IGF::OT::IGF IN RESPONSE TO THE NASA STTR SOLICITATION TOPIC T3.01, "ENERGY HARVESTING, TRANSFORMATION AND…

Public award description

IGF::OT::IGF IN RESPONSE TO THE NASA STTR SOLICITATION TOPIC T3.01, "ENERGY HARVESTING, TRANSFORMATION AND MULTIFUNCTIONAL POWER DISSEMINATION", ADVANCED COOLING TECHNOLOGIES, INC. (ACT) AND CARNEGIE MELLON UNIVERSITY (CMU) PROPOSE TO DEVELOP A THERMO-RADIATIVE CELL TO HARVEST ENERGY FROM WASTE HEAT, FOR EXAMPLE, FROM RADIATORS. CURRENTLY NASA'S TOP TECHNICAL CHALLENGE IS THE NEED TO "INCREASE AVAILABLE POWER". ADDITIONALLY, NASA HAS A GRAND CHALLENGE AS "AFFORDABLE AND ABUNDANT POWER" FOR NASA MISSION ACTIVITIES. THE THERMORADIATIVE CELL TECHNOLOGY USES SEMICONDUCTOR P-N JUNCTIONS, SIMILAR TO THE PHOTOVOLTAIC CELL BUT WITH SMALLER BAND GAP SEMICONDUCTOR, TO CONVERT HEAT TO ELECTRICITY. THIS TECHNOLOGY MAKES USE OF THE EXTREMELY COLD DARK UNIVERSE (~3K) AS THE NATURAL HEAT SINK AND LOW-GRADE WASTE HEAT (~50-100℃) AS THE HEAT SOURCE. THE IMBALANCE OF THE THERMAL RADIATION EMITTED AND ABSORBED BY THE CELL WILL CAUSE THE IMBALANCE OF THE CHARGE CARRIER MOTION IN THE P-N JUNCTION, I.E., GENERATING ELECTRICAL POWER. THE OVERALL TECHNICAL OBJECTIVE OF PHASE I AND PHASE II PROJECTS IS TO DEVELOP A THERMO-RADIATIVE CELL SYSTEM THAT CAN GENERATE PRACTICALLY USABLE POWER AS SUPPLEMENTARY POWER FOR THE ELECTRONICS ON SPACE VEHICLES, PLATFORMS OR HABITATS. DURING PHASE I, ACT WILL FABRICATE A CRYOGENIC SYSTEM TO INVESTIGATE THE PERFORMANCE THE THERMO-RADIATIVE CELL MADE OF COMMERCIAL AVAILABLE INSB, HGCDZNTE, PBSE, OR INAS WAFERS. THE CRYOGENIC SYSTEM WILL USE LIQUID NITROGEN TO CREATE A STABLE LOW TEMPERATURE ENVIRONMENT. PERFORMANCE INVESTIGATION INCLUDES THE POWER DENSITY AND ENERGY EFFICIENCY AT DIFFERENT HEAT SOURCE TEMPERATURES FOR THE NON-OPTIMIZED CELL MATERIAL COMPONENT AND STRUCTURE IN PHASE I.