Identifying Cost Effective Routes To Optimised Energy Recovery For The Fuel Economy Of Vehicles
Lead Research Organisation:
Cardiff University
Department Name: Sch of Engineering
Abstract
Abstracts are not currently available in GtR for all funded research. This is normally because the abstract was not required at the time of proposal submission, but may be because it included sensitive information such as personal details.
People |
ORCID iD |
| Min Gao (Principal Investigator) |
Publications
Al-Madhhachi H
(2017)
Effective use of thermal energy at both hot and cold side of thermoelectric module for developing efficient thermoelectric water distillation system
in Energy Conversion and Management
Alnajideen M
(2022)
Hybrid photovoltaic-thermoelectric system using a novel spectral splitting solar concentrator
in Energy Conversion and Management
Ashby SP
(2014)
Bridging silicon nanoparticles and thermoelectrics: phenylacetylene functionalization.
in Faraday discussions
Eze M
(2021)
Optimum silver contact sputtering parameters for efficient perovskite solar cell fabrication
in Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells
Jorge Garcia Canadas
(2017)
Thermoelectric materials and devices
Min G
(2022)
New formulation of the theory of thermoelectric generators operating under constant heat flux
in Energy & Environmental Science
Min G
(2022)
Prospective Photovoltaic-Thermoelectric Hybrid System
in ES Materials & Manufacturing
Prado-Gonjal J
(2018)
Skutterudite Thermoelectric Modules with High Volume-Power-Density: Scalability and Reproducibility
in ACS Applied Energy Materials
| Description | Key Finding: The project accomplished its goals and a number of outstanding outcomes are summarised below: 1) Successfully developed a fabrication process of high temperature thermoelectric modules and fabricated a high-performance skutterudite thermoelectric module for the first time in the UK - nationally leading and internationally competitive. (Together with the skutterudite thermoelectric materials by Prof A Powell's group at University of Reading and brazing alloys by Johnson Matthew, we have demonstrated the capability of fabrication of skutterudite thermoelectric modules completely within UK). 2) Established a thermoelectric module evaluation system based on a novel principle proposed at Cardiff. The system facilitates automated measurements of both power output and conversion efficiency of thermoelectric modules. 3) Demonstrated for the first time in the world the possibility of measuring the thermal contact resistance of thermoelectric interfaces using Infrared Microscopy. 4) Discovered a possibility of detecting inter-diffusion region using an established travelling probe technique, which is used for determining the electrical contact resistance. This discovery added new capability to an old instrument. 5) Gained in-depth knowledge of several brazing alloys and their brazing conditions for the successful joining of thermoelectric materials with good mechanical strength and satisfactory thermal and electrical contact properties for high temperature operation. |
| Exploitation Route | 1) The high temperature thermoelectric modules can be provided to other research organisations and R&D departments to explore economic and social benefits through waste heat recovery from natural and industrial processes, in particular, improving the fuel efficiency of vehicles from exhaust heat 2) The key technologies of fabricating thermoelectric modules developed in this project can be further explored by other researchers to develop new thermoelectric modules using different new thermoelectric materials. 3) The manufacturing processes/technologies developed in this project can be transferred to the UK industrial sectors through technology transfer or start-ups. 4) The thermoelectric evaluation systems developed in this project will offer new capabilities or measurement services or collaborations to the UK academic institutions or research organisations. |
| Sectors | Aerospace, Defence and Marine,Agriculture, Food and Drink,Chemicals,Construction,Digital/Communication/Information Technologies (including Software),Electronics,Energy,Environment,Healthcare,Manufacturing, including Industrial Biotechology,Pharmaceuticals and Medical Biotechnology,Transport |
| Description | Infrastructure for equipment |
| Amount | £25,000 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Cardiff University |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 03/2015 |
| End | 07/2015 |
| Description | Screen printing project for development of thermoelectrics |
| Amount | £10,200 (GBP) |
| Organisation | European Thermodynamics |
| Sector | Private |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 11/2014 |
| End | 06/2015 |
| Description | System integration of High Concentrator Photovoltaic and Thermoelectric devices for enhanced solar energy harvesting |
| Amount | £99,621 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | NRN152 |
| Organisation | The Sêr Cymru National Research Network for Low Carbon, Energy and Environment (NRN-LCEE) |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 04/2015 |
| End | 03/2018 |
| Title | Thermoelectric module testing system |
| Description | A testing system for evaluating the performance of thermoelectric generator has been established based on a novel principle, which enables the determination of the power output, conversion efficiency and device effective ZT of thermoelectric generator. |
| Type Of Material | Improvements to research infrastructure |
| Year Produced | 2015 |
| Provided To Others? | Yes |
| Impact | This equipment enables the evaluation of the performances of thermoelectric device up to 500 C. This is crucial for the Cardiff Group to characterise and consequently demonstrate the success of fabrication of skutterudite based high temperature thermoelectric modules. |
| Title | Travelling probe for determination of thermoelectric junction contact resistance |
| Description | The apparatus provide the capability to measure the resistance profile across thermoelectric interfaces/junctions, which enables the determination of thermoelectric junction contact resistance. |
| Type Of Material | Improvements to research infrastructure |
| Provided To Others? | No |
| Impact | Ensuring very low contact resistance at thermoelectric junction is crucial in successful fabrication of thermoelectric modules. This apparatus has provide an essential research tool for understanding and improving the contact resistance at thermoelectric interfaces and junctions. |
| Description | Collaboration with Beihang |
| Organisation | Beihang University |
| Department | School of Materials Science and Engineering |
| Country | China |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Cardiff Thermoelectric Laboratory has hosted in 2014 two visiting researchers (3 months each) from Beihang, providing facilities and training for collaborative research. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Provide Bi2Te3 thin-film samples and manpower to work on collaborative research. |
| Impact | one joint publication (submitted); 2 joint proposals drafted. |
| Start Year | 2014 |
| Description | Knowledge exchange with Johnson Matthey |
| Organisation | Johnson Matthey |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Private |
| PI Contribution | Themoelectric characterisation for Johnson Matthey. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Providing bracing materials and know-how for thermoelectric module fabrication. |
| Impact | The Cardiff group has successfully developed high temperature thermoelectric module using Johnson Matthey bracing materials. |
| Start Year | 2013 |
| Description | , Towards cost effective and efficient energy generating skutterudite thermoelectric modules and the use of computational modelling to predict their properties |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | An oral presentation at 14th European Conference on Thermoelectrics (Sept 2016, Lisbon, Portugal). Resulted in request for further information and exploring collaboration |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
| URL | http://www.ctn.tecnico.ulisboa.pt/ect2016-conference/ |
| Description | A high-throughput approach towards accelerated discovery of promising thermoelectric materials |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Keynote talk at IUMRS, Kyoto, Japan, 28/08 -01/09 2017 |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
| Description | Investigating high temperature bonding at the thermoelectric-electrode interface using micro-resolved positional voltage profiling technique 34th Annual International Conference on Thermoelectrics & 13th European Conference on Thermoelectrics |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | An oral presentation at 34th International Conference on Thermoelectrics (July 2015, Dresden, Germany). Attracted huge amount of interests in our work and led to a collaboration with Dr Sima Aminoroaya-Yamini, University of Wellongang, Australia on study of contact resistance of PbTe junctions. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2015 |
| Description | Investigating material ZT properties and their translation into module performance |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Academic exchange, leading to further request for presentation slides and exploring future collaboration. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
| URL | http://www.thermoelectricnetwork.com/past-meetings-2016.html |
| Description | Key Issues on in Design and Fabrication of Thermoelelctric Device - Thermoelectric Workshop, University of Southampton, 14th December 2017 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Invited talk to over 50 audience from UK academic institution and industries. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
| Description | Knowledge dissemination to UK industrial and induvidual designers |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | Knowledge transfer activity to UK industrial and private designers |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2014 |
| Description | Manufacturing knowledge dissemination |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Knowledge dissemination (thermoelectric module fabrication technology developed by EPSRC supported project) to UK thermoelectric network. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2015 |
| Description | Research exchange with Beihang University |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | Invited academic exchange with Department of Materials, Beihang University, China, Activities include: seminar talk, postgraduate short course on thermoelectrics, laboratory visits and discussion of collaboration and researcher exchange. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2015 |
| Description | Thermoelectric Materials and Devices for Energy Harvesting |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | IOP Regional Seminar given at University of Huddersfield on 01/06/2017 |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
| Description | Thermoelectric O/C Relationship and Its Applications |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Invited talk delivered at NIMS, T Japan. Tsububa, Japan. Also Member of panel discussion. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
| Description | Thermoelectric interfaces: characterisation and evaluation for manufacturing high-quality thermoelectric modules |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | An invited speaker at 14th European Conference on Thermoelectrics (ECT2016, September 2016, Lisbon Portugal), many requests for further information and my contact address for exploring future collaborations. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
| URL | http://www.ctn.tecnico.ulisboa.pt/ect2016-conference/speakers.html |