Thermoelectric Generators Could Convert Waste Heat to Clean Energy in Jet Engines and Spacecraft

An Army-funded research project has led to the development of more efficient materials for developing thermoelectric generators that convert waste heat to clean energy for a variety of applications.

The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA

Thermoelectric generators that can convert waste heat to clean energy could soon be as efficient as other renewable energy sources, like solar, according to a team led by Penn State scientists. Using high-entropy materials, the researchers created more efficient thermoelectric materials than previously possible, an advancement that they said could even help make long-distance space exploration possible.

In a study partially funded by the U.S. Army with results published in the journal Joule last year, the researchers demonstrated how thermoelectric devices - including the radioisotope thermoelectric generators that produce energy for NASA's space exploration vehicles - can convert differences in temperature to electricity. When they are placed near a heat source - like a steam pipe in a power plant - charge carriers, like electrons, move from the hot side to the cold side, producing an electric current.