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Production of Thick-Film Thermoelectric Devices Using Centrifugal Force - One step forward to realization of high-efficiency thermoelectric devices -

A thermoelectric generation device comprising thick films is characterized by its ability to function as a cooling fin and keep a sufficient temperature difference for thermoelectric generation even by natural cooling, and the ability to be applied to curved structure such as exhaust pipes. The newly developed centrifugally pressurized solidification not only produces thermoelectric thick films close to a single crystal but also simplifies the manufacturing process drastically and increases the yield dramatically as compared to the conventional method.

The International Thermoelectric Society website reported that Volkswagen showed a prototype vehicle equipped with a thermoelectric generator, recovering the dissipated heat energy and converting it into electricity. The prototype has been shown at the “Thermoelektrik - Eine Chance Für Die Atomobillindustrie?” meeting held in Berlin in October 2008.

Amerigon Incorporated , a leader in developing and marketing products based on advanced thermoelectric (TE) technologies, today announced that its subsidiary, BSST LLC, will partner in a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) project to develop a highly-efficient thermoelectric heating and cooling system for automobiles that will substantially reduce energy consumption, engine load and ultimately greenhouse gas emissions. The goal of the 36-month, up to $8.4 million project is to create a zonal heating and cooling system for automobiles that heats or cools the vehicle occupants, rather than the entire cabin and its components, thereby reducing the energy consumed by existing heating/cooling systems by one third.

Researchers are working on a thermoelectric generator that converts the heat from car exhaust fumes into electricity. The module feeds the energy into the car’s electronic systems. This cuts fuel consumption and helps reduce the CO2 emissions from motor vehicles.

Thermoelectric energy conversion is a solid-state technology that is environmentally friendly. One of the more promising ‘down-to-earth’ applications lies in waste-heat recovery in cars.”Tritt said more than 60 percent of the energy that goes into an automotive combustion cycle is lost, primarily to waste heat through the exhaust or radiator system.“Even at the current efficiencies of thermoelectric devices, 7 to 8 percent, more than 1.5 billion gallons of diesel could be saved each year

Most importantly, the material is most effective between 450 and 950° Fahrenheit. This is a typical temperature range for many power systems, including car engines. Many experts argue that up to 60 percent of a gasoline engine’s energy is lost through waste heat, so a thermoelectric device using lead telluride would be a welcome addition to any car. Such devices have no moving parts; this means that wear and tear is virtually non-existent.

Electricity is usually made using nuclear power by heating steam to rotate turbines that generate electricity. But beginning in the 1960s, the US and Soviet Union used thermoelectric materials that convert heat into electricity to power spacecraft using nuclear fission or decaying radioactive material. The Pioneer missions were among those using the latter, "nuclear battery" approach.

Remember when you were a kid and your parents made a big fuss about turning off the light when you left a room? Who knew that, besides adding to the monthly electric bill, keeping a single 60-watt lightbulb lit for 12 hours uses as much as 60 liters of water? According to researchers at the Virginia Water Resources Research Center, in Blacksburg, Va., fossil-fuel-fired thermoelectric power plants consume more than 500 billion L of fresh water per day in the United States alone.