REGULATING VEHICLE CABIN ENVIRONMENT AND GENERATING SUPPLEMENTAL ELECTRICAL CURRENT FROM WASTE HEAT

A method and system for environmental control and supplementary power generation in conventional and hybrid vehicle applications is presented. A thermoelectric heat pump function regulates vehicular interior temperature environments and uses the waste heat from a vehicles engine to power thermocouples and generate supplemental electrical current to power electrical devices. Thermocouples are used to gauge changes in temperature. The Peltier Effect is used to provide both primary cabin environmental control and supplementary power generation for motorized vehicle applications. Thermoelectric generators can be used for both primary internal climate control and supplementary power generation in the vehicular environment. Thermoelectric heat pumps' special characteristics are used to provide (a) primary cabin environment control including cooling, heating, dehumidifying, defrosting, pre-heating/pre-cooling and (b) supplemental DC power generation functions for conventional fossil fueled and/or biomass-fueled vehicles as well as emerging hybrid or all electric vehicle applications.