Title
Flexible Hybrid Thermoelectric Hybrid Materials

CoPED ID
2d47f6ea-b801-4424-a23c-5eed46a121d7

Status
Active

Funders

Value
£949,220

Start Date
March 31, 2021

End Date
March 31, 2024

Description

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Wearable technologies such as smart watches, smart glasses or even smart pacemakers have caused a paradigm shift in consumer electronics with huge potential in areas such as healthcare, fashion and entertainment (e.g. augmented reality glasses). Currently these devices are still powered by batteries needing frequent replacement or recharging, a key challenge holding back wearable electronics. Thermoelectric generators (TEGs) are an attractive alternative to batteries as they can generate up to several 100 microwatts power from heat (e.g. radiated from the human body), are safe and long-lasting with zero emissions. Current TEGs however are plagued by low efficiencies, high manufacturing costs, and are fabricated onto rigid substrates which makes it difficult to integrate them into many applications that require conformal installation. There is therefore considerable interest in the fabrication of flexible TEGs that can harvest energy from body heat for wearable applications and other heat sources. This project seeks to develop a new generation of thermoelectric (TE) hybrid materials for flexible TE energy harvesting applications by combining inorganic materials with controlled 3D nanostructures and organic conducting polymers (OCPs). The materials have not been realized to date and will be optimized to yield enhanced TE power factors (PFs).

Subjects by relevance
  1. Nanostructures
  2. Materials (matter)
  3. Electronics
  4. Accumulators
  5. Pacemakers
  6. Energy control
  7. Polymers
  8. Functional materials
  9. Batteries
  10. Renewable energy sources

Extracted key phrases
  1. Flexible Hybrid Thermoelectric Hybrid Materials
  2. Smart glass
  3. Smart watch
  4. Wearable technology
  5. Smart pacemaker
  6. Wearable electronic
  7. Wearable application
  8. Flexible TE energy harvesting application
  9. Reality glass
  10. TE power factor
  11. Consumer electronic
  12. Body heat
  13. Flexible teg
  14. Paradigm shift
  15. Huge potential

Related Pages

UKRI project entry

UK Project Locations