An Approach toward the Realization of a Through-Thickness Glass Fiber/Epoxy Thermoelectric Generator

Abstract

The present study demonstrates, for the first time, the ability of a 10-ply glass fiber-reinforced polymer composite laminate to operate as a structural through-thickness thermoelectric generator. For this purpose, inorganic tellurium nanowires were mixed with single-wall carbon nanotubes in a wet chemical approach, capable of resulting in a flexible p-type thermoelectric material with a power factor value of 58.88 μW/m·K2. This material was used to prepare an aqueous thermoelectric ink, which was then deposited onto a glass fiber substrate via a simple dip-coating process. The coated glass fiber ply was laminated as top lamina with uncoated glass fiber plies underneath to manufacture a thermoelectric composite capable of generating 54.22 nW power output at a through-thickness temperature difference οf 100 K. The mechanical properties of the proposed through-thickness thermoelectric laminate were tested and compared with those of the plain laminates. A minor reduction of approximately 11.5% was displayed in both the flexural modulus and strength after the integration of the thermoelectric ply. Spectroscopic and morphological analyses were also employed to characterize the obtained thermoelectric nanomaterials and the respective coated glass fiber ply.

Carbon fiber/epoxy composite laminates as through-thickness thermoelectric generators

“…For both 10-ply TEG-laminates, when the RLOAD is equal to the experimental value of the RTEG, the maximum TE power generation is being thickness of the TE-enabled GF ply) compared to the 25 mm for the in-plane TE of the coated TE-enabled GF fabric, as also previously observed, e.g. [37].…”

“…Furthermore, a diversity of added functionalities may be included in FRPs endowing thus a multifunctional character to the structure. Representative studies include advanced composites with added functionalities such as smart structural self-monitoring assessment and damage self-sensing [30,31], self-healing potential including concurrent electrical and mechanical property recovery [32], electrochemical energy storage [33], thermal energy management [34,35], piezoelectric and TE energy harvesting [36,37].…”

3R Composites: Knockdown Effect Assessment and Repair Efficiency via Mechanical and NDE Testing

“…The prerequisites for advanced composites, apart from high specific properties, are typically high fracture toughness and good fatigue performance. On the other hand, advanced functionalities include structural health monitoring (SHM) capability [5][6][7], electromagnetic shielding [8], energy harvesting [9][10][11][12], and self-healing capability [13][14][15][16][17][18][19].…”

Printed Single-Wall Carbon Nanotube-Based Joule Heating Devices Integrated as Functional Laminae in Advanced Composites

“…On the other hand, more complex design and implementation of carbon-based microscaled or nanostructured materials within the bulk structure of composite materials could endow additional functions. Smart nondestructive structural integrity evaluation and damage sensing, − structural energy storage and battery-enabled composite devices, thermal energy storage, and thermal energy harvesting , are some of the reported functionalities that turn conventional structural materials into “multi-functional” composites. Nanoscale carbon allotropes have also been reported to act synergistically to improve other functionalities in “architecture” materials as in the case of self-healing, , where concurrent physical and mechanical property recovery can be achieved …”