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Flexible Thermoelectric Module Generate Electricity from Heat, or Enable Cooling and Heating

31 October 2024

Thor Balkhed

Imagine a flexible module capable of converting waste heat into electricity, whether the surface it's attached to is flat or curved. This module can also generate heating or cooling from electricity. Fully functional prototypes are now available at ¸ŁŔűĽ§.

Bendable cheap thermoelectric module Photographer: Thor Balkhed

After three years of work at the Printed Electronics Arena at Campus Norrköping, researchers from Linköping University and RISE, in collaboration with the Danish company ParsNord, have completed prototypes for flexible thermoelectric modules.

A thermoelectric module (TEM) is an electronic device that can convert heat into electricity or use electricity to create heating or cooling. It harnesses temperature differences: when one side of the module is hot and the other is cold, electricity is generated. Alternatively, when electricity is applied, one side becomes cooler while the other gets warmer.

Thermoelectric modules currently available on the market are used in products such as portable coolers, car seat heaters, and energy-harvesting devices. However, traditional TEMs are rigid, limiting their range of applications.

Photographer: Thor Balkhed

The main outcome of this project is the production of a relatively affordable module that functions even on non-flat surfaces.

The invention open up new applications such as wearable coolers for medical purposes and electric generators that can power sensor nodes in smart buildings and industrial environments.

According to the developers, this breakthrough is expected to have significant scientific and technological impact. The long-term vision is to establish Europe’s first manufacturer of flexible thermoelectric modules, headquartered in Norrköping at the House of Printed and Organic Electronics (HOPE).

Seyedmohammad Mortazavinatanzi, Postdoc at LiU and CEO at ParsNord Thermoelectric Filial has led the project, which is funded by . (Swedish).

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