Engineering for Sustainability

http://engineering.tufts.edu/

Thermal Energy Harvesting

What is the problem?
Currently, we cant harvest most thermal energy (heat) directly for
electrical power.
Why is it an important problem?
Heat in many processes is lost to the environment (e.g. car engines,
industrial smoke stacks, the heat from the sun). This energy could be
harvested and used to increase efficiency of a device, enable devices
to be used in new ways, or the creation of entirely new devices.
How are we addressing the problem?
We are exploring new material and device technologies to create
highly efficient thermophotovoltaic cells. Using some techniques that
have been applied to infrared cameras, we are able to harness energy
from wavelengths that were previously inaccessible.
What are the expected results and impact?
Our goal is to create thermophotovoltiac cells with greater than 80%
conversion efficiency for a given thermal band. These cells could
then be created and packaged for innumerable uses. This would
increase the efficiency of power plants (conventional, solar, and
nuclear) as well as make everyday devices (e.g. cars, household
appliances, and electronics) more energy efficient by recycling their
waste heat into electricity.

Who is sponsoring this project?

National Science Foundation
Department of Energy
Department of Defense
The Intelligence Community
How can we find more information on this project?
Prof. Thomas Vandervelde (tvanderv@ece.tufts.edu)