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Printed, metallic thermoelectric generators integrated with pipe insulation for powering wireless sensors

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  • Iezzi, Brian
  • Ankireddy, Krishnamraju
  • Twiddy, Jack
  • Losego, Mark D.
  • Jur, Jesse S.

Abstract

The Internet of Things (IoT), coupled with advanced analytics, is poised to revolutionize manufacturing maintenance and efficiency. However, a practical route to powering these many IoT devices remains unclear. In this work, flexible thermoelectric generators (TEGs) are fabricated from low cost, screen printed silver and nickel inks before being integrated into a novel form factor device based on commercial steam pipe insulation. Through optimization of internal resistances and total device design, this 420-junction TEG device produces 308µW of power at a temperature difference of 127K. This is sufficient to power a temperature sensing circuit with wireless communication capabilities. In this report we demonstrate that, after an initial 4 h of charging, this TEG can power a standard RFduino microcontroller for 10 min while sending temperature readings every 30 s via Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) to a cell phone. Additional optimization and scaling could further increase system efficiency and provide a viable route to powering an industrial wireless sensing network (WSN).

Suggested Citation

  • Iezzi, Brian & Ankireddy, Krishnamraju & Twiddy, Jack & Losego, Mark D. & Jur, Jesse S., 2017. "Printed, metallic thermoelectric generators integrated with pipe insulation for powering wireless sensors," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 208(C), pages 758-765.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:appene:v:208:y:2017:i:c:p:758-765
    DOI: 10.1016/j.apenergy.2017.09.073
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Stevens, Robert J. & Weinstein, Steven J. & Koppula, Karuna S., 2014. "Theoretical limits of thermoelectric power generation from exhaust gases," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 133(C), pages 80-88.
    2. Lu, Zhisong & Zhang, Huihui & Mao, Cuiping & Li, Chang Ming, 2016. "Silk fabric-based wearable thermoelectric generator for energy harvesting from the human body," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 164(C), pages 57-63.
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    4. He, Wei & Zhang, Gan & Zhang, Xingxing & Ji, Jie & Li, Guiqiang & Zhao, Xudong, 2015. "Recent development and application of thermoelectric generator and cooler," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 143(C), pages 1-25.
    5. Suarez, Francisco & Parekh, Dishit P. & Ladd, Collin & Vashaee, Daryoosh & Dickey, Michael D. & Öztürk, Mehmet C., 2017. "Flexible thermoelectric generator using bulk legs and liquid metal interconnects for wearable electronics," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 202(C), pages 736-745.
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    Cited by:

    1. Luo, Ding & Zhang, Haokang & Cao, Jin & Yan, Yuyin & Cao, Bingyang, 2024. "Numerical investigation and optimization of a hexagonal thermoelectric generator with diverging fins for exhaust waste heat recovery," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 301(C).

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