Thermoelectric Energy Scavenging with Temperature Gradient Amplification
Date of this Version
1-29-2012Citation
Thermoelectric energy scavenging with temperature gradient amplification C. Mousoulis; C. K. Yoon; G. Chitnis; B. Ziaie Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS), 2012 IEEE 25th International Conference on Year: 2012 Pages: 1285 - 1288, DOI: 10.1109/MEMSYS.2012.6170392
Abstract
In this paper, we demonstrate the application of fluorocarbon evaporative cooling in thermoelectric energy scavenging. The fabrication and performance characterization of a prototype micro-device is presented. The device consists of a thermoelectric generator mounted on a silicon substrate and encapsulated in a poly(dimethylsiloxane) chamber with a flexible cover. By filling the chamber with a fluorocarbon liquid of low boiling point (34 degrees C), we were able to increase the body heat contact harvested energy by 226% compared to a device encapsulated in air. The availability of a variety of fluorocarbon liquids with different boiling points allows this harvesting amplification scheme to be used in a wide range of applications.
Discipline(s)
Nanoscience and Nanotechnology