Search NASA⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search NASA

Results for “thermoelectric technology”

Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 19 records
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2004

Progress Status of Skutterudite-Based Segmented Thermoelectric Technology Development

Young's modulus, bulk density, fracture strength, and fracture toughness of alpha silicon carbide manufactured by extrusion and by isopressing were measured at room and elevated temperature in order to determine material feasibility as augers for the Tile Overlay Repair attachment. The measured properties of extruded and isopressed materials differ significantly, with the extruded material exhibiting marked strength anisotropy and lower density. The measurements were made between July and September 2006 at Glenn Research Center (GRC), in order to obtain design data for use in structural and thermal mathematical models.

Seqmented Thermoelectric Technoloqy (STE)↗
NASA NTRS1978

Design concepts of solar thermoelectric generators in space applications

Several thermoelectric technologies have been examined as to their suitability for use in a solar thermoelectric generator (STG) as a nonpropulsive power source for space applications. The results show that of all the presently available thermoelectric technologies, i.e., lead telluride, bismuth telluride, selenide, and silicon-germanium alloys, the latter type provides the optimum STG. Detailed results are presented on the performance and configurational characteristics of various silicon-germanium alloy STGs, including the performance of such STGs as a function of time in a Mercury orbit and the orbit of Mercury around the sun. It is shown that an STG design based on the use of silicon germanium alloy thermoelectric material, using multiple high voltage thermopiles with individual solar concentrators, presents the optimum combination of technology and configuration for minimizing power source mass. Additional concepts studied and discussed are the flat plate individual thermopile type and single concentrator compact thermopile type. The STG possesses an attractive potential for this application and represents a useful addition to the family of power sources for consideration in various space applications.

Raag, V.↗
NASA NTRS1977

Solar thermoelectric generators

The methods, the findings and the conclusions of a study for the design of a Solar Thermoelectric Generator (STG) intended for use as a power source for a spacecraft orbiting the planet Mercury are discussed. Several state-of-the-art thermoelectric technologies in the intended application were considered. The design of various STG configurations based on the thermoelectric technology selected from among the various technologies was examined in detail and a recommended STG design was derived. The performance characteristics of the selected STG technology and associated design were studied in detail as a function of the orbital characteristics of the STG in Mercury and throughout the orbit of Mercury around the sun.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS1994

Protein crystal growth in low gravity

This research involved (1) using the Atomic Force Microscope (AFM) in a study on the growth of lysozyme crystals and (2) refinement of the design of the Thermonucleator which controls the supersaturation required for the nucleation and growth of protein crystals separately. AFM studies of the (110) tetragonal face confirmed that lysozyme crystals grow by step propagation. There appears to be very little step pile up in the growth regimes which we studied. The step height was measured at = 54A which was equal to the (110) interpane spacing. The AFM images showed areas of step retardation and the formation of pits. These defects ranged in size from 0.1 to 0.4 mu. The source of these defects was not determined. The redesign of the Thermonucleator produced an instrument based on thermoelectric technology which is both easier to use and more amenable to use in a mu g environment. The use of thermoelectric technology resulted in a considerable size reduction which will allow for the design of a multi-unit growth apparatus. The performance of the new apparatus was demonstrated to be the same as the original design.

Feigelson, Robert S.↗
DOE OSTI2021

Topological Magnets: Functions Based on Berry Phase and Multipoles

Macroscopic responses of magnets are often governed by magnetization and, thus, have been restricted to ferromagnets. However, such responses are strikingly large in the newly developed topological magnets, breaking the conventional scaling with magnetization. Taking the recently discovered antiferromagnetic (AF) Weyl semimetals as a prime example, we highlight the two central ingredients driving the significant macroscopic responses: the Berry curvature enhanced because of nontrivial band topology in momentum space, and the cluster magnetic multipoles in real space. The combination of large Berry curvature and multipoles enables large macroscopic responses such as the anomalous Hall and Nernst effects, the magneto-optical effect, and the novel magnetic spin Hall effect in antiferromagnets with negligible net magnetization, but also allows us to manipulate these effects by electrical means. Furthermore, nodal-point and nodal-line semimetallic states in ferromagnets may provide the strongly enhanced Berry curvature near the Fermi energy, leading to large responses beyond the conventional magnetization scaling. These significant properties and functions of the topological magnets lay the foundation for future technological development such as spintronics and thermoelectric technology.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
NASA NTRS2019

Solar Power System and Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generation Technologies at Jupiter-Saturn-Uranus Environments: New Insights and Paradigms

Power system selection for outer planet destinations, such as Jupiter, Saturn, and Uranus and beyond, is complex, involving and dependent on many interdisciplinary factors such as power system mass, specific power, cost, mechanical and electrical integration, and natural radiation environment. Low solar irradiance at Jupiter, Saturn, and Uranus systems (i.e., 50, 15, and 4 W/m2 , respectively) makes solar power systems challenging in mechanical / electrical integration and accommodating radiation environments. More costly radioisotope thermoelectric generator (RTG) systems can help proposed missions overcome radiation environment and spacecraft control challenges at Jupiter, Saturn, and Uranus. NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) has recently made significant strides in demonstrating high-efficiency, radiation-hard solar cell technologies for low-irradiance, low-temperature (LILT) applications, and high-efficiency thermoelectric (TE) materials and modules for higher-specific-power RTGs. Stateof-art multi-junction solar cells now routinely demonstrate high efficiencies of 30-34% at LILT (9.5AU and -165°C), making solar arrays a viable option for many near-term Saturn mission concepts. Emerging technologies like LILToptimized solar cells have recently demonstrated even higher efficiencies of 37% at 9.5AU and -165°C and 30% lower mass than the state-of-art, offering the prospect of ~3W/kg array-level, end-of-life specific powers under Saturn conditions. Having already demonstrated the tremendous utility of RTGs on Mars and in deep-space missions (e.g., Galileo at Jupiter, New Horizons at Pluto), NASA is now developing and demonstrating new TE materials and modules (e.g., skutterudites, La3-x Te4, and Zintls) for increasing RTG specific power (up to >8.5 W/kg), which strongly impacts an RTG’s mass, fuel utilization, and modularity in the power system trade domain. New accomplishments in both areas highlight the renewed requisite for updated comparisons and trade-offs in power output, specific power and mass, cost, mechanical and electrical integration, new technology timelines, and natural radiation impacts between new LILT-optimized photovoltaic technologies and next-generation RTG technologies. This work discusses and demonstrates how new LILT-based technologies are now allowing one to consider and design solar power systems for Saturn orbit and beyond, and are changing the potential cost-mass trade-offs between emerging solar power technologies and newly-envisioned RTG technologies. Key updated system mass and cost trade-offs between high-performance LILT solar technologies and new RTG technologies are presented, reinforcing and refining power selection criteria supporting possible future NASA deep-space science and exploration missions to Mars, the Jupiter system (Europa, Ganymede), the Saturn system (Titan, Enceladus), Uranus, and beyond. Key trade-offs in other above-mentioned interdisciplinary factors between these two power technologies are also discussed.

Bairstow, Brian K.↗
NASA NTRS1994

Portable Cooler/Warmers

Early in the space program, NASA recognized the need to replace bulky coils, compressers, and motors for refrigeration purposes by looking at existing thermoelectric technology. This effort resulted in the development of miniaturized thermoelectric components and packaging to accommodate tight confines of spacecraft. Koolatron's portable electronic refrigerators incorporate this NASA technology. Each of the cooler/warmers employs one or two miniaturized thermoelectric modules. Although each module is only the size of a book of matches, it delivers the cooling power of a 10-pound block of ice. In some models, the cooler can be converted to a warmer. There are no moving parts. The Koolatrons can be plugged into auto cigarette lighters, recreational vehicles, boats or motel outlets.

Source record↗
DOE OSTI2026

Scalable, low-cost ink-based processing of high-performance silver selenide thermoelectrics

The growing global energy demand and its accelerating contribution to climate change emphasize the urgent need for sustainable energy conversion/harvesting technologies. Thermoelectric (TE) devices offer a compelling route to directly convert waste heat into electricity and enable solid-state cooling without moving parts or harmful refrigerants. Achieving their full potential requires not only higher TE performance (zT) but also scalable, low-cost manufacturing processes. Here, we introduce a transformative ink-based processing approach for scalable manufacturing of high-performance silver selenide-based TE materials and devices. Using a simple, high-throughput ink-mixing and blade coating strategy, our Ag 2 Se-based materials under the optimized composition and processing conditions yield an ultrahigh room-temperature power factor of 2.8 mW m −1 K −2 , over 100% higher than baseline samples and a reproducible figure of merit zT of 1 at room temperature. A thermoelectric generator (TEG) achieves a very competitive power density of 112 mW cm −2 at a 90 °C temperature difference between the hot and cold sides of the device, which is among the highest reported for silver selenide-based TE devices to date. This facile, scalable ink-based processing establishes a practical pathway toward industrial-scale manufacturing and widespread adoption of thermoelectric devices, advancing sustainable energy technologies.

Bappy, Md. Omarsany [University of Notre Dame, IN ↗
NASA NTRS2009

Thermoelectric Devices Cool, Power Electronics

Nextreme Thermal Solutions Inc., based in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, licensed thermoelectric technology from NASA s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. This has allowed the company to develop cutting edge, thin-film thermoelectric coolers that effective remove heat generated by increasingly powerful and tightly packed microchip components. These solid-state coolers are ideal solutions for applications like microprocessors, laser diodes, LEDs, and even potentially for cooling the human body. Nextreme s NASA technology has also enabled the invention of thermoelectric generators capable of powering technologies like medical implants and wireless sensor networks.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS1984

Thermoelectric and Thermionic Conversion Technology

Applied research and technology efforts in thermoelectric and thermionic programs were recommended that will enable space power systems for the nation's future space missions. Specifically it was argued that the effort in thermoelectric materials technology be broadened with the objective of obtaining a material with a Figure of Merit greater than 1.0 x 10(-3)/K for hot junction temperatures of 1100 to 1500 K. The recommended effort in thermionics is to pursue technology programs that will result in an understanding and lifetime prediction methodologies for fuel-emitter and sheath-insulator behavior as a function of operating time and temperature. Also it is recommended that an effort be initiated that combines the thermoelectric, thermionic and power electronic technologies into a program to develop the technology for high temperature, high radiation resistant, and high current electronic switches.

Mondt, J. F.↗
DOE OSTI2025

Beyond the four core effects: revisiting thermoelectrics with a high-entropy design

Low-exergy waste heat, which constitutes the majority of industrial-scale thermal losses, remains largely unrecoverable with conventional technologies. Thermoelectrics offer a solid-state solution for converting this hard-to-access energy into electricity, making them attractive for decentralized power generation and sensor applications. High-entropy materials (HEMs) have gained traction as a strategy for better-performing thermoelectrics, but the mechanisms driving their benefits require further exploration. This article highlights key insights for heat and electronic transport in HEMs. For heat transport, we argue that reduced, and often ultralow, lattice thermal conductivity in HEMs—with respect to ordered counterparts—can be taken for granted, emerging naturally as a fifth core effect of high-entropy systems. While band convergence is often considered beneficial for electronic transport, its impact depends strongly on the electronic structure. We summarize the scenarios where it can be detrimental to thermoelectric performance. These insights motivate strategies that align seamlessly with advancements in artificial intelligence and data-driven approaches, helping accelerate the discovery of next-generation thermoelectric materials.

Oses, Corey [Johns Hopkins Univ., Baltimore, MD (U↗