SBIR Phase I: High Efficiency Thermoelectric Converter

SBIR 第一阶段：高效热电转换器

• 批准号: 1213894
• 负责人: Michael Staskus
• 金额: $ 14.81万
• 依托单位: NanoConversion Technologies, Inc.
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2012
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2012-07-01 至 2012-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1213894&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: SBIR; Phase; Efficiency; Thermoelectric; Converter

This Small Business Innovation Research Phase I project is intended to establish the feasibility of a 30% efficient electric power generator called the C-TEC, for Concentration-mode Thermoelectric Converter. To date, we have built 18 working prototypes, but have none have been suitable for efficiency measurements. The C-TEC directly generates electricity from heat using a thermally regenerated concentration gradient across an electrolyte membrane, rather than a thermal gradient across a semiconductor material, which offers the potential for high efficiency like a fuel cell, with the low cost, maintenance and long life of a thermoelectric device. Ford and NASA have researched the AMTEC, a previous concentration-mode device, since the 1980s. Research papers have used detailed theoretical models and calculations to show the potential for greater than 30% efficiency for these devices, but in practice, only 15% to 19% efficiency has ever been realized. A new design, along with a proprietary, high conductivity electrolyte material, may allow the low cost C-TEC to break the 30% efficiency barrier. The broader impact/commercial potential of this project will be the development of low cost, high efficiency generators that can operate on any form of heat in a wide variety of applications. C-TEC generators are inherently more versatile than other technologies that require high-grade, specific fuels, such as engines (gasoline), turbines (natural gas), fuel cells (hydrogen), or solar cells (sunlight). The C-TEC makes no noise, has no moving parts and requires no maintenance, making it ideal for long-term power generation. Clean, distributed electricity provided by microCHP (Combined Heat and Power systems at less than 5 kW electrical power) enables breakthrough electrical efficiency in the home, and will be a critical technology for the widespread adoption of the electric car. The C-TEC-powered electric car will use domestic natural gas as a bridge to renewables, reducing dependence on foreign oil and massive infrastructure development costs associated with upgrades to our grid capacity. Other technologies have been proposed as prime drivers for microCHP, including fuel cells and engines, but these fall short in terms of cost and maintenance. Ultimately, the cost and versatility of the C-TEC will provide economic advantages such as fast payback to drive the adoption of new clean technologies.

该小型企业创新研究第一阶段项目旨在确定一种名为C-TEC的30%效率发电机的可行性，用于集中模式热电转换器。 到目前为止，我们已经建立了18个工作原型，但没有一个适合效率测量。 C-TEC使用跨电解质膜的热再生浓度梯度而不是跨半导体材料的热梯度从热直接发电，这提供了像燃料电池一样的高效率的潜力，具有热电装置的低成本、维护和长寿命。 自20世纪80年代以来，福特和NASA一直在研究AMTEC，这是一种以前的集中模式设备。 研究论文使用了详细的理论模型和计算来显示这些设备的效率超过30%的潜力，但在实践中，只有15%到19%的效率已经实现。 新的设计，沿着专有的高导电性电解质材料，可以允许低成本C-TEC突破30%的效率障碍。 该项目更广泛的影响/商业潜力将是开发低成本、高效率的发电机，这些发电机可以在各种应用中以任何形式的热量运行。 C-TEC发电机本质上比其他需要高级特定燃料的技术更具通用性，例如发动机（汽油），涡轮机（天然气），燃料电池（氢气）或太阳能电池（阳光）。 C-TEC没有噪音，没有运动部件，不需要维护，是长期发电的理想选择。 由microCHP（小于5千瓦的热电联产系统）提供的清洁分布式电力使家庭的电气效率取得了突破性进展，并将成为电动汽车广泛采用的关键技术。 C-TEC电动汽车将使用国内天然气作为通往可再生能源的桥梁，减少对外国石油的依赖，以及与电网容量升级相关的巨额基础设施开发成本。 其他技术也被提议作为微热电联产的主要驱动力，包括燃料电池和发动机，但这些技术在成本和维护方面都存在不足。 最终，C-TEC的成本和多功能性将提供经济优势，例如快速回收，以推动新清洁技术的采用。