High Efficiency Quantum Well

Thermoelectrics for Waste Heat Power

Generation
Milliwatts to Kilowatts of Power
John C. Bass
Norbert Elsner
Saeid Ghamaty
Velimir Jovanovic
Daniel Krommenhoek
Hi-Z Technology, Inc.
San Diego, CA 92126
(858) 695-6660
Measured Power Factor
Quantum well is Significantly Better than Bi
2
Te
3
Comparison of Measured Power Factor
2
/
0
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
3000
0 50 100 150 200 250 300
Temperature C
P
o
w
e
r

F
a
c
t
o
r

W
/
c
m
-

K
2
P a2/r B4C/B9C
N a2/r Si/SiGe
P a2/r Bi2Te3
N a2/r Bi2Te3
Quantum Well & Substrate Thermal k
Kapton substrate reduces thermal loss to a small fraction
Published data used to
generate chart
Bulk properties
QW film is expected at
1/3 bulk thermal k from
literature
Substrate could
represent large thermal
loss
5 micron poly Si is
~50% loss with 11
micron QW film
Kapton at 25 microns is
3% loss in efficiency
with 11 micron QW film
Published Bulk Quantum Well and Substrate along with
Current Bi
2
Te
3
Thermal Conductivity at 200C
0.1
1
10
100
1000
S
i
C
B
4
C
P
o
l
y
c
r
y
s
t
a
l

S
i
B
9
C
S
i
0
.
8
G
e
0
.
2
C
u
r
r
e
n
t

B
i
2
T
e
3
S
i
n
g
l
e

C
r
y
s
t
a
l
S
i
P
o
l
y
c
r
y
s
t
a
l

S
i
S
i
0
.
7
5
G
e
0
.
2
5
K
a
p
t
o
n
QW Film & Substrate Material
T
h
e
r
m
a
l

C
o
n
d
u
c
t
i
v
i
t
y

W
/
m

K
Bulk QW Materials in Blue,
Current Bi2Te3 in Green,
Bulk Substrate in Orange
Quantum Effect in B
4
C/B
9
C & Si/SiGe
Quantum well ZT >3x higher than other current materials
0.0001
0.0010
0.0100
0.1000
0 100 200 300 400 500
Temperature C
F
i
g
u
r
e

o
f

M
e
r
i
t

1
/

K
P B4C/B9C
N Si/SiGe
P Bi2Te3
N Bi2Te3
P PbTe
N PbTe
P SiGe
N SiGe
Comparison of P-type B
4
C/B
9
C & N-type Si/SiGe Quantum Well
materials using measured & , & published bulk k
versus current Bi
2
Te
3
, PbTe & SiGe materials
Quantum Well Couple Efficiency
Highest Measured Thermoelectric Efficiency
Measured Quantum
Well Couple
Efficiency Versus
temperature at a T
C
=
70C
Over 100 Data Points
Were Obtained N-
leg Si/SiGe, P-leg
B
4
C/B
9
C
Both Films 11 m
Thick and Deposited
on a 5 m Thick Si
Substrate
Thermal Stability of Quantum Well Couple
N-type Si/SiGe and P-type B
4
C/B
9
C
There are no
changes in
Seebeck ()
and Electrical
Resistivity ()
after 1400 hours
(J uly 2005)
Power Factor
(
2
/) shown as
P/P
0
QW Films Parallel or Perpendicular
to Current Flow
Hi-Z uses parallel approach to give higher Zs
Hi -Z approach: Substrate and
fil m paral lel to current fl ow
Si substrate
Mul ti layer fil m
Current I
Substrate and fil m
perpendi cul ar to current flow
Mul ti layer fil m
Current I
I
Si substrate
Two Couples with Pressure Contacts
Approach successfully used in PbTe TE Generator
Surfaces must be free
of oxides
Connect quantum well
film to metal
Thermal expansion
must be accommodated
Thermal spray technique
Recent data fabrication
of Si/Si
0.8
Ge
0.2
surfaces
metallized with
molybdenum
Life tested to 1400 hours
Efficiency Depends Strongly on Substrate
Efficiency improves and cost is greatly reduced with Kapton substrate
Si substrate is 80% of materials cost and large heat leak
Kapton substrate is 12% of materials cost and very small (<5%) heat leak
Comparison of Quantum Well and Current
Thermoelectric Performance
Thermoelectric
Module Material
Temperature
Difference
C
Voltage at
Maximum
Power
Maximum
Efficiency
%
Maximum
Power
W
200 1.6 5.8 14
Hi-Zs Commercial Alloys
200
250
10.0
12.4
17
20.9
60
72
Under Development
450 22.6 32.5 338
Under Development
N type Si/SiC
and P-type
B
4
C/B
9
C
Quantum Well
SiGe Substrate
~5m thick (too
hot for Kapton)
N type Si/SiC &
P-type B
4
C/B
9
C
Quantum Well
Kapton
substrate 25 m
thick
N & P-type bulk
Bi
2
Te
3
Predicted Efficiency of Quantum Well
Thermoelectric Module
Efficiency >50% Carnot at higher temperatures
N-Type Si/SiC & P-
type B
4
C/B
9
C
Cold side at 50C
Based on measured
& , and literature
(bulk thermal
conductivity)
Efficiencies compete
with gasoline & diesel
engines, & fuel cells.
0
20
40
60
80
200 300 400 500 600 700 800
Hot Side Temper at ur e C
E
f
f
i
c
i
e
n
c
y

%
Carnot
Quantum
Wel l
Bi 2Te3
Hi-Z Quantum Well Thermoelectric
Module and Heat Exchanger
Heat Exchanger
Coolant In
50 Watt Quantum Well
Thermoelectric Module
T
H
300C T
C
100C
N & P legs
Kapton substrate for quantum well films forms module in place of
eggcrate design
Quantum well efficiency 15% versus 5% Bi
2
Te
3
Module size 6.3 x 6.3 x 1.0 cm
Heat
Flow
Pressure contact
showing 2 of 49 couples
Funneled Heat Flux Module
Increases power & reduces amount of QW material
Method to match module resistance
with heat flux of hot and cold sides
while increasing power putput
Thick walls funnel
heat flux
Kapton substrate
funnels heat flux
Predicted Power of Quantum Well Thermoelectric
Module
Radiation coupling is practical design for high temperature;
conduction or convection higher power
N-Type Si/SiC & P-type B
4
C/B
9
C
Cold side at 50C
Module is 2.5 x 2.5 in.
Thickness changed to
match heat flux from source
Conduction
Convection
Radiation
Based on measured & , and
literature (bulk thermal
conductivity)
Requires high temperature
eggcrate
0
300
600
900
1200
200 300 400 500 600 700 800
Hot Side Temper at ur e C
M
o
d
u
l
e

P
o
w
e
r

W
Conduction
Convection
Radiation
Hi-Z Bi
2
Te
3
Thermoelectric Power
Generator at 200C Temperature Difference
Bi
2
Te
3
Module Performance
Tc=50 C, Th=250 C
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18
Current A
V
o
l
t
a
g
e

V

E
f
f
i
c
i
e
n
c
y

%
0
4
8
12
16
P
o
w
e
r

W
V
%
W
Present Technology
Predicted Hi-Z Quantum Well Thermoelectric Power Generator at
200C Temperature Difference
QW Module N-Type Si/SiC and P-Type B
4
C/B
9
C
on Kapton Substrate at Tc=50C, Th=250C
0
5
10
15
20
25
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14
Current A
V
o
l
t
a
g
e

V

E
f
f
i
c
i
e
n
c
y

%
0
15
30
45
60
75
P
o
w
e
r

W
V
%
W
Under Development
Predicted Hi-Z Quantum Well Thermoelectric Power Generator at
250C Temperature Difference
QW Module N-Type Si/SiC and P-Type B
4
C/B
9
C
on Kapton Substrate at Tc=50C, Th=300C
0
5
10
15
20
25
0 2 4 6 8 10 12
Current A
V
o
l
t
a
g
e

V

E
f
f
i
c
i
e
n
c
y

%
0
15
30
45
60
75
P
o
w
e
r

W
V
%
W
Under Development
1 kW
e
Thermoelectric Generator
Installed in Place of Muffler
Applications of Hi-Z Thermoelctrics
1 kW
e
TE Mounted
under PACCAR
vehicle Tested for
~500,000 equivalent
miles
20 W
e
Self-
Powered
Heater
Rendering of 300 W
e
Bi
2
Te
3
TE Generator
Under test in Sierra pick-up truck
Army Stryker Vehicle
Five kW
e
Quantum Well Thermoelectric
Generator
Thermoelectric Modules and Assembly with Coolant Heat Exchangers
Exhaust
Exhaust
Quantum Well Thermoelectric Modules
Heat Exchangers
Under Development
Stryker Vehicle and Underarmor Quantum Well
Thermoelectric Generators
Heat Exchangers
Quantum Well
Thermoelectric
Modules
Two 5 kWe QW Generators Can
Be Placed Underarmor
Exhaust
Exhaust
Stryker Vehicle Has Space for Underarmor Quantum Well
Thermoelectric Generators
15% Efficiency Predicted with two 5 kW
e
QW
TE Generators Driven by Vehicle Exhaust
Under Armor Space for
APU Burner to Provide
Quiet QW TE Operation
Stryker CAT 3126 300 hp Diesel Performance Data
Predicted QW TE Generator Power
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
1400 1600 1800 2000 2200 2400
Engine Speed rpm
E
l
e
c
t
r
i
c

P
o
w
e
r

k
W
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
1400 1600 1800 2000 2200 2400
Engine Speed rpm
P
a
r
a
m
e
t
e
r
Temp C
Fuel r at e L/hr
Flow m3/min
Engine kW
Exh max kW
Predicted Hi-Z Quantum Well Thermoelectric Performance
Operating Conditions
T
h
= 300 C, T
c
= 100 C
Heat Flux = 10 W/cm
2
Quantum well films
N-type Si/SiGe
P-type B
4
C/B
9
C
Kapton substrate
Reduces parasitic thermal
losses & lowers costs
Module footprint square
with 2.35 in./side
64 modules will produce 5
kW
e
TE Generator
Gas exhaust - 5 in. ID
QW arranged in 8 in. OD, &
28 in. long generator
0
4
8
12
16
20
24
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16
Current A
V
o
l
t
a
g
e

V
,

E
f
f
i
c
i
e
n
c
y

%
0
16
32
48
64
80
96
P
o
w
e
r

W
V
%
W
Greater than 42% Carnot Efficiency
New Quantum Well Sputtering Machine at Hi-Z
Operational check-out in February 2005
The new Zero Footprint
batch coater has a 34
inch diameter chamber
that processes up to
six(6) 8 inch wafers or
nine(9) 6 inch wafers to
increase output by
100x
Currently depositing
QW films on milliwatt
radial heat flow sensor
power supply
2 inch diameter
Radial N QW on one
side and P QW on
other side of
substrate
Application of Quantum Well Thermoelectrics
Price per Watt competitive in several years
Quantum well raw materials cost less than current
materials
QW $0.11/Watt
Bi
2
Te
3
~$1.00/Watt
Process improvements reduce costs
New substrate
Increased sputtering area and rate > 40 /minute
New design with module surrounding substrate
DOE five year effort on Cost Effective Fabrication Routes
for the Production of Quantum Well Materials for Waste
Heat Recovery from Heavy Duty Trucks
UTRC prime with Hi-Z, CAT, & PNNL