Flexible Hybrid Thermoelectric Materials

Completed

Other Power and Storage Technologies

Basic and strategic applied research

PHYSICAL SCIENCES AND MATHEMATICS (Metallurgy and Materials)
ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY (Electrical and Electronic Engineering)

Not Cross-cutting

Dr IS Nandhakumar
School of Chemistry
University of Southampton

Standard

EPSRC

01 October 2020

31 December 2024

51 months

£609,079

Materials sciences

South East

NC : Physical Sciences

Dr IS Nandhakumar, School of Chemistry, University of Southampton

Dr S P Beeby, Electronics and Computer Science, University of Southampton

Project Contact, Swansea University
Project Contact, European Thermodynamics Ltd
Project Contact, Carrington Textiles Ltd
Project Contact, Helmholtz Centre for Heavy Ion Research
Project Contact, Brunel University
Project Contact, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore

Wearable technologies such as smart watches, smart glasses or even smart pacemakers have caused a paradigm shift in consumer electronics with huge potential in areas such as healthcare, fashion and entertainment (e.g. augmented reality glasses). Currently these devices are still powered by batteries needing frequent replacement or recharging, a key challenge holding back wearable electronics. Thermoelectric generators (TEGs) are an attractive alternative to batteries as they can generate up to several 100 microwatts power from heat (e.g. radiated from the human body), are safe and long-lasting with zero emissions. Current TEGs however are plagued by low efficiencies, high manufacturing costs, and are fabricated onto rigid substrates which makes it difficult to integrate them into many applications that require conformal installation. There is therefore considerable interest in the fabrication of flexible TEGs that can harvest energy from body heat for wearable applications and other heat sources. This project seeks to develop a new generation of thermoelectric (TE) hybrid materials for flexible TE energy harvesting applications by combining inorganic materials with controlled 3D nanostructures and organic conducting polymers (OCPs). The materials have not been realized to date and will be optimized to yield enhanced TE power factors (PFs).

15/11/21