• Journal of Powder Materials
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.152-158
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• 2022

Thermoelectric materials can reversely convert heat and electricity into each other; therefore, they can be very useful for energy harvesting from heat waste. Among many thermoelectrical materials, SnSe exhibits outstanding thermoelectric performance along the particular direction of a single crystal. However, single-crystal SnSe has poor mechanical properties and thus it is difficult to apply for mass production. Therefore, polycrystalline SnSe materials may be used to replace single-crystal SnSe by overcoming its inferior thermoelectric performance owing to surface oxidation. Considerable efforts are currently focused on enhancing the thermoelectric performance of polycrystalline SnSe. In this study, we briefly review various enhancement methods for SnSe thermoelectric materials, including doping, texturing, and nano-structuring. Finally, we discuss the future prospects of SnSe thermoelectric powder materials.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers
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• v.36 no.6
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• pp.620-626
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• 2023

Energy harvesting technology, which converts wasted energy sources in everyday life into usable electric energy, is gaining attention as a solution to the challenges of charging and managing batteries for the driving of IoT sensors, which are one of the key technologies in the era of the fourth industrial revolution. Hybrid energy harvesting technology involves integrating two or more energy harvesting technologies to generate electric energy from multiple energy conversion mechanisms. In this study, a hybrid energy harvesting device called TMPPEG (thermo-magneto-piezoelectric-pyroelectric energy generator), which utilizes low-grade waste heat, was developed by incorporating PVDF polymer piezoelectric components and optimizing the system. The variations in piezoelectric output and thermoelectric output were examined based on the spacing of the clamps, and it was found that the device exhibited the highest energy output when the clamp spacing was 2 mm. The voltage and energy output characteristics of the TMPPEG were evaluated, demonstrating its potential as an efficient hybrid energy harvesting component that effectively harnesses low-grade waste heat.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.203-214
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• 2022

Thermoelectric (TE) heating and cooling devices, which are able to directly convert thermal energy into electrical energy and vice versa, are effective and have exhibited a potential for energy harvesting. With the increasing consumer demands for various wearable electronics, organic-based TE composite materials offer a promise for the TE devices applications. Conductive polymers are widely used as flexible TE materials replacing inorganic materials due to their flexibility, low thermal conductivity, mechanical flexibility, ease of processing, and low cost. In this review, we briefly introduce the latest research trends in the flexible TE technology and provide a comprehensive summary of specific conductive polymer-based TE material fabrication technologies. We also summarize the manufacture for high-efficiency TE composites through the complexation of a conductive polymer matrix/inorganic TE filler. We believe that this review will inspire further research to improve the TE performance of conductive polymers.

• Journal of IKEEE
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.373-377
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• 2016

This paper presents a low power boost converter using offset controlled Zero Current Sensor (ZCS) control for thermoelectric energy harvesting.[1] [5] Offset controlled ZCS uses adjustable pre-offset that is controled by 6bit code each connected gate of NMOS for switching. Offset controlled ZCS demonstrates an efficiency that is higher than using analog comparator ZCS and that is smaller area than using delay line ZCS. Experimentally, the offset controlled ZCS system consumes 10 times less power than analog comparator ZCS based system at similar performance.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Information and Commucation Sciences Conference
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• 2012.10a
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• pp.247-250
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• 2012

This paper describes a DC-DC Boost converter for Thermoelectric Energy Harvesting. The designed converter boosts the $V_{DD}$ through a start-up block from a low output voltage of thermoelectric devices and the boosted $V_{DD}$ is used to operate the internal block circuits. When $V_{DD}$ reaches a predefined value, a detector circuit makes the start-up block turn off for minimizing current consumption. The final boosted $V_{OUT}$ is achieved by alternately operating the DC-DC converter for $V_{DD}$ and the other converter for final output $V_{OUT}$ according to the comparator output. Simulation results shows that the designed converter outputs 2.8V from an input voltage of 200mV. The area of the chip designed using a 0.35um CMOS process is $1.52mm{\times}0.95mm$ including pads.

• International Journal of Highway Engineering
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.93-101
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• 2010

As the number of indispensable needs of clean energy increases due to the green new deal revolution, the possibility of heat energy harvesting from the surrounding infrastructures such as a railroad or highway was verified. In order to find more efficient usage of a heat source, the possibility of transforming heat into electricity were confirmed using Bi-Te type thermoelectric element, and electrical quality were tested with experiments of different heat source and environmental change in the surrounding infrastructures. After careful experiments, the possibility of collecting thermal energy and findings of the heat temperature change in infrastructrue are verified with a result of obtaining almost 20.82W in 70 celcius($^{\circ}C$) temperature differences and $1m^2$ surface area. Consequently, the ratio of heat temperatiure change and transforming surface area is the most crucial factor in the harvesting heat energy, and reducing thermal loss and improving thermal convection as well as transformation efficiency of thermoelectric element is required to get more efficient and durable generation.

• Journal of Power Electronics
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• v.10 no.6
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• pp.784-791
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• 2010

In this paper, a resonant pulse power converter (RPPC) is proposed. The proposed RPPC transfers the pulse-shape power from a DC source to a load periodically. The RPPC consists of a resonant circuit and a resonant pulse converter driven by a self-switching circuit. Depending on the magnitude difference between the input and output voltages, the operations of the RPPC are divided into 4 modes; boost mode, hybrid mode, direct mode and cut-off mode, respectively. The main switch of the RPPC turns on in the ZCS condition and off in the ZVS condition spontaneously. The operational principles of a RPPC using the self-switching technique are analyzed and verified in experiments. An example of a RPPC application is demonstrated in the area of thermoelectric energy harvesting.

• Journal of Urban Science
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.1-6
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• 2020

The thermoelectric characteristics of alkali activated slag composites containing multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) was investigated in the present study. Three different MWCNT contents and exposed temperatures were considered, and their thermoelectric-related properties and internal structures were analyzed. It was found that the alkali activated slag composite with MWCNT 2.0 wt.% and the exposed temperature of 150℃ were the optimal condition to obtain the highest Seebeck coefficient and power factor. Based on the feasibility study, the extended size thermoelectric module with 130 elements was fabricated, and tested the electricity production capacity. Consequently, the present thermoelectric module produced 30.83 ㎼ of electricity at ∆T=178.4℃.

• Journal of Magnetics
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.252-257
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• 2015

This paper investigates the concept and implementation of an energy harvesting device using a ferrofluid sloshing movement to generate an electromotive force (EMF). Ferrofluids are often applied to energy harvesting devices because they have both magnetic properties and fluidity, and they behave similarly to a soft ferromagnetic substance. In addition, a ferrofluid can change its shape freely and generate an EMF from small vibrations. The existing energy harvesting techniques, for example those using piezoelectric and thermoelectric devices, generate minimal electric power, as low as a few micro-watts. Through flow analysis of ferrofluids and examination of the magnetic circuit characteristics of the resultant electromagnetic system, an energy harvester model based on an electromagnetic field generated by a ferrofluid is developed and proposed. The feasibility of the proposed scheme is demonstrated and its EMF characteristics are discussed based on experimental data.

• Journal of Korea Technology Innovation Society
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.25-44
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• 2014

This study analyzed technological competitiveness of five major countries by using patent information that is typical intellectual property. Technological activity, patent competitiveness, market securement and patent concentration were designed as evaluation items for the technological competitiveness analysis, and the number of patent applications, family patents and triad patent families, and the paten concentration index were reflected as evaluation factors to be scored. For technologies to be analyzed, it referred to the energy harvesting technologies selected as 500 future technologies in the future technologic white paper 2013 published by KISTI. They were classified into technologies using thermoelectric, piezoelectric and photovoltaic elements, which are main detailed technologies of the energy harvesting technology, to investigate and analyze patent information for each detailed technology to understand their technological competitiveness. As a result, the United States ranked top with 75 and 70 points in the technology using thermoelectric and piezoelectric elements respectively, and Japan ranked top with 90 points in the energy harvesting technology using photovoltaic elements. It was analyzed that Korea held the second rank in the field using piezoelectric and photovoltaic elements, and the fifth in the technology using thermoelectric elements.