BRITE Synergy: Additive Manufacturing of Composite Materials with Transverse Thermoelectricity

Temple University, Philadelphia PA

Investigators

Abstract

This Boosting Research Ideas for Transformative and Equitable Advances in Engineering (BRITE) Synergy project will study additive manufacturing of thermoelectric materials, which are semiconductors that can achieve direct conversion between thermal energy and electricity. Thermoelectric devices can be used to improve energy efficiency by recovering waste heat from thermal processes. Thermoelectric coolers can achieve solid-state cooling that eliminates the usage of refrigerants. Current manufacturing practices for thermoelectrics rely on conventional technologies such as machining and soldering, which are not only costly but also limit device designs. This work will investigate thermoelectric materials with transverse electrical and thermal properties, so heat transfer occurs in a direction perpendicular to the electric field in the material. This transverse property can enable design and manufacturing of new thermoelectric devices. Transverse thermoelectric technologies can provide new solutions to improve energy efficiency, utilization of unconventional thermal energy, and solid-state cooling and refrigeration. This work will also advance knowledge of additive manufacturing of novel thermoelectric materials. The outcome of this work will help promote additive manufacturing technologies in the United States. Transverse thermoelectric materials are capable of decoupling electrical and thermal transport, which in turn enables design of unique thermoelectric devices such as those with large aspect ratios and complex shapes. Although theory has predicted that significant transverse thermoelectricity can be achieved in composite materials with engineered anisotropy, fabrication of such structures is difficult using conventional manufacturing methods. This work will use additive manufacturing to construct composite thermoelectric materials. The research team will examine the microstructures of additively manufactured samples, including textures and porosities, and correlate these microstructural features to the material properties. Mathematical modeling will be used to understand the effect of material anisotropy and defects on the transverse thermoelectricity. It is expected that this research effort will lead to establishment of a quantitative relationship between the manufacturing parameters, the microstructure, and the properties of composite transverse thermoelectric materials. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.