Ryan Maloney

Conversion efficiency of skutterudite-based thermoelectric modules

Presently, the only commercially available power generating thermoelectric (TE) modules are based on bismuth telluride (Bi2Te3) alloys and are limited to a hot side temperature of 250 °C due to the melting point of the solder interconnects and/or generally poor power generation performance above this point. For the purposes of demonstrating a TE generator or TEG with higher temperature capability, we selected skutterudite based materials to carry forward with module fabrication because these materials have adequate TE performance and are mechanically robust. We have previously reported the electrical power output for a 32 couple skutterudite TE module, a module that is type identical to ones used in a high temperature capable TEG prototype. The purpose of this previous work was to establish the expected power output of the modules as a function of varying hot and cold side temperatures. Recent upgrades to the TE module measurement system built at the Fraunhofer Institute for Physical Measurement Techniques allow for the assessment of not only the power output, as previously described, but also the thermal to electrical energy conversion efficiency. Here we report the power output and conversion efficiency of a 32 couple, high temperature skutterudite module at varying applied loading pressures and with different interface materials between the module and the heat source and sink of the test system. We demonstrate a 7% conversion efficiency at the module level when a temperature difference of 460 °C is established. Extrapolated values indicate that 7.5% is achievable when proper thermal interfaces and loading pressures are used.

Lithium titanate aerogel for advanced lithium-ion batteries.

This work details the synthesis and characterization of a novel lithium titanate aerogel as an anode material for lithium ion batteries. Excessive loss of lithium during supercritical drying can be overcome by increasing the lithium precursor concentration during synthesis. Chronopotentiometry shows the aerogel to have a capacity about 80 % of theoretical at a symmetric C/3 rate, which is comparable to a commercial product. Cyclic voltammetry reveals a batt-cap behavior for the high-surface area aerogel, implying the potential for improved rate capability if electrical conductivity can be maintained.

Augmenting protein release from layer-by-layer functionalized agarose hydrogels.

Recent work demonstrated the efficacy of combining layer-by-layer assembly with hydrogels to provide the controlled delivery of proteins for use in nerve repair scaffolds. In this work, we augmented the protein dose response by controlling and increasing the hydrogel internal surface area. Sucrose was added to agarose during gelation to homogenize the nanopore morphology, resulting in increased surface area per unit volume of hydrogel. The surface area of a range of compositions (1.5-5.0 wt% agarose and 0, 50 and 65 wt% sucrose) was measured. Gels were supercritically dried to preserve porosity enabling detailed pore morphology measurements using nitrogen adsorption and high resolution scanning electron microscopy. The resulting surface area, normalized by superficial gel volume, ranged between 6m(2)/cm(3)gel and 56 m(2)/cm(3)gel. Using the layer-by-layer process to load lysozyme, a neurotrophic factor analog, a relationship was observed between surface area and cumulative dose response ranging from 176 to 2556 μg/mL, which is in the range of clinical relevance for the delivery of growth factors. In this work, we demonstrated that the ability to control porosity is key in tuning drug delivery dose response from layer-by-layer modified hydrogels.

Prospects for implementation of thermoelectric generators as waste heat recovery systems in class 8 truck applications

With the rising cost of fuel and increasing demand for clean energy, solid-state thermoelectric (TE) devices are an attractive option for reducing fuel consumption and CO2 emissions. Although they are reliable energy converters, there are several barriers that have limited their implementation into wide market acceptance for automotive applications. These barriers include: the unsuitability of conventional thermoelectric materials for the automotive waste heat recovery temperature range; the rarity and toxicity of some otherwise suitable materials; and the limited ability to mass-manufacture thermoelectric devices from certain materials. One class of material that has demonstrated significant promise in the waste heat recovery temperature range is skutterudites. These materials have little toxicity, are relatively abundant, and have been investigated by NASA-JPL for the past twenty years as possible thermoelectric materials for space applications. In a recent collaboration between Michigan State University (MSU) and NASA-JPL, the first skutterudite-based 100 W thermoelectric generator (TEG) was constructed. In this paper, we will describe the efforts that have been directed towards: (a) enhancing the technology-readiness level of skutterudites to facilitate mass manufacturing similar to that of Bi2Te3, (b) optimizing skutterudites to improve thermal-to-electric conversion efficiencies for class 8 truck applications, and (c) describing how temperature cycling, oxidation, sublimation, and other barriers to wide market acceptance must be managed. To obtain the maximum performance from these devices, effective heat transfer systems need to be developed for integration of thermoelectric modules into practical generators. [DOI: 10.1115/1.4023097]