Coupled Thermoelectric and Piezoelectric Meta Structures for Renewable Energy Generation

This work focuses on the combination of thermoelectric and piezoelectric materials into a new hybrid generator. It was discovered that a hybrid thermoelectric piezoelectric generator results in a meta-structure that creates a coupling field effect at the interface between the thermoelectric and piezoelectric films that produces more power than the sum of the individual generators. This coupling field effect causes a modification of the thermoelectric properties producing an observed 468% increase in total power output. In addition to this coupling effect, the first functional thermoelectric and piezoelectric generator design is presented. This is achieved by integrating a flexible continuous alternating p- and n-type semiconductor thermoelectric generator into the electrode of the piezoelectric film. This design overcomes major issues previously preventing the two materials to be combined in a single generator architecture. This functional thermoelectric piezoelectric generator can achieve 89% of the theoretical thermoelectric power and 540% increase in the piezoelectric power due to the geometry of the structure. A spray doping synthesis method is presented that was used to create the continuous alternating p- and n-type semiconductor film. Spray doping achieves that same thermoelectric properties of solution doping but greatly simplifies the fabrication of a thermoelectric generator. Finally an optimized thermoelectric generator is presented that overcomes many of the current issues plaguing other thin film designs. The optimized structure is robust and is compatible with a numerous synthesis methods and materials used in thin film thermoelectrics.

Grantor dc:publisher

Wake Forest University

Year dc:date.issued

2018

Author dc:creator

• Montgomery, David

• Nanoparticles

Language dc:language.iso

en

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/10339/90703

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:wakespace.lib.wfu.edu:10339/90703