Carbon Mitigation: Focus Areas
Thermoelectric Energy Harvesting
We are developing technologies to increase the efficiency of the transportation and other energy-intensive industries. Given that nearly 60% of the world's fossil-fuel energy is wasted as heat, if even a fraction of this heat could be converted to useful electric power, both energy efficiency and sustainability would be dramatically increased.
Our scientists are achieving thermoelectric device conversion efficiencies in the range of 20%. We are also investigating nanoscale thermoelectric materials and related device technology that can further improve these efficiencies.
By developing and scaling up our thin-film nanoscale superlattice thermoelectric materials and device technology, we are laying groundwork for continued development of new nanomaterials by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, Office of Naval Research, Army Research Office, and others.
Leveraging our low-temperature superlattice technology, we also forming stacked cascade structures with bulk thermoelectric devices that can access higher temperatures to achieve 20% efficiencies. We are also embarking on a new generation of nanomaterials for higher temperatures that may ultimately achieve 30% conversion efficiencies.
Contact: Rama Venkatasubramanian
Research Citations
Venkatasubramanian, R. (2006). Microscale thermoelectric devices for energy harvesting and thermal management. Presented at the PowerMEMS 2006: The 6th International Workshop on Micro and Nanotechnology for Power Generation and Energy Conversion Applications, Nov. 29 - Dec. 1, 2006, Berkeley, CA, 2006.