 |
|
Clemson physicist addresses international forum on thermoelectric energy
October 04, 2007Energy lost from hot engines could save billions of dollars if it could be captured and converted into electricity via thermoelectric devices, Clemson University physicist Terry Tritt told scientists gathered in Dallas for the world-renowned NanoTX '07 conference.
Tritt delivered an address at the Alan MacDairmid Memorial Nano Energy Summit on challenges in alternative energy, specifically thermoelectricity used to generate electrical energy from waste heat.
"Thermoelectric generators are currently used in NASA's deep-space probes to convert the heat of radioactive elements to electrical energy, powering these systems for over 30 years," Tritt said. "Thermoelectric energy conversion is a solid-state technology that is environmentally friendly. One of the more promising 'down-to-earth' applications lies in waste-heat recovery in cars."
Tritt said more than 60 percent of the energy that goes into an automotive combustion cycle is lost, primarily to waste heat through the exhaust or radiator system.
"Even at the current efficiencies of thermoelectric devices, 7 to 8 percent, more than 1.5 billion gallons of diesel could be saved each year in the U.S. if thermoelectric generators were used on the exhaust of heavy trucks. That translates into billions of dollars saved," Tritt said.
Clemson research focuses on developing higher-efficiency thermoelectric materials that could increase savings significantly. Research on the electrical and thermal properties of new materials could reduce the world's reliance on fossil fuels and has shown promise with two classes of materials: low-dimensional systems for enhanced electrical properties and increased phonon scattering that leads to inherently low thermal conductivity.
Tritt heads up the Department of Energy's Center of Excellence in Thermoelectric Materials Research at Clemson, one of the leading laboratories for thermoelectric materials in the world. The national center focuses on the next generation of thermoelectric materials for power conversion and refrigeration. Researchers in physics, materials science and chemistry screen promising new classes of materials in order to achieve higher-performance thermoelectric materials. DOE recently renewed the program with more than $1 million a year in research funding for the next three years.
NanoTX, presented by Semiconductor Industry Association, highlights advances in nanoscience and explains how nanotechnology is being used today and how it will impact a broad range of industries tomorrow, including electronics, energy, aerospace, defense, biomedicine, robotics, chemicals and more.
Part of the conference included a Nobel Laureates reception in honor of the discovery of the buckeyball which opened up nanotechnology to the world.
Clemson University
Tritt said more than 60 percent of the energy that goes into an automotive combustion cycle is lost, primarily to waste heat through the exhaust or radiator system.
"Even at the current efficiencies of thermoelectric devices, 7 to 8 percent, more than 1.5 billion gallons of diesel could be saved each year in the U.S. if thermoelectric generators were used on the exhaust of heavy trucks. That translates into billions of dollars saved," Tritt said.
Clemson research focuses on developing higher-efficiency thermoelectric materials that could increase savings significantly. Research on the electrical and thermal properties of new materials could reduce the world's reliance on fossil fuels and has shown promise with two classes of materials: low-dimensional systems for enhanced electrical properties and increased phonon scattering that leads to inherently low thermal conductivity.
Tritt heads up the Department of Energy's Center of Excellence in Thermoelectric Materials Research at Clemson, one of the leading laboratories for thermoelectric materials in the world. The national center focuses on the next generation of thermoelectric materials for power conversion and refrigeration. Researchers in physics, materials science and chemistry screen promising new classes of materials in order to achieve higher-performance thermoelectric materials. DOE recently renewed the program with more than $1 million a year in research funding for the next three years.
NanoTX, presented by Semiconductor Industry Association, highlights advances in nanoscience and explains how nanotechnology is being used today and how it will impact a broad range of industries tomorrow, including electronics, energy, aerospace, defense, biomedicine, robotics, chemicals and more.
Part of the conference included a Nobel Laureates reception in honor of the discovery of the buckeyball which opened up nanotechnology to the world.
Clemson University
Thermoelectric Current Events and Thermoelectric News RSSPromising new material that could improve gas mileage
With gasoline at high prices, it's disheartening to know that up to three-quarters of the potential energy you are paying for is wasted. A good deal of it goes right out the tailpipe instead of powering your car.
"Nanosculpture" Could Enable New Types of Heat Pumps and Energy Converters
A new technique for growing single-crystal nanorods and controlling their shape using biomolecules could enable the development of smaller, more powerful heat pumps and devices that harvest electricity from heat.
Engineers demonstrate first room-temperature semiconductor source of coherent Terahertz radiation
Engineers and applied physicists from Harvard University have demonstrated the first room-temperature electrically-pumped semiconductor source of coherent Terahertz (THz) radiation, also known as T-rays. The breakthrough in laser technology, based upon commercially available nanotechnology, has the potential to become a standard Terahertz source to support applications ranging from security screening to chemical sensing.
A greener way to power cars
Cardiff University researchers are exploring how waste heat from car exhausts could provide a new greener power supply for vehicles.
Feeling the Heat: Berkeley Researchers Make Thermoelectric Breakthrough in Silicon Nanowires
Energy now lost as heat during the production of electricity could be harnessed through the use of silicon nanowires synthesized via a technique developed by researchers with the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) and the University of California (UC) at Berkeley.
Scientists convert heat to power using organic molecules, may lead to new energy source
Researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, have successfully generated electricity from heat by trapping organic molecules between metal nanoparticles, an achievement that could pave the way toward the development of a new source for energy.
Never-before-made material similar to diamonds and ice, says UH professor
Not since the use of germanium in the first transistor radios and the discovery of its crucial role in semiconductor research more than 50 years ago has the study of this element garnered so much attention.
A more silent and ecological refrigerator with more precise temperature maintenance
The Thermal Engineering group of researchers at the Public University of Navarre is working on the design of a domestic thermoelectric refrigerator. Unlike the conventional system of producing a cold environment - by vapour compression - the thermoelectricity used in the design of this refrigerator allows the manufacture of more compact and quieter units which respect the environment more. This first prototype of the thermoelectric domestic refrigerator, commissioned by the multinational BSH Siemens, will be ready in January 2004. Moreover, in current domestic refrigerators the motor cuts in and cuts out, something which does not happen with thermoelectricity and, thus, maintaining the tempe
More Thermoelectric Current Events and Thermoelectric News Articles
 | Thermoelectrics Handbook: MACRO TO NANO Ten years ago, D.M. Rowe introduced the bestselling CRC Handbook of Thermoelectrics to wide acclaim. Since then, increasing environmental concerns, desire for long-life electrical power sources, and continued progress in miniaturization of electronics has led to a substantial increase in research activity involving thermoelectrics. Reflecting the latest trends and developments, the... |
 | Thermoelectrics: Basic Principles and New Materials Developments by G.S. Nolas, J. Sharp, J. Goldsmid This book contains an in-depth analysis of thermoelectric theory, an overview of present day thermoelectric materials and devices, and as an updated source of information on the most studied recent thermoelectric materials developments. The main emphasis is on a basic understanding of the concepts and experimental techniques needed to propel researchers towards new and novel classes of... |
| Semiconductor Thermoelements and Thermoelectric Cooling by A.F. Ioffe | |
 | Advanced Thermophotovoltaic Cells Modeling, Optimized for Use in Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generators (RTGs) for Mars and Deep Space Missions This is a NAVAL POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL MONTEREY CA report procured by the Pentagon and made available for public release. It has been reproduced in the best form available to the Pentagon. It is not spiral-bound, but rather assembled with Velobinding in a soft, white linen cover. The Storming Media report number is A841524. The abstract provided by the Pentagon follows: To accommodate the need for... |
 | Chemistry, Physics and Materials Science of Thermoelectric Materials: Beyond Bismuth Telluride (Fundamental Materials Research) This volume: Chemistry, Physics and Materials Science of Thermoelectric Materials: Beyond Bismuth Telluride contains a series of topical articles that were presented as invited lectures by prominent leaders in this field at a workshop held in Traverse City, Michigan in the summer of 2002. These articles place the state of the art, regarding design principles, candidate materials and systems and... |
 | Handbook of Temperature Measurement Vol. 3: The Theory and Practice of Thermoelectric Thermometry (Handbook of Temperature Measurement) Volume 3 of the Handbook of Temperature Measurement, prepared by the CSIRO National Measurement Laboratory, Australia, covers the principles behind the behaviour and misbehaviour of thermocouples and gives detailed information on the properties of common thermocouple materials. It also discusses the use of thermocouples and their calibration. Other topics include the calculation of uncertainties... |
 | Semiconductors and Semimetals, Volume 69: Recent Trends in Thermoelectric Materials Research, Part One (Semiconductors and Semimetals) Since its inception in 1966, the series of numbered volumes known as Semiconductors and Semimetals has distinguished itself through the careful selection of well-known authors, editors, and contributors. The Willardson and Beer series, as it is widely known, has succeeded in producing numerous landmark volumes and chapters. Not only did many of these volumes make an impact at the time of their... |
| Oxide Thermoelectrics by Kunihito Koumoto | |
| Equilibrium for A Thermoelectric Refrigerator.: An article from: Energy Optimization News This digital document is an article from Energy Optimization News, published by Business Communications Company, Inc. on May 1, 2005. The length of the article is 423 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web... | |
| Thermoelectricity: Thermoelectric And Thermomagnetic Properties in Low-dimensional And Nanoscale Materials (Engineering Materials and Processes) by Joseph P. Heremans, Gang Chen, Mildred S. Dresselhaus, Gene Dresselhaus |
| © 2008 BrightSurf.com |