Thermoelectrics

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NSF invests $12M in 14 materials-by-design research projects as part of Materials Genome Initiative

October 12, 2012

The National Science Foundation (NSF), in support of the federal multi-agency Materials Genome Initiative (MGI) (earlier post), has now granted the first awards for the Designing Materials to Revolutionize and Engineer our Future (DMREF) program.

The NSF Mathematical and Physical Sciences (MPS) and Engineering (ENG) Directorates invested a total of just over $12 million for 22 grants in support of 14 distinct DMREF projects intended to yield a range of new developments, including new lightweight yet rigid polymers; highly durable, multi-layered materials for aircraft engines and power plants; new data storage technology based on spin electronics; new thermoelectric composites for converting heat to electricity; novel designer glasses; membranes that function as well as biological counterparts; new techniques to develop exceptionally hard coatings; and others.

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DOE awards $1.5M to Gentherm (Amerigon) for thermoelectric-based energy recovery system for heavy-duty vehicles; expands existing LDV program

September 28, 2012

Stack-designed cylindrical TEG, built with TE cartridges, developed for LDVs in first project. Click to enlarge.

The US Department of Energy (DOE) has awarded Gentherm (formerly Amerigon) a $1.55-million contract modification to apply the technology in its thermoelectric generator (TEG) for passenger cars to a similar program for heavy vehicles. The TEG technology, which converts waste heat from gas exhaust into electric energy and has the potential to improve passenger car fuel efficiency by as much as 5%.

The grant is an add-on to the $8 million award from the DOE in August 2011 for converting thermoelectric heat to power for passenger cars (earlier post) and extends the technology to heavy military vehicles. With the addition of this project, Gentherm adds the US Army Tank Automotive, Research, Development and Engineering Center (TARDEC) to its passenger car key partners Ford and BMW.

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