FURI | Spring 2019

Power-Generating Thermogalvanic Bricks for Waste Heat Utilization from Buildings

The research analyzes the transformation of wasted thermal energy into a usable form through thermogalvanic devices. This technology helps mitigate international growing energy demands. Building energy efficiency is a critical research topic, since the loads account for 40% of all energy demand in developed nations, and 30% in less developed nations. A significant portion of the energy consumed for heating and cooling, where a majority is dissipated to the ambient as waste heat. This research answers how much power output (µW·cm^-2) can the thermogalvanic brick experimentally produce from an induced temperature gradient?