| NSF Org: |
CMMI Division of Civil, Mechanical, and Manufacturing Innovation |
| Recipient: |
|
| Initial Amendment Date: | September 10, 2012 |
| Latest Amendment Date: | September 10, 2012 |
| Award Number: | 1235535 |
| Award Instrument: | Standard Grant |
| Program Manager: |
Alexis Lewis
alewis@nsf.gov (703)292-2624 CMMI Division of Civil, Mechanical, and Manufacturing Innovation ENG Directorate for Engineering |
| Start Date: | September 15, 2012 |
| End Date: | August 31, 2016 (Estimated) |
| Total Intended Award Amount: | $900,000.00 |
| Total Awarded Amount to Date: | $900,000.00 |
| Funds Obligated to Date: |
|
| History of Investigator: |
|
| Recipient Sponsored Research Office: |
4333 BROOKLYN AVE NE SEATTLE WA US 98195-1016 (206)543-4043 |
| Sponsor Congressional District: |
|
| Primary Place of Performance: |
WA US 98195-2120 |
| Primary Place of
Performance Congressional District: |
|
| Unique Entity Identifier (UEI): |
|
| Parent UEI: |
|
| NSF Program(s): |
GOALI-Grnt Opp Acad Lia wIndus, Mechanics of Materials and Str |
| Primary Program Source: |
|
| Program Reference Code(s): |
|
| Program Element Code(s): |
|
| Award Agency Code: | 4900 |
| Fund Agency Code: | 4900 |
| Assistance Listing Number(s): | 47.041 |
ABSTRACT
The objective of this proposal is to develop high efficiency thermoelectric composites. We propose a new hierarchical multiscale strategy to develop high efficiency thermoelectric composites that build upon atomistic-nano-continuum computation guided material design; interfacial modification techniques; bulk functional gradient approaches; and nano-to-continuum characterization methodologies that are being developed at the University of Washington and at the General Motors R&D Center. We will apply these methodologies to solve critical problems of designing and developing high efficiency thermoelectric composites. There are three main tasks: 1. determining the optimized atomistic composition, molecular surface modification, and macroscopic morphology with first-principles, perturbation theory, and continuum modeling; 2. synthesizing bulk thermoelectric composites containing nano-scale grain with surface modifications and macroscopic functional gradients; and 3. characterizing electron and phonon transport from the molecular to the macro-scale. These tasks extend existing modeling and experimental capabilities, provide new understanding of interfacial and functional gradient electron and phonon scattering mechanisms, and directly interface with industrial development of thermoelectric waste heat recovery technology for improved fuel economy.
Hierarchical multiscale composites are chosen for their potential to have the greatest impact on understanding nano-to-macro electron and phonon transport on thermoelectric properties of materials as well as their industrial development. Connecting fundamental electronic structure studies of alloys and interfaces at the atomistic scale and bridging this to continuum modeling for new materials design; coupling with materials synthesis and characterization for validation; and direct incorporation in industrial usage is a potentially transformative concept in materials science and engineering. It offers the promise to move beyond the existing trial-and-error approaches, and the combined talents of the academic-industrial collaboration with GOALI are uniquely positioned to meet this challenge. The long-term impact of this project is a reduction in global energy demands through increased efficiency and reduction in U.S. dependency on foreign energy sources without compromising safety in the transportation industry, as well as many other industrial sectors. GOALI?s direct industrial partnership accelerates the assimilation of basic science research into industrial practice. Besides the indicated long-term societal benefits, a key component of this proposal is the education of students and postdocs for the twenty-first century workforce and efforts to increase diversity in science and engineering, as well as outreach to K12 schools. GOALI also involves students directly in connecting science to industrial technology development.
PUBLICATIONS PRODUCED AS A RESULT OF THIS RESEARCH
Note:
When clicking on a Digital Object Identifier (DOI) number, you will be taken to an external
site maintained by the publisher. Some full text articles may not yet be available without a
charge during the embargo (administrative interval).
Some links on this page may take you to non-federal websites. Their policies may differ from
this site.
PROJECT OUTCOMES REPORT
Disclaimer
This Project Outcomes Report for the General Public is displayed verbatim as submitted by the Principal Investigator (PI) for this award. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this Report are those of the PI and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation; NSF has not approved or endorsed its content.
High efficiency thermoelectric materials have substantial commercialization potentials in a wide range of fields, including microelectronics for effective heat rejection, in automobile industry for waste heat recovery, and for potential use in solar energy harvesting, distributed heating ventilation and air conditioning. Thermoelectric waste heat recovery systems could ssubstantial increase in fuel economy and reduction in the carbon footprint, and thus reduce our dependence on foreign oils. The project is to design and develop high efficiency hierarchical thermoelectric composites with figure of merit > 2, built on (1) atomistic-nano-continuum computational tools; (2) molecular surface/interface engineering and bulk functional gradient techniques; and (3) nano-to-continuum characterization methodologies. In the past four years, the project team has made significant progress in a number of areas, including the synthesis and development of high efficiency Bi2Te3 nanocomposites that possess superior thermoelectric performance, the discovery of a number of new thermoelectric compositions and materials, the development of nonlinear continuum model tools that could accurately assess the effect of composite structure on thermoelectric properties of composites, and the establishment of scanning probe techniques that probe local electrical and thermal transport in composite materials. We have published more than 30 peer reviewed papers in high quality scientific journals. Our work has broadened materials classes that high efficiency thermoelectric materials could be found, demonstrated the importance of mixed chemical bonds for thermoelectric materials. The experimental and theoretical tools developed could be used for many other fields of materials research such as solid electrolytes, inclusion compounds, topological insulators, and etc.
Last Modified: 12/30/2016
Modified by: Jihui Yang
Please report errors in award information by writing to: awardsearch@nsf.gov.
