Origami inspired thermoelectric generators by printing and folding

Introduction

The transition towards an energy-sustainable society is the key challenge for the engineering sciences in the 21st century. This proposal addresses the energy supply for the future trillion sensor devices that form the backbone of our digitized society and it addresses the possibility to recover huge amounts of low-temperature waste heat in industry.

Energy-Harvesting Solution

Energy-harvesting from low-temperature environmental heat via thermoelectric generators (TEG) is a versatile and maintenance-free solution for both challenges. A prerequisite, however, is a cost-effective and scalable materials and manufacturing strategy for such TEGs.

Research Focus

ORTHOGONAL will explore the devices using novel printable thermoelectric nanocomposite materials and it will tackle the fabrication challenges of printed TEGs based on ultrathin (< 2 µm) polymeric foils.

Material Exploration

We will explore:

1. n-type inorganic printable nanomaterials with high efficiencies
2. p-type inorganic printable nanomaterials with high efficiencies

These materials will be used for large area 2D printing on ultrathin substrates.

Fabrication Techniques

By using photonic sintering, we will nano-solder the thin TEG films. The TEGs will then subsequently be fabricated by an origami-inspired folding process.

Customized Machine Design

A customized machine will be designed and constructed to allow for an automated folding of the 2D foil into the desired 3D geometry.

Demonstrators

As demonstrators, the project will realize:

• TEG powered autonomous sensor nodes
• A heat exchanger including a large area TEG

Experience and Impact

The work will build on my more than 30 years of experience in solid-state semiconductor devices, several key patents from my group, and our recent proof-of-concepts for the thermoelectric materials and the device design.

Broader Applications

The design and fabrication principles of ORTHOGONAL will also be of use for other large-area electronic devices, e.g., X-ray detectors, THz-metamaterials, and piezoelectric transceivers.