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

这个小型企业创新研究第二阶段项目将开发一种发电设备，能够以比现有设备低得多的成本/瓦特将废热转化为电力。这项工作是通过将物理和材料科学的原理结合到实际的晶片规模半导体制造中来完成的，使新的、低成本的产品成为可能。这项工作将开发的热电发电设备是实现热电发电经常被吹捧但尚未实现的社会效益的关键。在最初的目标市场--运输业--可以预见的好处的例子是，减少燃料消耗给公众带来的经济好处，以及由于更高效的运营而减少对环境的影响。

This Small Business Innovation Research Phase II project will develop a power generation device capable of converting waste heat into electricity with much lower cost/watt than existing devices. This work is accomplished by bringing together principles of physics and materials science in practical wafer scale semiconductor manufacturing, enabling new, low cost products.The thermoelectric power generation devices to be developed in this work are key to realizing the often touted but yet unrealized societal benefits of thermoelectric power generation. Examples of benefits that can be forseen in the initial target market, the transportation industry, are economic benefits for the public from reduced fuel consumption and reduced environmental impact due to more efficient operation.