▎ 摘　　要

NOVELTY - A device comprises a positive electrode half-cell of a positive electrode and a positive electrode electrolyte, a negative electrode half-cell of a negative electrode and a negative electrode electrolyte, a conductive connection, a unit for heating, and optionally unit for cooling, and a thermolabile compound which is a metal bromide compound (I). The thermolabile compound is present in a divided form, such that positive electrode electrolyte comprises metal cation and thermally-stable spectator anions for charge compensation, and negative electrode electrolyte comprises bromide anion and thermally-stable spectator cations for charge compensation. The half-cells are linked to each other, such that spectator cations can migrate between the half-cells but not the metal cation, the bromide anion and also not another metal cation and another bromide anion, which both come into existence by the use of the device for converting thermal energy of external heat source into electrical energy. USE - Device is used for converting thermal energy of external heat source e.g. heat waste, solar thermal, geothermal, nuclear fission at nuclear power plant or in spacecrafts, or nuclear fusion into electrical energy, in module used in domestic, industrial and long-distance networks, energy saving system, and charging of battery (all claimed) e.g. lithium-ion battery. ADVANTAGE - The device is capable of converting heat, i.e. thermal energy, into electrical energy in a reversible manner while ensuring sufficiently high cell voltages and having excellent efficiency and cycle life without the need of external power sources. DETAILED DESCRIPTION - A device comprises a positive electrode half-cell comprising a positive electrode and a positive electrode electrolyte, a negative electrode half-cell comprising a negative electrode and a negative electrode electrolyte, a conductive connection between the positive electrode half-cell and the negative electrode half-cell, a unit for heating, and optionally unit for cooling the positive electrode electrolyte and/or negative electrode electrolyte, and a thermolabile compound which is a metal bromide compound of formula: M(power+x)Br-1x(I), where M is metal chosen from iron, copper, molybdenum and tungsten, +x is oxidation state of metal (M), -1 is oxidation state of bromide, and x is 2 (when metal (M) is copper), 3 (when metal (M) is iron or tungsten), or 4 (when metal (M) is molybdenum). The thermolabile compound is present in a divided form, such that the positive electrode electrolyte comprises the metal cation (M(powerx+)) (c1) and thermally-stable spectator anions for charge compensation, and the negative electrode electrolyte comprises the bromide anion (a1) and thermally-stable spectator cations for charge compensation. The positive electrode half-cell and the negative electrode half-cell are linked to each other, such that the spectator cations can migrate between the half-cells but not the metal cation (c1), the bromide anion (a1) and also not a metal cation (M(power(x-1)+)) (c2) and bromide anion (Br2) (a2), which both come into existence by the use of the device for converting thermal energy of external heat source into electrical energy. INDEPENDENT CLAIMS are included for the following: method for converting thermal energy into electrical energy using the device, which involves (i) establishing the conductive connection between the positive electrode half-cell and the negative electrode half-cell so that electrons can migrate between the half-cells, (ii) heating the positive electrode electrolyte and/or negative electrode electrolyte via an external heat source at a temperature of 90-300° C to decompose bromide anion into bromine and electrons, and to react cation (c1) with electrons to generate cation (c2), thereby generating a current flow, and (iii) performing active or passive cooling of the previously heated positive electrode electrolyte and/or negative electrode electrolyte to a temperature at which the cation (c2) is decomposed into cation (c1) and electrons, and bromine is reacted with electrons to generate bromide, thereby generating a current flow in the opposite direction to the current flow generated in the process (ii). Electrical energy produced by the current flow generated in the processes (ii,iii) is directly used, stored or is subject of power conversion after the process (ii) and before the process (iii) and/or after the process (iii); a module, which comprises two or more devices which are electrically connected in series and/or in parallel; an energy saving system, which comprises the device for converting thermal energy from the external heat source into electrical energy, and a capacitor or a superconducting magnetic energy storage system or an accumulator coupled to the device for storing the electrical energy generated by said device; a battery, which comprises the positive electrode half-cell, negative electrode half-cell, conductive connection and thermolabile compound. In the discharged state of the battery, the positive electrode electrolyte comprises the cation (c1) and thermally-stable spectator anions for charge compensation, and the negative electrode electrolyte comprises the anion (a1) and thermally-stable spectator cations for charge compensation. In the charged state of the battery, the positive electrode electrolyte comprises the cation (c2) and thermally-stable spectator anions for charge compensation, and the negative electrode electrolyte comprises the anion (a2); and method of charging the battery by converting thermal energy of external heat source into chemical energy, which involves establishing the conductive connection between the positive electrode half-cell and the negative electrode half-cell so that electrons can migrate between the half-cells, heating the positive electrode electrolyte and/or negative electrode electrolyte via an external heat source at a temperature of 90-300° C to decompose bromide anion into bromine and electrons, and to react cation (c1) with electrons to generate cation (c2), interrupting the conductive connection between the positive electrode half-cell and the negative electrode half-cell so that electrons can no longer migrate between the half-cells, and performing active or passive cooling of the previously heated positive electrode electrolyte and/or negative electrode electrolyte to ambient temperature.