{"project":{"acronym":"","projectId":13757,"title":"High Power Density, Lightweight Thermoelectric Metamaterials for Energy Harvesting","startTrl":1,"currentTrl":3,"endTrl":3,"benefits":"The high efficiency energy conversion of thermoelectric materials will directly benefit NASA funded mission because power and reliability requirements continue to increase for NASA applications, the need for has become a significant challenge, as reflected in NASA's Grand Challenge of \"Affordable and Abundant Power.\" Thermoelectric (TE) devices represent a promising technology for many energy conversion applications. The technology will substantially increase the efficiency of thermoelectric generators, increase power generation from existing thermal sources and reduced thermoelectric generator weight. In addition to thermal conductivity tuning, the dielectric material is also the source of the weight reduction and high power density which are primary issues on most NASA missions. Experimental measurements will be obtained to provide relevant transport properties and power generation efficiency. The lightweight thermoelectric metamaterials for energy harvesting will benefit NASA unfunded and planned missions by enabling the ability to harvest and utilize energy. The modular TE device boasts numerous benefits but is especially unique in its fuel source; namely, virtually any source of heat. A distinct advantage of thermal fuel sources is their fairly stable availability unlike the cyclic interruptions that often plague other alternative energy conversion technologies. For example, unused thermal sources are plentiful on advanced aerospace systems such as rocket engines, spacecraft electronics and general on-board flight systems. NASA has recognized this fact long ago and is not only a prime user of TE devices but a research collaborator on many TE projects. TE modules are also scalable meaning they may be assembled in tiny miniaturized form or grouped in arrays that cover large areas. The advent of autonomous swarms of sensor arrays in addition to isolated transducers and sensors require reliable power, an ideal application of TE modules that eliminates the need for batteries and/or external wiring from a remote power source. From the standpoint of high-tech systems in general, the need for cheap efficient reliable power applies equally well. future power generation systems should exhibit a high power density(watts per area and watts per mass), reduced weight and become a transformational enabling technology that delivers affordable and abundant power. Benefits to the commercial space industry would be similar to those that benefit NASA, and correspondingly address the need for an inexpensive efficient reliable energy source. Improving the efficiency of TE performance would benefit not only NASA but to other government agencies (Department of Defense, Homeland Security, etc.) that have the need to increase and improve the ability to harvest and utilize energy.","description":"Thermoelectric energy harvesting utilizes materials that generate an electrical current when subjected to a temperature gradient, or simply, a hot and cold source of heat. The temperature gradient source is irrelevant resulting in an exceptionally diverse energy harvesting device. The efficiency of thermoelectric generators however, is lower than comparable alternative energy sources such as photovoltaics. Efforts to increase the efficiency have focused primarily on creating new materials through solid state chemistry. Some minor advances have been made; however, in order to meet the needs of NASA mission activities, the efficiency of thermoelectric generators needs to be increased substantially. Moreover, future power generation systems should exhibit a high power density (watts per area and watts per mass), reduced weight and become a transformational enabling technology that delivers affordable and abundant power. Consequently, this research proposal encompasses a method to substantially increase the thermoelectric power generation efficiency and power density while simultaneously decreasing the thermoelectric material weight. In conclusion, the primary goal of this proposal is to fabricate and test a lightweight thermoelectric metamaterial designed to exhibit high energy conversion efficiency and power density through engineered control over the thermal properties. Additional research goals include the advancement of theoretical understanding of thermoelectric metamaterials, development of computational capabilities for optimization and testing of an actual thermoelectric metamaterial module. The objective of this project is to precisely control the flow of thermal, electrical and thermoelectrical energy by advancing the development of a new class of thermoelectric (TE) materials. The goals of this project are to (1) optimize metamaterial structure so power generation efficiency can be increased; (2) synthesize high power factor materials once deemed inappropriate for efficient thermoelectrical operation due to their large thermal conductivity; (3) assemble and test a thermoelectric module with an optimized TE metamaterial; and then finally, (4) characterize, on a micron scale, the thermal behavior of the metamaterial. Thermal behavior must be experimentally characterized, under a variety of operating conditions, using a research grade infrared (IR) camera. The results will enable validation studies with finite element models.","startYear":2012,"startMonth":5,"endYear":2014,"endMonth":9,"statusDescription":"Completed","principalInvestigators":[{"contactId":426874,"canUserEdit":false,"firstName":"Scott","lastName":"Jensen","fullName":"Scott L Jensen","fullNameInverted":"Jensen, Scott L","middleInitial":"L","primaryEmail":"scott.l.jensen@nasa.gov","publicEmail":true,"nacontact":false}],"programDirectors":[{"contactId":335305,"canUserEdit":false,"firstName":"Michael","lastName":"Lapointe","fullName":"Michael R Lapointe","fullNameInverted":"Lapointe, Michael R","middleInitial":"R","primaryEmail":"michael.r.lapointe@nasa.gov","publicEmail":true,"nacontact":false}],"programExecutives":[{"contactId":392233,"canUserEdit":false,"firstName":"Richard","lastName":"Howard","fullName":"Richard W Howard","fullNameInverted":"Howard, Richard W","middleInitial":"W","primaryEmail":"richard.w.howard@nasa.gov","publicEmail":true,"nacontact":false}],"programManagers":[{"contactId":382478,"canUserEdit":false,"firstName":"Ramona","lastName":"Travis","fullName":"Ramona E Travis","fullNameInverted":"Travis, Ramona E","middleInitial":"E","primaryEmail":"ramona.e.travis@nasa.gov","publicEmail":true,"nacontact":false}],"coInvestigators":[{"contactId":366113,"canUserEdit":false,"firstName":"Patrick","lastName":"Garrity","fullName":"Patrick L Garrity","fullNameInverted":"Garrity, Patrick L","middleInitial":"L","primaryEmail":"patrick.l.garrity@boeing.com","publicEmail":false,"nacontact":false},{"contactId":507495,"canUserEdit":false,"firstName":"Kevin","lastName":"Stokes","fullName":"Kevin Stokes","fullNameInverted":"Stokes, Kevin","publicEmail":false,"nacontact":false}],"website":"","libraryItems":[{"caption":"TE metamaterial fabricated from chromium and thermoset polymer. Heat flows perpendicular to the layers while electrical currents are isolated to the metal.","file":{"fileExtension":"png","fileId":266790,"fileName":"TE Metamaterials","fileSize":92372,"objectId":266499,"objectType":{"lkuCodeId":889,"code":"LIBRARY_ITEMS","description":"Library Items","lkuCodeTypeId":182,"lkuCodeType":{"codeType":"OBJECT_TYPE","description":"Object Type"}},"objectTypeId":889,"fileSizeString":"90.2 KB"},"files":[{"fileExtension":"png","fileId":266790,"fileName":"TE Metamaterials","fileSize":92372,"objectId":266499,"objectType":{"lkuCodeId":889,"code":"LIBRARY_ITEMS","description":"Library Items","lkuCodeTypeId":182,"lkuCodeType":{"codeType":"OBJECT_TYPE","description":"Object Type"}},"objectTypeId":889,"fileSizeString":"90.2 KB"}],"id":266499,"title":"TE metamaterial fabricated from chromium and thermoset polymer. Heat flows perpendicular to the layers while electrical currents","description":"TE metamaterial fabricated from chromium and thermoset polymer. Heat flows perpendicular to the layers while electrical currents are isolated to the metal.","libraryItemTypeId":1095,"projectId":13757,"primary":true,"publishedDateString":"","contentType":{"lkuCodeId":1095,"code":"IMAGE","description":"Image","lkuCodeTypeId":341,"lkuCodeType":{"codeType":"LIBRARY_ITEM_TYPE","description":"Library Item Type"}}}],"transitions":[{"transitionId":53850,"projectId":13757,"partner":"Other","transitionDate":"2012-09-01","path":"Advanced To","relatedProjectId":32747,"relatedProject":{"acronym":"","projectId":32747,"title":"Deployable Thermoelectric Metamaterial Energy Harvesting Monitoring System","startTrl":1,"currentTrl":3,"endTrl":3,"benefits":"A deployable prototype monitoring system capable of being fully powered from thermal energy will benefit NASA funded missions by providing a maintenance free thermal energy harvesting system. Currently, this project is taking the prototype energy harvester and making it available for use within the harsh explosive environments throughout the SSC ground propulsion test facilities. Benefits to NASA unfunded missions and planned missions of thermoelectric Metamaterial include use as a valid replacement for any other space based thermoelectric power generators, for example, like thermoelectrics used within nuclear space craft and planetary structures. This project has the potential to help Metamaterial energy harvesting develop into a proven technology with expectations that the technology will be incorporated for use throughout NASA and other space-based industries. Additionally, the material could feasibility enhance thermal energy harvesting for power generation and/or supplementation for large or small systems such as aircraft, space craft, uav and embedded instrumentation. The Thermoelectric Metamaterial has potential benefits for the commercial space industry for any other space based thermoelectric power generators, like thermoelectrics used on satellites. This project has the potential to help utilization of Metamaterial energy harvesting so that this technology can be further developed and potentially further adopted for use throughout space industries. The thermoelectric Metamaterial is possible for utility for any other thermoelectric power generators/thermoelectrics used within other government agencies for example, with aircrafts, boats and submarines. Infusion of Metamaterial energy harvesting capabilities will help develop this technology for additional deployment options.","description":"This project will combine a novel asynchronous monitoring system with the first-of-its-kind thermoelectric metamaterial. The thermoelectric prototype is constructed using bismuth telluride/copper and magnesium silicide/copper artificially anisotropic thermoelements, and it has an output voltage of 12 mV obtained for ΔT=40°C with a corresponding Seebeck coefficient of 300 μV/K. A high conversion efficiency (ZT) requires conflicting properties of low thermal conductivity and low electrical resistivity. While this is conventionally difficult, metamaterials allow these two parameters to be decoupled. The monitoring system will be configurable for use with a wide range of instrumentation producing a deployable monitoring system powered with the new metamaterial technology. An asynchronous sensor device will be constructed based on the SSC patented monitoring technology incorporating a new energy harvesting circuit designed for use with the thermoelectric metamaterial prototype. The monitoring system technology is a highly power conservative monitoring system consisting of a base station and wireless sensor units. The sensors lay fully unpowered within a dormant state until they receive a trigger energy which consumes no stored power. The monitoring technology is capable of going completely powerless while allowing its unique power system to be charged by energy harvesting components, and the device is re-energized upon storing a sustainable amount of power. When activated, the sensor takes a measurement, transmits the data to the base station with a synchronized time stamp, and then returns to its dormant state. The monitoring system was primarily constructed as a torsional and linear strain sensor system potted in a hydrogen compatible material for Class 1 Division 2 environments, and the data tracking and archiving capabilities are beneficial in building operational and structural knowledge. By incorporating this system, the prototype energy harvester will be deployable within harsh ground propulsion environments. Additionally, the system could be utilized in commercial applications that require long term monitoring of events associated with different types of strain, cryogenic temperatures, ambient temperatures, limit switches, milliamp signals, volt signals and magnetic fields. Although this technology is designed to improve the monitoring of high-geared ball and linearly-actuated valves used in propulsion testing to predict valve life span and failure, it is not limited to use with only valves. It can monitor operational data, such as temperature in a particular location in a building, or the strain at a specific point on a bridge. A single monitoring system will be capable of collecting transmitted data from both thermoelectrically powered sensor units for performing operational comparisons. To perform operational comparisons, one sensor unit will use the new one-of-a-kind thermoelectric metamaterial prototype, while a similarly constructed second sensor unit will use commercially available bismuth telluride thermoelectric thermal harvesting components for. The thermoelectric metamaterial prototypes are currently fragile, and the integration of the prototype into the sensor system will ruggedize the components and make the unit a more robust device. This will allow the unproven technology to be operationally verified. A single monitoring system will be capable of collecting transmitted data from both thermoelectrically powered sensor units.","startYear":2014,"startMonth":11,"endYear":2015,"endMonth":10,"statusDescription":"Completed","website":"https://www.nasa.gov/directorates/spacetech/home/index.html","program":{"acronym":"SSC CIF","active":true,"description":"Through the Center Innovation Fund, the Space Technology Mission Directorate allocates a small portion of the NASA workforce and procurement budget to internal research and development to feed early stage innovation in technology and exploration. Activities with in the Center Innovation Fund are proposed and led by NASA scientists and engineers. These activities and creative initiatives pursue emerging technologies that leverage talent and capabilities at the NASA Centers. ","parentProgram":{"acronym":"CIF","active":true,"description":"
Through the Center Innovation Fund, the Space Technology Mission Directorate allocates a small portion of the NASA workforce and procurement budget to internal research and development to feed early stage innovation in technology and exploration. Activities with in the Center Innovation Fund are proposed and led by NASA scientists and engineers. These activities and creative initiatives pursue emerging technologies that leverage talent and capabilities at the NASA Centers.
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Through the Center Innovation Fund, the Space Technology Mission Directorate allocates a small portion of the NASA workforce and procurement budget to internal research and development to feed early stage innovation in technology and exploration. Activities with in the Center Innovation Fund are proposed and led by NASA scientists and engineers. These activities and creative initiatives pursue emerging technologies that leverage talent and capabilities at the NASA Centers.
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