Current and Future Trends in the Commercialization of Thermoelectric

Generating Technologies

Brian Henry

Overview• Why TEG

• Current status– Technology– Commercial applications

• Future outlook– Review of technology– Road to improved performance– Complementary technologies

Why TEG?Advantages

– All solid state– Low noise and vibration– Extremely reliable and rugged– Easily controlled with electronics– No harmful refrigerants/working fluids– Ability to miniaturize

• Potentially a HUGE market– Who will make it happen?– Who will reap the financial rewards?

Current Technology

• High reliability• Remote location• High cost

Current Applications

• < $50 million industry

• Remote, highly reliable, low power requirements– Pipeline monitoring, E&P, Telecom

• Space power production

• Wearable devices

• Industrial heat recovery

• Remote heat recovery

Remote Power

• One of the largest current markets for TEG

• Manufacturers rely on other programs for technology development

• Probably not the companies who will lead the “TEG revolution”

Wearable Devices• Seiko owns watch patent-6,407,965• Expect Seiko to continue to design small

wearable applications (as well as competitors)

Remote Heat Recovery

Current Applications

• Highly constrained by:– Efficiency– Cost of module– Cost of other components

• Only 281 results from US patent search under “thermoelectric generator” (11/04 -01/75)

Promising Advancements

• Enhanced Materials• Quantum Wells

– Nano dots– 1-D Nano wires– 2-D super lattice

structures

• Segmented TEM’s

Future Markets

• Auto Industry– Vehicular heat recovery (coolant/Exhaust)– Alternator replacement– Value/Need enhanced by hybrid designs

• Solar/Geo/Waste power generation• Remote “mesh” sensor networks• Prime generation/Waste heat recovery• New wearable power production• Battery replacement

Auto Industry

Auto Industry

• Expected to be largest TEG market in next 10 years

• Initial use in heavy trucks

• Multiple hurdles:– Impact on weight, performance, cost– ZT performance not only concern

“Heat sink technology developments and system design may be as important and possibly more important than the material developments”-Hylan B. Lyon Ph.D., CFO, Marlow Industries

Micro devices

Waste Heat Recovery

• Does not utilize all of the benefits of TEGS– However, alternatives

perform poorly at low delta-T

• Requires very large scale inexpensive systems 500 watt waste heat TEG

(used on back of incinerator)

Co-Generation

Portable water heater/pump Combined NG heater and electrical generator for residential use

Battery Alternative

• DARPA is working on battery replacement system (diesel fired) for ground troops

Swedish made charger prototype

Summary

• Significant improvements in materials• Research and funding momentum• Expect ~2.0 ZT, high volume production, <

$0.3/watt for TE modules by 2010

Other opportunities/hurdles:• Need for improvements in other parts of system

– Heat exchangers, electronic controllers, packaging, design systems…

– Will be critical to cost effectiveness of TEG’s

Snapshot of Players

Corporate• Hi-Z

• Marlow

• Tellurex

• Amerigon

• Eneco

• GM

• Ford

• BMW

• Seiko

• Delphi

• Nyserda

Research• DOE• DARPA (DSO)• Oak Ridge National Laboratories (ORNL)• Research Triangle Institute• MIT’s Lincoln Labs• Jet Propulsion Laboratories

• California Institute of Technology• Michigan State• Clemson University• RTI• PNNL• Berkeley• Stanford• University of Texas• UCSC• Harvard• Purdue