1. A method of preparing a thermoelectric material, the method comprising:
filling a thermoelectric raw material into a cavity of a first mold so that the thermoelectric raw material filled in the cavity has first and second dimensions, the first dimension being defined in a first direction, the second dimension being defined in a second direction, the second direction being generally perpendicular to the first direction, the first dimension being equal to or greater than the second dimension; and
cooling, at a cooling rate of at least 600\xb0 C.min., the thermoelectric raw material filled in the cavity in a uniaxial direction that is generally parallel to the second direction.
2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the thermoelectric raw material comprises at least one of Bi and Sb and at least one of Te and Se.
3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the cavity has a three-dimensional shape that is defined by first and second finite planes and at least one side surface, the first and second finite planes extend vertical to the second direction, the first and second finite planes are distanced from each other in the second direction.
4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the cavity has a generally cylindrical shape that has a first center axis, the first center axis is parallel to the second direction, the cavity defines the thermoelectric raw material into a generally cylindrical shape, the first dimension corresponds to a diameter of the generally cylindrical shape of the thermoelectric raw material, and the second dimension corresponds to a height of the generally cylindrical shape of the thermoelectric raw material.
5. The method according to claim 3, wherein the cavity has a generally prismatic shape that has a second center axis, the second center axis is parallel to the second direction, the cavity defines the thermoelectric raw material into a generally prismatic shape, the first dimension corresponds to a maximum diameter of an inscribed circle of the generally prismatic shape of the thermoelectric raw material, and the second dimension corresponds to a height of the generally prismatic shape of the thermoelectric raw material.
6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the uniaxial direction is a unidirection, and the second dimension is at most 10 millimeters.
7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the uniaxial direction is bidirections that are anti-parallel to each other, and the second dimension is at most 20 millimeters.
8. The method according to claim 1, wherein filling the thermoelectric raw material comprises filling a molten state of the thermoelectric raw material.
9. The method according to claim 1, wherein filling the thermoelectric raw material comprises filling a solid state of the thermoelectric raw material, and
the method further comprises:
melting the solid state of the thermoelectric raw material filled in the cavity to prepare a molten state of the thermoelectric raw material before cooling the molten state of the thermoelectric raw material.
10. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:
setting a second mold in the cavity of the first mold so as to thermally engage the second mold with the first mold, the second mold having at least one hole, and
wherein filling the thermoelectric raw material comprises filling the thermoelectric raw material into the at least one hole.
11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the second mold is higher in thermal conductivity than the thermoelectric material.
12. A method of forming a thermoelectric device, the method comprising:
filling a thermoelectric raw material into a cavity of a first mold so that the thermoelectric raw material filled in the cavity has first and second dimensions, the first dimension being defined in a first direction, the second dimension being defined in a second direction, the second direction being generally perpendicular to the first direction, the first dimension being equal to or greater than the second dimension;
cooling, at a cooling rate of at least 600\xb0 C.min., the thermoelectric raw material filled in the cavity in a uniaxial direction that is generally parallel to the second direction, so as to prepare a solid state of thermoelectric material; and
preparing a thermoelectric device from a solid state of thermoelectric material.
13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the solid state of thermoelectric material comprises an ingot of thermoelectric material, and
wherein preparing the thermoelectric device comprises:
slicing the ingot of thermoelectric material into a wafer of thermoelectric material;
forming at least one conductive layer on at least one surface of the wafer of thermoelectric material; and
cutting the wafer of thermoelectric material with the at least one conductive layer into at least one chip.
14. The method according to claim 12, wherein the thermoelectric raw material comprises at least one of Bi and Sb and at least one of Te and Se.
15. The method according to claim 12, wherein the cavity has a three-dimensional shape that is defined by first and second finite planes and at least one side surface, the first and second finite planes extend vertical to the second direction, the first and second finite planes are distanced from each other in the second direction.
16. The method according to claim 15, wherein the cavity has a generally cylindrical shape that has a first center axis, the first center axis is parallel to the second direction, the cavity defines the thermoelectric raw material into a generally cylindrical shape, the first dimension corresponds to a diameter of the generally cylindrical shape of the thermoelectric raw material, and the second dimension corresponds to a height of the generally cylindrical shape of the thermoelectric raw material.
17. The method according to claim 15, wherein the cavity has a generally prismatic shape that has a second center axis, the second center axis is parallel to the second direction, the cavity defines the thermoelectric raw material into a generally prismatic shape, the first dimension corresponds to a maximum diameter of an inscribed circle of the generally prismatic shape of the thermoelectric raw material, and the second dimension corresponds to a height of the generally prismatic shape of the thermoelectric raw material.
18. The method according to claim 12, wherein the uniaxial direction is a unidirection, and the second dimension is at most 10 millimeters.
19. The method according to claim 12, wherein the uniaxial direction is bidirections that are anti-parallel to each other, and the second dimension is at most 20 millimeters.
20. The method according to claim 12, wherein filling the thermoelectric raw material comprises filling a molten state of the thermoelectric raw material.
21. The method according to claim 12, wherein filling the thermoelectric raw material comprises filling a solid state of the thermoelectric raw material, and
the method further comprises:
melting the solid state of the thermoelectric raw material filled in the cavity to prepare a molten state of the thermoelectric raw material before cooling the molten state of the thermoelectric raw material.
22. The method according to claim 21, further comprising:
setting a second mold in the cavity of the first mold so as to thermally engage the second mold with the first mold, the second mold having at least one hole, and
wherein filling the thermoelectric raw material comprises filling the thermoelectric raw material into the at least one hole,
the solid state of thermoelectric material comprises a chip of thermoelectric material in the at least one hole, and
preparing the thermoelectric device comprises: forming at least one conductive layer on at least one exposed surface of the chip of thermoelectric material in the at least one hole so as to form a thermoelectric device in the at least one hole.
23. The method according to claim 22, further comprising:
polishing, after cooling the thermoelectric material in the at least one hole, a protruding portion of the thermoelectric material, the protruding portion protruding from the at least one hole.
24. The method according to claim 22, wherein the second mold is higher in thermal conductivity than the thermoelectric material.
25. A method of fabricating a thermoelectric module, the method comprising:
filling a thermoelectric raw material into a cavity of a first mold so that the thermoelectric raw material filled in the cavity has first and second dimensions, the first dimension being defined in a first direction, the second dimension being defined in a second direction, the second direction being generally perpendicular to the first direction, the first dimension being equal to or greater than the second dimension;
cooling, at a cooling rate of at least 600\xb0 C.min., the thermoelectric raw material filled in the cavity in a uniaxial direction that is generally parallel to the second direction, so as to prepare a solid state of thermoelectric material;
preparing a plurality of thermoelectric devices from a solid state of thermoelectric material;
preparing first and second substrates that have first and second arrays of electrodes, respectively;
mounting the plurality of thermoelectric devices on at least one of the first and second arrays of electrodes; and
combining the first and second substrates together so as to inter-connect the first and second arrays of electrodes to each other through the plurality of thermoelectric devices.
26. The method according to claim 25, wherein the plurality of thermoelectric devices comprises a first sub-plurality of first conductivity type thermoelectric devices and a second sub-plurality of second conductivity type thermoelectric devices, and
mounting the plurality of thermoelectric devices comprises:
mounting the first sub-plurality of first conductivity type thermoelectric devices on the first array of electrodes of the first substrate; and
mounting the second sub-plurality of first conductivity type thermoelectric devices on the second array of electrodes of the second substrate.
27. The method according to claim 26, wherein combining the first and second substrates together comprises combining the first and second substrates together so that a first pair of the first and second conductivity type thermoelectric devices is connected to a first one of the first array of electrodes, a second pair of the first and second conductivity type thermoelectric devices is connected to a second one of the first array of electrodes, the first and second ones are positioned adjacent to each other, and the first conductivity type thermoelectric device included in the first pair and the second conductivity type thermoelectric device included in the second pair are positioned adjacent to each other and connected to a first one of the second array of electrodes.
28. The method according to claim 25, wherein the thermoelectric raw material comprises at least one of Bi and Sb and at least one of Te and Se.
29. The method according to claim 25, wherein the cavity has a three-dimensional shape that is defined by first and second finite planes and at least one side surface, the first and second finite planes extend vertical to the second direction, the first and second finite planes are distanced from each other in the second direction.
30. The method according to claim 29, wherein the cavity has a generally cylindrical shape that has a first center axis, the first center axis is parallel to the second direction, the cavity defines the thermoelectric raw material into a generally cylindrical shape, the first dimension corresponds to a diameter of the generally cylindrical shape of the thermoelectric raw material, and the second dimension corresponds to a height of the generally cylindrical shape of the thermoelectric raw material.
31. The method according to claim 29, wherein the cavity has a generally prismatic shape that has a second center axis, the second center axis is parallel to the second direction, the cavity defines the thermoelectric raw material into a generally prismatic shape, the first dimension corresponds to a maximum diameter of an inscribed circle of the generally prismatic shape of the thermoelectric raw material, and the second dimension corresponds to a height of the generally prismatic shape of the thermoelectric raw material.
32. The method according to claim 25, wherein the uniaxial direction is a unidirection, and the second dimension is at most 10 millimeters.
33. The method according to claim 25, wherein the uniaxial direction is bidirections that are anti-parallel to each other, and the second dimension is at most 20 millimeters.
34. The method according to claim 25, wherein filling the thermoelectric raw material comprises filling a molten state of the thermoelectric raw material.
35. The method according to claim 25, further comprising:
setting a second mold in the cavity of the first mold so as to thermally engage the second mold with the first mold, the second mold having a plurality of holes, and
wherein filling the thermoelectric raw material comprises filling the thermoelectric raw material into the plurality of holes of the second mold;
the solid state of thermoelectric material comprises chips of thermoelectric material in the plurality of holes of the second mold;
preparing the thermoelectric device comprises: forming at least one conductive layer on exposed surfaces of the chips of thermoelectric material in the plurality of holes so as to form a plurality of thermoelectric devices in the plurality of holes, and
mounting the plurality of thermoelectric devices comprises extruding the plurality of thermoelectric devices from the plurality of holes.
36. The method according to claim 35, further comprising:
polishing, after cooling the thermoelectric material in the plurality of holes, protruding portions of the thermoelectric material in the plurality of holes, the protruding portion protruding from the plurality of holes.
37. The method according to claim 35, wherein the second mold is higher in thermal conductivity than the thermoelectric material.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A system, comprising:
at least one processor; and
a memory coupled to the at least one processor and having an application stored thereon that when executed by the at least one processor directs the at least one processor to:
receive via a communication network from a device a bet regarding a spin of a virtual roulette wheel having a plurality of pockets and further having a ball associated therewith, wherein the device is operable to display the virtual roulette wheel and the ball;
cause the device to display virtual roulette wheel spinning;
receive via a communication network from at least one data source at least one financial market indicator;
determine a winning pocket from among the plurality of pockets based at least in part upon one or more digits of the at least one financial market indicator;
cause the device to display the virtual roulette wheel stopping with the ball resting in the determined winning pocket; and
determine an outcome of the bet based at least in part on the determined winning pocket.
2. The system of claim 1, wherein the bet comprises a prediction that the ball will come to rest in a particular pocket of the virtual roulette wheel.
3. The system of claim 1, wherein:
the bet comprises a prediction that the winning pocket will be associated with a particular color;
the determined winning pocket is associated with a first color if the one or more digits are odd;
the determined winning pocket is associated with a second color if the one or more digits are even; and
if the determined winning pocket is associated with the predicted color, the bet is a winning bet.
4. The system of claim 1, wherein:
the bet comprises a prediction that the winning pocket will be associated with a particular number; and
if the predicted number comprises at least one of the one or more digits of the at least one financial market indicator, the bet is a winning bet.
5. The system of claim 1, wherein the winning pocket is determined based at least in part on whether at least one digit associated with a first financial market indicator is greater than at least one digit associated with a second financial market indicator.
6. The system of claim 5, wherein:
the at least one digit associated with the first financial market indicator is taken from a first decimal place of the first financial market indicator; and
the at least one digit associated with the second financial market indicator is taken from a second decimal place of the second financial market indicator.
7. The system of claim 1, wherein to determine the winning pocket comprises to:
compare at least one digit from a first financial market indicator with at least one digit from a second financial market indicator, wherein:
the first financial market indicator is designated as red; and
the second financial market indicator is designated as black; and
associate the winning pocket with red or black based at least in part on the comparison.
8. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one financial market indicator is associated with at least one of:
the Dow Jones Industrial Average;
the NASDAQ;
the Financial Times Stock Exchange; and
the S&P 500.
9. The system of claim 1, wherein the device is further operable to display a roulette board with a plurality of spaces, and wherein the bet is received in response to a selection of one of the spaces.
10. A method, comprising:
receiving by at least one processor via a communication network from a device a bet regarding a spin of a virtual roulette wheel having a plurality of pockets and further having a ball associated therewith, wherein the device is operable to display the virtual roulette wheel and the ball;
causing by the at least one processor the device to display virtual roulette wheel spinning;
receiving by the at least one processor via a communication network from at least one data source at least one financial market indicator;
determining by the at least one processor a winning pocket from among the plurality of Pockets based at least in part upon one or more digits of the at least one financial market indicator;
causing by the at least one processor the device to display the virtual roulette wheel stopping with the ball resting in the determined winning pocket; and
determining by the at least one processor an outcome of the bet based at least in part on the determined winning pocket.
11. The method of claim 10, wherein the bet comprises a prediction that the ball will come to rest in a particular pocket of the virtual roulette wheel.
12. The method of claim 10, wherein:
the bet comprises a prediction that the winning pocket will be associated with a particular color;
the determined winning pocket is associated with a first color if the one or more digits are odd;
the determined winning pocket is associated with a second color if the one or more digits are even; and
if the determined winning pocket is associated with the predicted color, the bet is a winning bet.
13. The method of claim 10, wherein:
the bet comprises a prediction that the winning pocket will be associated with a particular number; and
if the predicted number comprises at least one of the one or more digits of the at least one financial market indicator, the bet is a winning bet.
14. The method of claim 10, wherein the winning pocket is determined based at least in part on whether at least one digit associated with a first financial market indicator is greater than at least one digit associated with a second financial market indicator.
15. The method of claim 14, wherein:
the at least one digit associated with the first financial market indicator is taken from a first decimal place of the first financial market indicator; and
the at least one digit associated with the second financial market indicator is taken from a second decimal place of the second financial market indicator.
16. The method of claim 10, wherein determining the winning pocket comprises:
comparing at least one digit from a first financial market indicator with at least one digit from a second financial market indicator, wherein:
the first financial market indicator is designated as red; and
the second financial market indicator is designated as black; and
associating the winning pocket with red or black based at least in part on the comparison.
17. The method of claim 10, wherein the at least one financial market indicator is associated with at least one of:
the Dow Jones Industrial Average;
the NASDAQ;
the Financial Times Stock Exchange; and
the S&P 500.
18. The method of claim 10, wherein the device is further operable to display a roulette board with a plurality of spaces, and wherein the bet is received in response to a selection of one of the spaces.
19. A system, comprising:
at least one processor; and
a memory coupled to the at least one processor and having an application stored thereon that when executed by the at least one processor directs the at least one processor to:
receive via a communication network from a device a bet regarding a spin of a virtual roulette wheel having a plurality of pockets and further having a ball associated therewith, wherein the device is operable to display the virtual roulette wheel and the ball:
cause the device to display virtual roulette wheel spinning;
receive via a communication network from at least one data source at least one non-random value disassociated from roulette;
determine a winning pocket from among the plurality of pockets based at least in part on one or more digits associated with the at least one non-random value;
cause the device to display the virtual roulette wheel stopping with the ball resting in the determined winning pocket; and
determine an outcome of the bet based at least in part on the determined winning pocket;
wherein the bet comprises a prediction that the winning pocket will be associated with a particular number; and
wherein the bet is a winning bet:
if a digit in a decimal place of a first non-random value disassociated from roulette is the same as a digit in the tens place of the particular number, and
if a digit in a decimal place of a second non-random value disassociated from roulette is the same as a digit in the ones place of the particular number.
20. The system of claim 19, wherein the at least one non-random value is at least one of:
a financial market indicator;
a local or national death rate;
a local or national birth rate;
an amount of collected taxes;
a time of day;
a temperature in a particular location;
an amount of national debt;
an amount of power consumption or power output; and
a in a sporting event.