Conformal High-Power-Density Half-Heusler Thermoelectric Modules: A Pathway toward Practical Power Generators

Li, Wenjie; Nozariasbmarz, Amin; Kishore, Ravi Anant; Kang, Han Byul; Dettor, Carter; Zhu, Hangtian; Poudel, Bed; Priya, Shashank

doi:10.1021/acsami.1c16117

Conformal High-Power-Density Half-Heusler Thermoelectric Modules: A Pathway toward Practical Power Generators

Journal Article · Tue Oct 26 00:00:00 EDT 2021 · ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1021/acsami.1c16117· OSTI ID:1832868

^[1]; ^[1]; ^[2]; ^[1]; Dettor, Carter ^[1]; Zhu, Hangtian ^[1]; ^[1]; Priya, Shashank ^[1]

Pennsylvania State Univ., University Park, PA (United States)
National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)

Thermoelectric generators (TEGs) exploiting the Seebeck effect provide a promising solution for waste heat recovery. Among the large number of thermoelectric (TE) materials, half-Heusler (hH) alloys are leading candidates for medium- to high-temperature power generation applications. However, the fundamental challenge in this field has been inhomogeneous material properties at large wafer diameters, insufficient power output from the modules, and rigid form factors of TE modules. This has restricted the transition of TEGs in practical applications for over three decades. Here, we successfully demonstrate large diameter wafers with uniform TE properties, high-power conformal hH TE modules for high-temperature application, and their direct integration on flue gas platforms, such as cylindrical tubes, to form large area flexible TEGs. This new conformal architecture design provides a breakthrough toward medium-/high-temperature TEGs over the conventional BiTe- and polymer-based flexible TEG design. In this work, a variable fill factor and greater flexibility due to the conformal design result in higher device performance as compared to conventional rigid TEG devices. Modules with 72-couple hH legs exhibit a device high-power-density of 3.13 W cm-2 and a total output power of 56.6 W under a temperature difference of 570 degrees C. These results provide a promising pathway toward widespread utilization of thermoelectric technology into the waste heat recovery application and will have a significant impact on the development of practical thermal to electrical converters.

View Accepted Manuscript (DOE)

Research Organization:: National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: Army Rapid Innovation Fund (RIF) Program; Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), Materials for Transduction (MATRIX) Program; National Science Foundation (NSF); US Army Research Office (ARO); US Department of the Navy, Office of Naval Research (ONR); USDOD; USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE)

Grant/Contract Number:: AC36-08GO28308

OSTI ID:: 1832868

Report Number(s):: NREL/JA-5500-77986; MainId:31895; UUID:012fd62d-294f-4260-8246-c7114e229d7f; MainAdminID:63356

Journal Information:: ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces, Journal Name: ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces Journal Issue: 45 Vol. 13; ISSN 1944-8244

Publisher:: American Chemical Society (ACS)Copyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION
conformal device
half-Heusler
high temperature
power density
power generation
thermoelectric

Conformal High-Power-Density Half-Heusler Thermoelectric Modules: A Pathway toward Practical Power Generators

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