Development of a thermoelectric generator and application in smart watches

• Grant number: 21/05796-4
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: August 01, 2021
• End date: June 30, 2022
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Physics - Condensed Matter Physics
• Principal Investigator: Gregório Couto Faria
• Grantee: Maurício da Silva
• Host Institution: Instituto de Física de São Carlos (IFSC). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Carlos , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The energy crisis that humanity has been a topic of debate and the reason for the development of new renewable technologies to generate energy. Among them, we have the thermoelectric systems that generate a flux of charge carries by temperature gradient. Such technology is extremely versatile and can be associated with other renewable energy technologies, to harvest the heat wasted by engines, reactors, and other systems. In this project, we propose to develop and characterize a flexible polymeric thermoelectric generator and to integrate it as the energy source of a commercial smartwatch. Thereunto, the Seebeck coefficient and the electrical conductivity of the polymers, PEDOT: PSS and NDI-2Tz, will be determined. The design of the thermoelectric generator will be chosen by finite element method simulations. We intend to demonstrate the usage of thermoelectric generators as the energy sources of portable devices using human body heat. (AU)