SBIR Phase I: Thermo-Electric Conversion by Optimally Scaled Nanocomposite Materials

小型企业创新研究(SBIR)第一阶段项目提出了一种基于热电效应的发电架构。这项技术显著提高了转换效率和总转换功率。这是通过集成成功的能量转换产品的三个方面来实现的：(1)由于其纳米结构而能够实现高效能量转换的先进材料，(2)以应用所要求的最佳几何尺度形成的结构，使其能够充分利用其所用的高质量材料，以及(3)以经济高效的方式形成这些转换装置的制造工艺，从而允许广泛采用该技术。在机动车辆中，汽油中一半以上的能量被浪费为热量。这项技术将通过转化和重新利用这些原本被浪费的能源来提高汽车的燃油效率。铝生产等美国重工业也将受到积极影响，因为这项技术将使原本被浪费的大量热量转化为有用的电力。通过更有效地利用能源，这项拟议的工作将产生显著的环境、经济和国家安全效益。

The Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project proposes a power generation architecture based on thermoelectric effects. This technology allows significant gains in conversion efficiency and total converted power. This is achieved by integrating three aspects of a successful energy conversion product: (1) advanced materials that enable efficient energy conversion due to their nanostructure, (2) a structure that is formed at the optimal geometric scale that the application dictates, allowing it to take full advantage of the high quality materials of which it is constructed, and (3) a manufacturing process that forms these conversion devices in a cost efficient manner, allowing for broad adoption of this technology.The proposed technology will allow underutilized thermal energy available in many industries to be converted into useful electrical energy. In motor vehicles more than half the energy in gasoline is wasted as heat. This technology will boost automobile fuel efficiency by converting and reusing this otherwise wasted energy. U.S. heavy industries such as aluminum production will also be positively impacted as this technology will allow the tremendous amounts of otherwise wasted heat to be converted into useful power. By using energy more efficiently, this proposed work will have significant environmental, economic, and national security benefits.