Structural design of a flexible thermoelectric power generator for wearable applications

Kim, C. S.; Lee, Gyu Soup; Choi, Hyeongdo; Kim, Yong Jun; Yang, Hyeong Man; Lim, Se Hwan; Lee, Sang‐Gug; Cho, Byung Jin

doi:10.1016/j.apenergy.2018.01.074

Cited by 196 publications

(83 citation statements)

References 31 publications

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“…Conventional thermoelectric modules are in rigid forms with ceramic plates on top and bottom sides which limit their application to flat surfaces. To overcome such limitation, thermoelectric devices based on a flexible substrate using a printing method [56][57][58][59][60][61][62] or structural design with inorganic bulk thermoelectric materials [25,26,47,63] have been researched. Thermoelectric materials used near room temperature are mainly Bi-Te based compounds, Bi 2-x Sb x Te 3 for p-type and Bi 2 Te 3-x Se x for n-type, due to its high thermoelectric performance [64,65].…”

Section: Sustainable Energy Harvesting For Iot Systemmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Kim et al [66] demonstrate a flexible thermoelectric generator that powers a wireless sensor node while attached to a curved heat pipe, as in figure 2(a). For flexibility, the device consists of inorganic bulk thermoelectric materials embedded in a flexible polymer [25]. With the temperature of the heat pipe and ambient air set constant at 70°C and 20°C, respectively, in an experimental setup, a maximum power density of about 2.2 mW cm −2 is harvested.…”

Section: Sustainable Energy Harvesting For Iot Systemmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The flexible thermoelectric device harvests energy from body heat and was able to obtain an output power of 138.67 μW with an 8.8 mV open circuit voltage. Kim et al [25] demonstrate a flexible thermoelectric device in which inorganic bulk thermoelectric materials are embedded in a flexible polymer, as shown in figure 4(c). Body heat harvesting is conducted under various conditions: varying height of thermoelectric materials, fill factor, and air velocity, while the maximum output power and voltage are 1.46 mW and 38.24 mV, respectively.…”

Section: Body Heat Harvestingmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…To reproduce the human body behavior more accurately, a detailed analysis on body heat harvesting is conducted by examining various human thermoregulatory models in section 3.2 In addition, various heat sink models with the potential of being integrated with thermoelectric systems are also explored in section 3.3 for further enhancement of the system. As the output voltage from body heat harvesting-based thermoelectric systems stands only at about several tens of mV [25,26], a voltage converter or a voltage booster is required to operate sensors. Researches on voltage converters will be explored in detail, section 3.4, as their integration with thermoelectric systems is yet an unfamiliar field of research.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Energy harvesting using thermoelectricity for IoT (Internet of Things) and E-skin sensors

et al. 2019

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With the increasing demand for Internet of Things (IoT) with integrated wireless sensor networks (WSNs), sustainable power supply and management have become important issues to be addressed. Thermal energy in forms of waste heat or metabolic heat is a promising source for reliably supplying power to electronic devices; for instance, thermoelectric power generators are widely being researched as they are able to convert thermal energy into electricity. This paper specifically looks over the application of thermoelectricity as a sustainable power source for IoT including WSNs. Also, we discuss a few thermoelectric systems capable of operating electronic skin (e-skin) sensors despite their low output power from body heat. For a more accurate analysis on body heat harvesting, models of the human thermoregulatory system have been investigated. In addition, some clever designs of heat sinks that can be integrated with thermoelectric systems have also been introduced. For their power management, the integration with a DC-DC converter is addressed to boost its low output voltage to a more usable level.

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Section: Sustainable Energy Harvesting For Iot Systemmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Sustainable Energy Harvesting For Iot Systemmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Body Heat Harvestingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Energy harvesting using thermoelectricity for IoT (Internet of Things) and E-skin sensors

et al. 2019

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“…Given its many advantages, a large number of studies have been carried out to investigate a wide spectrum of applications in military, medical, industrial, and telecommunications fields . For example, to generate power from a heat source that has an arbitrary shaped surface, flexible thermoelectric generators (TEGs) have been developed and studied …”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

UV‐Curable Silver Electrode for Screen‐Printed Thermoelectric Generator

Choi

Kim

Song

et al. 2019

Adv Funct Materials

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Fabricating thermoelectric generators (TEGs) using the screen-printing process has advantages, including mass production, device scalability, and system applicability. However, the thick film formed through the process typically has low film density, and reduced performance, because of the presence of pores in the film created by the vaporization of the resin during hightemperature annealing. During the soldering process used for thermoelectric module fabrication, the printed solder infiltrates into the screen-printed electrodes through the micropores in the electrodes, causing cracks of the electrode film and an increase in resistivity. In this paper, an ultraviolet radiation (UV)-curable process for screen-printed electrodes is reported. The paste for the electrodes is synthesized by mixing Ag flakes that can be cured at low temperature with a UV resin. Scanning electron microscope images show that the UV-curing process significantly reduces pores and thereby results in a smooth-surfaced electrode layer. The film density after crystallization is also enhanced. TEGs composed of 72 couples with UV-curable Ag electrodes generate a high power density of ≈6.69 mW cm −2 at a temperature difference of 25 °C; the device resistance is ≈0.75 Ω, and the figure of merit of the device is recorded to be 0.57, which is the highest among the printed TEGs.

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Magnetoelectrical Clothing Generator for High‐Performance Transduction from Biomechanical Energy to Electricity

Wang

Xia

et al. 2021

Adv Funct Materials

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Electromagnetism, which has been used to harvest energy from human motion, is expected to power an increasing number of wearable electronic devices upon fabrics. However, most reported electromagnetism-based approaches necessitate rigid and heavy setups. Here, a scalable-manufactured flexible magnetoelectrical clothing generator is demonstrated that can generate electricity through the swinging of the arms. A "particle flow spinning" (PFS) method can produce continuous magnetic yarns, resulting in a magnetic fabric through an industrial weaving machine. Fabrics can be prepared in large quantities and have a lower cost. The magnetic fabrics and conductive wires are built on two sides of the armpit parts of the clothing, leading to continuous and stable voltage and current when swinging arm, 14.3 V peak voltage, 31.2 mA peak current, and 96 mW peak power (3197 mW m −2 peak power density) in series to a low-impedance load (750 ohms). Furthermore, the magnetic fabrics can work under water without sealing treatment, in acidic/alkaline environments or at extreme temperatures. The magnetoelectrical clothing generator can power diverse electronic devices in many fields, such as LED lights, calculators, wireless communication, and health monitoring devices. This approach opens a path toward exploring electromagnetic energy harvesting strategies to realize power generation for the development of clothing electronics.

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Structural design of a flexible thermoelectric power generator for wearable applications

Cited by 196 publications

References 31 publications

Energy harvesting using thermoelectricity for IoT (Internet of Things) and E-skin sensors

Energy harvesting using thermoelectricity for IoT (Internet of Things) and E-skin sensors

UV‐Curable Silver Electrode for Screen‐Printed Thermoelectric Generator

Magnetoelectrical Clothing Generator for High‐Performance Transduction from Biomechanical Energy to Electricity

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