PRINTEG - Advanced manufacturing for low-cost Thermo-electric device fabrication

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For an automotive combustion engine only 35% of the energy produced is harnessed for motive power, with 65% of theenergy being effectively 'lost' to the environment - 25% of that lost energy is transferred into the exhaust gases. For atypical 100hp (75kW) engine, the waste heat energy is up to 50kW. As a result, automotive OEMS are looking to increasefuel efficiency through waste exhaust heat power recovery - one very attractive approach for this is the use of Thermo-Electric Generators (TEGs). To date these approaches have been too expensive due to labour intensive materialconsolidation,machining and hand assembly. As the market for these TEGs grows, it is becoming clear that unlessautomated, cost-effective manufacturing technologies are developed then mass production will be exported to low-costeconomies. The PRINTEG project will directly address this by developing advance automated technologies for: TE powderhandling and consolidation; Surface mounted pick and place and interconnect deposition and laser sintering. This willenable cost-effective manufacture in the UK to produce TEGs at a sales price of £490/kW. By achieving this, ourconsortium of research capable partners will not only safeguard TEG manufacture in the UK but will also commercialise theresults of our existing Thermo-electric research activities that are already producing globally competitive materials and processes.