Seebeck effect, and wherein the open circuit scenario comprises an electrical coupling between the second point in the first material and the second point in the second material. 
     
     
         39 . The apparatus of  claim 24 , wherein the steady electrical current can be made to flow when the apparatus is in thermal contact with a single thermal reservoir. 
     
     
         40 . The apparatus of  claim 38 , wherein the steady voltage difference can be measured when the apparatus is in thermal contact with a single thermal reservoir. 
     
     
         41 . The apparatus of  claim 24 , wherein the first material or second material can comprise a solid, liquid, gas, or plasma. 
     
     
         42 . The apparatus of  claim 24 , wherein the apparatus can be configured to convert thermal energy into electromagnetic energy.