Element B: DOCUMENTATION AND ANALYSIS OF PRIOR SOLUTION ATTEMPTS

Introduction

This paragraph should include information about how you went about your patents search, problems that you encountered along the way, what exactly you were looking for. If you found something during this search that solved your initial problem, this is where you would indicate that you needed to start from the beginning with a new problem.

The problem we have encountered along the way is the utilization of thermometric modules and batteries. We don't clearly understand how to make and use the thermoelectric module in which would need to combine solutions that could make it more effective. Furthermore, we were mainly looking for the thermoelectric module and how to assemble it together in which it would be used and how we could implement our own ideas inside and make it better and appealing. We have definitely encounter initial solutions but instead of beginning with a new problem, we wanted to make it more efficient and known in the market as the marketing of prior solutions' with thermoelectric modules/batteries that can harness energy are terrible as barely anyone knows about it.

Patent Search

Patent Name: RADIOISOTOPE THERMOELECTRIC BATTERY (RTB) SYSTEM

Patent Number: 20210119283

Date of Patent: April 22, 2021

Patent Abstract: This patent utilizes concept of taking heat from a waste source and converting it to power to store in a battery. This patent is not very detailed but rather lists a number of situations that someone could copyright claim.

Pros and Cons: This product helps harvest heat waste that comes from anything, from motors to body heat. The product is a solid solution but much of the heat waste cannot be harvested and used effectively again. However, there are not very many patents related to this topic so there is room for more inventions and improvements.

Patent Name: Thermoelectric generator sleeve

Patent Number: 11,211,540

Date of Patent: December 28, 2021

Patent Abstract: This product uses a thermoelectric generator to harvest the excess heat that comes off of a lightbulb. This item will take away from the effectiveness of the lightbulb, but will also harvest some of the excess energy that comes alongside the light.

Pros and Cons: This product seems somewhat ineffective since most of the energy that lightbulbs use go directly to light, especially recently, when lightbulbs are becoming more effective and have less excess heat. It does prove that there is a market for this technology since it is being applied to less effective situations.

Patent Name: Thermoelectrically powered portable light source

Patent Number: US10178713B2

Date of Patent: 2019-01-08

Patent Abstract: This patent uses a thermoelectric generator to extract body heat and power a light bulb in case of emergencies. It uses two generators in collaboration to produce a current big enough to power a low-power bulb.

Pros and Cons: This patent powers a simple light bulb instead of providing universal power, not completely solving our problem. It uses a clever combination of thermoelectric generators to extract the body jeat and produce current, but it can be improved upon as other designs provide an even bigger current (which we need for our design ideas).

Patent Name: Thermoelectric Lamp.

Patent Number: US20180156403A1

Date of Patent: 2018-06-07

Patent Abstract: This patent uses a candle to produce the heat needed to activate a thermoelectric generator and subsequinty power a lamp.

Pros and Cons: This patent uses one light source to create another, which means it isn’t the most practical in real life but still provides insight into what thermoelectric generators can do. It simply takes the heat of a candle and uses its energy difference between it and the air.

Existing Competitive Products

Similar Solution Matrix

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Iwbh5gNqs5hVVgCxuXQ51eSZUBAS3Do24buWkl1g6tk/copy

Go to this like to create your own and then replace the sheet below with your own.

Criteria

1. Weight

   1. 0-2 oz = 5 points

   2. 2.1-4 oz = 4 points

   3. 4.1-7 oz = 3 points

   4. 7.1-10 oz = 2 points

   5. 10 oz+ = 1 point

2. Power

   1. 0-0.99 amps = 1 point

   2. 1-1.99 amps = 2 points

   3. 2-2.99 amps = 3 points

   4. 3-3.99 amps = 4 points

   5. 4.00+ amps = 5 points

3. Comfortability

   1. How well would this product fit on your body? Could you use it connected to an armband while working out?

4. Accessibility

   1. How easy is this product to take around? How does it come in and out of your purse?

5. Price

   1. $0-10 = 5 points

   2. $10.10-20 = 4 points

   3. $20.10-30 = 3 points

   4. $30.10-40 = 2 points

   5. $40.10+ = 1 point

Summary:

We learned that it is important to have an efficient, lightweight, and an affordable product that would be appealing to the audience. In addition, it is necessary for the product to be more accessible and comfortable in which the audience would pay for. For our product, we would need to combine multiple solutions to improve the effectiveness to make it better than all of the existing products in the market. Based on our research, it seems very hard to incorporate all of these qualities into one product, but just off the surface level TEG products, it is clear that the TEGs are the lightest and cheapest, so we just need to improve the power capabilities.

Citations

NEMANICK, E. N. (2021). RADIOISOTOPE THERMOELECTRIC BATTERY (RTB) SYSTEM (20210119283). U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

Vangal, P. (2021, December 28). Thermoelectric generator sleeve. United States Patent Office. Retrieved January 20, 2022

Source (APA format): Makosinski, A. (2019, January 8). US10178713B2 - Thermoelectrically powered portable light source - Google patents. Google Patents.

Source (APA format): Millan, A. (2017). US20180156403A1 - Thermoelectric Lamp. Google Patents. Retrieved January 20, 2022

Summary:

While all of these products strive to achieve the perfect solution to our problem, none of them do it well enough. Portable chargers, for example, are a common option for charging devices while on the move. While they do the job fairly well, they themselves have a limited battery life and can die when you need them most. The smaller a portable charger is, the less output it provides, and any product which solves both size and output costs far too much money. Existing thermoelectric generators, our main competitor, all lack when it comes to price and output. For example the Ajirangi Portable Thermoelectric Generator provides only 1A of output, hardly enough to charge a phone, while costing 60 dollars. This keeps most consumers away as they are unwilling to pay that price for such little efficiency. Overall while all these products solve our problem to some extent there are many factors which they don't do well on.