Tellurium-free Thermoelectric Technology for Near-room-temperature Applications

Introduction

Thermoelectric (TE) technology – whereby heat is converted to electrical power and vice versa – holds great potential for cooling and power generation in many applications because its unique solid-state nature enables TE devices to be free from emissions and maintenance; thus providing extraordinary reliability.

Current Challenges

Realizing this potential requires developing modules that have high performance at around room temperature (-70 ˚C to 300 ˚C). Currently, almost all commercial modules are based on bismuth telluride (Bi2Te3) because of their until now unparalleled performance. However, Bi2Te3 cannot meet the rapidly increasing demand of TE technology, because tellurium (Te) is very scarce, with the Earth’s crust having a concentration of <0.001 ppm.

Proposed Solution

Therefore, it is vital to develop a next-generation technology to mitigate the potential bottleneck in raw materials supply for a sustainable future. Here I propose to develop, on Mg-based compounds, a new TE paradigm completely free from Te with groundbreaking performances that transcend the record of state-of-the-art (S.O.A.) Bi2Te3.

Development Strategy

To that end, I will bring together interdisciplinary know-how with unique technical capabilities to enable a full-chain development to:

1. Innovate synthesis methods to produce superior materials.
2. Establish contact materials and methods to optimize TE modules.
3. Develop methods for scale-up production of materials and module sizes.
4. Enhance and secure the modules’ robustness.
5. Assemble device prototypes using the obtained modules.

Performance Goals

I aim to realize conversion efficiency of ~12% in the temperature range from 30 ˚C to 300 ˚C (S.O.A. is 3-6%), and cooling ΔT of ~90 ˚C (S.O.A. is 70-75 ˚C).

Conclusion

These proof-of-principle demonstrations will pave the way for large-scale, high-performance, robust, and sustainable solid-state power generation and cooling for numerous applications, ranging from geothermal power generation to cold-chain boxes for medical storage and transportation including mRNA vaccines.