European Thermodynamics Limited

Research at the University of Manchester has led to a number of innovative patent-protected graphene containing materials with significantly improved thermoelectric properties over a wide range of temperatures. The project will utilise this research to apply the thermoelectric material research to a manufactured product.

Current materials for thermoelectric (TE) generators are typically based on compounds that are scarce, expensive and environmentally unsound. Other TE materials exist which do not suffer from these drawbacks but they have not yet achieved technical and commercial viability when assembled into thermoelectric modules. The GRAPHTED project will explore novel materials incorporating graphene. This offers the potential to combine the unique properties of graphene with the advantages of thermoelectric materials such as the oxides, which have a high stability and scalability.

Thermoelectric materials are often characterised by their figure of merit, ZT, with peak ZT often reported. However, for good module performance in any real application, it is the average ZT across the operating temperature range that is more important. This project will therefore focus on materials with improved average ZT, and incorporation of the materials into prototype modules.