Transformative Recovery of Low-Grade Waste Heat using Ionic Thermoelectrics

Electronic thermoelectrics use semiconductors to convert waste heat into electricity. This is an established energy generation technology, for example, used by NASA to power the Mars Rovers. However, it is not very suitable for low-grade waste heat recovery due to poor power generation from small temperature differences.

Ionic conductors generate much larger thermal voltages and are better suited to near room temperature operation. However, they cannot be used in the same mode of operation as this would require a continuous flow of ions. The innovative solution proposed is to couple the ionic conductor with an energy storage system that converts the ionic potential to an electronic one.

This proposal will investigate novel ionic thermoelectric power generation devices consisting of an ionic conductor sandwiched between two energy stores, including supercapacitors and insertion materials. This is a novel approach targeted at recovery of low-grade waste heat, increasing the sustainability of industrial processes and reducing carbon emissions.