Pyroelectric energy converter using co-polymer P(VDF-TrFE) and Olsen cycle for waste heat energy harvesting

Thermal Energy Harvesting Using Fluorinated Terpolymers

“…As the bulky and less polar termonomer CTFE is randomly introduced into P(VDF-TrFE) normal ferroelectric crystals, there are three main features in the dielectric data of the polymer due to the addition of CTFE observed: (1) the original FP transition peak of the copolymer is moved to room temperature; (2) the peak becomes much broader and its position shifts progressively with frequency towards higher temperature; (3) there is no thermal hysteresis in the dielectric data, i.e., the broad dielectric peak stays at the same temperature when measured in the heating and cooling cycles. They also measured the polarization hysteresis loops at room temperature and -40°C 9 .…”

“…The investigation of polymers opens up novel possibilities for multi-source energy harvesting technique. In view of thermal energy harvesting, the use of copolymer P(VDF-TrFE) to harvest waste heat by pyroelectricity has been explored both experimentally and theoretically [2][3][4] . In this part, we are interested in energy harvesting from nonlinear capacitance variation by temperature on terpolymer P(VDF-TrFE-CFE) 13 .…”

“…They implemented the Ericsson cycle by successively dipping the films in cold and hot silicone oil baths at 25 and 110°C, and compared three different copolymer samples: commercial purified, and porous films. A maximum energy density of 521 mJ/cm 3 and 426 mJ/cm 3 per cycle were produced by commercial and purified films, respectively, under applied electric fields ranging between 20 and 50 kV/mm, and a maximum energy density of 188 mJ/cm 3 per cycle under electric fields between 20 and 40 kV/mm.…”

“…In 1985, Olsen et al reported the first pyroelectric conversion cycle for the copolymer P(VDF-TrFE), the output electrical energy density was 30 mJ/cm 3 , which is 15 times larger than any other polymer previously measured 2 . In 2010, Nguyen et al developed the pyroelectric energy converter using copolymer 60/40 P(VDFTrFE) and based on Ericsson cycle 3 . A maximum energy density of 130 mJ/cm 3 was achieved at 0.061 Hz frequency with temperature oscillating between 69.3 and 87.6°C (T=18.3°).…”

Pyroelectric Harvesters for Generating Cyclic Energy

“…Thermoelectric generators need a temperature difference, as they cannot work in an environment with spatially uniform and time-dependent temperature fluctuations [1]. Alternatively, pyroelectric devices directly convert temperature fluctuations into electrical energy [1][2][3][4][5][6][7]. Pyroelectric materials have the potential to operate with high thermodynamic efficiency and, compared to thermoelectric generators, do not require bulky heat sinks to maintain the temperature gradient.…”