Power Generation and Efficiency for a Flexible Thermoelectric Structure
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: Thermoelectric generators (TEG) are robustly built for energy harvesting in planar surfaces and non-vibratory environments. However, many waste-heat producing environments are located in non-planar and vibratory areas. The non-planar and vibratory areas challenge the use of bismuth telluride, a brittle material that is typically used to make the TEG elements (legs). A dilemma exists of how to use the TEG devices in non-planar and vibratory environments without experiencing a structural premature failure. A reconfiguration of the TEG’s legs to incorporate an element of flexibility was used to determine its effects on power and efficiency. Incorporating flexibility in the leg required the removal of some base material from each leg and then either leave it void or fill it with a polymer. In this study, the authors explored three variant configurations of a pair of TEG legs. Findings indicated a viability of reconfigured TEG legs for use in vibratory environments at the cost of reduction in power generation and efficiency.
Authors: Mativo, John, Asunda, Paul
Institutions: University of Georgia, Purdue University West Lafayette
Language: English
Subfield: Materials Chemistry
Field: Materials Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7125700268