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Title: Magnesium and Manganese Silicides For Efficient And Low Cost Thermo-Electric Power Generation

Abstract

Thermoelectric Power Generation (TEPG) is the most efficient and commercially deployable power generation technology for harvesting wasted heat from such things as automobile exhausts, industrial furnaces, and incinerators, and converting it into usable electrical power. We investigated the materials magnesium silicide (Mg2Si) and manganese silicide (MnSi) for TEG. MgSi2 and MnSi are environmentally friendly, have constituent elements that are abundant in the earth's crust, non-toxic, lighter and cheaper. In Phase I, we successfully produced Mg2Si and MnSi material with good TE properties. We developed a novel technique to synthesize Mg2Si with good crystalline quality, which is normally very difficult due to high Mg vapor pressure and its corrosive nature. We produced n-type Mg2Si and p-type MnSi nanocomposite pellets using FAST. Measurements of resistivity and voltage under a temperature gradient indicated a Seebeck coefficient of roughly 120 V/K on average per leg, which is quite respectable. Results indicated however, that issues related to bonding resulted in high resistivity contacts. Determining a bonding process and bonding material that can provide ohmic contact from room temperature to the operating temperature is an essential part of successful device fabrication. Work continues in the development of a process for reproducibly obtaining low resistance electrical contacts.

Authors:
 [1];  [1];  [1];  [1];  [2]
  1. Brimrose Technology Corporation
  2. Pennsylvania State University
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Brimrose Technology Corporation, P.O. Box 616, 19 Loveton Circle, Sparks, Maryland 21152-9201. Phone: 410-472-2600
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE Office of Science (SC)
Contributing Org.:
Subcontractor: The Pennsylvania State University, Applied Research Laboratory, P.O. Box 30, State College, PA 16804-0030, Phone: 814-865-6531
OSTI Identifier:
1108470
Report Number(s):
DE-SC0009453_Final Report
PR/Funding No.: 13S001301
DOE Contract Number:  
SC0009453
Resource Type:
Technical Report
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY; 30 DIRECT ENERGY CONVERSION; 32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION; 36 MATERIALS SCIENCE; Thermoelectric Power Generation (TEPG), Field Assisted Spark Plasma Sintering Technology (FAST), Magnesium Silicide, Manganese Silicide, TE Material, Light-Weight, Low-Cost, Environmentally Friendly Materials

Citation Formats

Trivedi, Sudhir B., Kutcher, Susan W., Rosemeier, Cory A., Mayers, David, and Singh, Jogender. Magnesium and Manganese Silicides For Efficient And Low Cost Thermo-Electric Power Generation. United States: N. p., 2013. Web. doi:10.2172/1108470.
Trivedi, Sudhir B., Kutcher, Susan W., Rosemeier, Cory A., Mayers, David, & Singh, Jogender. Magnesium and Manganese Silicides For Efficient And Low Cost Thermo-Electric Power Generation. United States. https://doi.org/10.2172/1108470
Trivedi, Sudhir B., Kutcher, Susan W., Rosemeier, Cory A., Mayers, David, and Singh, Jogender. 2013. "Magnesium and Manganese Silicides For Efficient And Low Cost Thermo-Electric Power Generation". United States. https://doi.org/10.2172/1108470. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1108470.
@article{osti_1108470,
title = {Magnesium and Manganese Silicides For Efficient And Low Cost Thermo-Electric Power Generation},
author = {Trivedi, Sudhir B. and Kutcher, Susan W. and Rosemeier, Cory A. and Mayers, David and Singh, Jogender},
abstractNote = {Thermoelectric Power Generation (TEPG) is the most efficient and commercially deployable power generation technology for harvesting wasted heat from such things as automobile exhausts, industrial furnaces, and incinerators, and converting it into usable electrical power. We investigated the materials magnesium silicide (Mg2Si) and manganese silicide (MnSi) for TEG. MgSi2 and MnSi are environmentally friendly, have constituent elements that are abundant in the earth's crust, non-toxic, lighter and cheaper. In Phase I, we successfully produced Mg2Si and MnSi material with good TE properties. We developed a novel technique to synthesize Mg2Si with good crystalline quality, which is normally very difficult due to high Mg vapor pressure and its corrosive nature. We produced n-type Mg2Si and p-type MnSi nanocomposite pellets using FAST. Measurements of resistivity and voltage under a temperature gradient indicated a Seebeck coefficient of roughly 120 V/K on average per leg, which is quite respectable. Results indicated however, that issues related to bonding resulted in high resistivity contacts. Determining a bonding process and bonding material that can provide ohmic contact from room temperature to the operating temperature is an essential part of successful device fabrication. Work continues in the development of a process for reproducibly obtaining low resistance electrical contacts.},
doi = {10.2172/1108470},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1108470}, journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Mon Dec 02 00:00:00 EST 2013},
month = {Mon Dec 02 00:00:00 EST 2013}
}