Alternative Green Technology for Power Generation Using Waste-Heat Energy And Advanced Thermoelectric Materials

NASA is interested in advancing green technology research for achieving sustainable and environmentally friendly energy sources for both terrestrial and space applications. It has been reported that thermo-electric power generation (TEPG) can contribute to electrical power generation scavenged from waste heat sources. Significant advantages to TE technology include: no moving parts, low-weight, modularity, covertness, high power density, low amortized cost, and long service life with no required maintenance. TEPG also has the potential of enabling large-scale electric power generation. We propose to continue are on-going research of PbTe single crystals and investigate the FAST technique, developed by Penn State Univ., to produce bulk nano-composites. We will assemble the material into TE devices and optimize the high temperature electrical contacts for minimal resistivity. We expect to standardize the processes to produce device with efficiency up to 10% (we currently have efficiency of 4.4%) by the end of Phase II. The major goal of the proposed work is to establish the feasibility that kilowatt levels of power can be produced in an environmentally clean (pollution free) manner using TEPG.