Nextreme Thermal Solutions has doubled the efficiency and power output of its thin-film thermoelectric power generator. The company undertook a development program, which was sponsored by North Carolina Green Business Fund, to enhance the efficiency of its devices that convert waste heat into electricity. By modifying the thermoelectric epitaxial materials, the company was able to increase the power conversion efficiency and power output by a factor of two.
The company's thin-film embedded thermoelectric generator, the eTEG, produces electricity through the Seebeck effect, where electricity is produced from a temperature differential applied across the device. The company synthesised bismuth telluride epitaxial films that demonstrated a high increase in the efficiency of thermal-to-electrical power conversion. At 9W of heat input power, the devices produced in this program generated 247mW of output power, equivalent to 2.6% of power conversion efficiency. The performance improvements demonstrated in this program will have a significant impact on the company's ability to target micro-power applications with its products.
