A Thin-film Thermoelectric Generator will be Developed Using a Novel Manufacturing Approach

The Department of Energy is interested in increasing the performance and cost-effectiveness of thermoelectric generator modules intended for waste heat recovery systems. Although high-efficiency small-scale thermoelectric materials have been demonstrated in the laboratory, scaling to production-level devices has proven difficult. A team of researchers from Plasma Controls, LLC, Colorado State University, Ceramatec, Inc., and the University of Denver will develop a thermoelectric generator module appropriate for waste heat recovery applications using a unique manufacturing approach. The module is based on thermoelectric materials that have high thermoelectric figures of merit and are formed from low-cost materials appropriate for large-scale manufacturing. In Phase I, thermoelectrics were created over a range of conditions, and experiments were used to test their performance, obtaining Seebeck, resistivity, and thermal conductivity values. A thermoelectric device based on these materials was designed. In Phase II, we will construct and test sub-scale thermoelectric generator couples to establish the module design. A scaled-up module will be constructed for final demonstration. Computational analysis will accompany the experimental lab work. Commercial Applications and Other Benefits: The thermoelectric generator module is being designed for waste heat recovery in smaller-scale diesel and natural gas engines. These include engines used in distributed power generation, pipeline pumping stations, long-haul trucks, marine vessels, locomotives, and lighter duty vehicles among others. A waste heat recovery system utilizing both thermoelectric generator modules and an organic Rankine cycle has the potential to increase power production efficiency by five percent or more.