Improvements in or relating to thermo-electric generators

TLDR: The hot junction bridging members of a thermocouple array are soldered or brazed to a heat conductive element via a layer of insulation deposited on the bridges and another layer of solderable metal on the insulation as mentioned in this paper.

Abstract: 1,133,611 Thermoelectric generators G V PLANER Ltd 6 Jan, 1966 [8 Oct, 1964], No 41130/64 Heading H1K The hot junction bridging members of a thermocouple array are soldered or brazed to a heat conductive element via a layer of insulation deposited on the bridges and a layer of solderable metal deposited on the insulation In a typical array the thermoelements, alternately of P and N type bismuth telluride, are interconnected by nickel or copper junction-pieces and are spaced apart by resin, glass or ceramic cement Layers of insulation 5000 S thiek deposited at the hot and cold faces of the array are coated in turn with copper by vapour deposition or electroless plating The faces are then soldered or brazed to copper slabs after electroplating to thicken the copper layer Other suitable insulators are vapour deposited silicon and silicon nitride, and sputtered tantalum oxide, zirconium oxide, niobium oxide and cerium oxide Alternative thermoelement materials are the tellurides of lead and germanium