Ionic Gelatin-Based Flexible Thermoelectric Generator with Scalability for Human Body Heat Harvesting

Shucheng Wang, Liuyang Han, Hanxiao Liu, Ying Dong and Xiaohao Wang
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Shucheng Wang: Tsinghua Shenzhen International Graduate School, Tsinghua University, Shenzhen 518055, China
Liuyang Han: Tsinghua Shenzhen International Graduate School, Tsinghua University, Shenzhen 518055, China
Hanxiao Liu: Tsinghua-Berkeley Shenzhen Institute, Tsinghua University, Shenzhen 518055, China
Ying Dong: Tsinghua Shenzhen International Graduate School, Tsinghua University, Shenzhen 518055, China
Xiaohao Wang: Tsinghua Shenzhen International Graduate School, Tsinghua University, Shenzhen 518055, China

Energies, 2022, vol. 15, issue 9, 1-18

Abstract: The prosperity of intelligent wearables brings an increasingly critical problem of power supply. Regular rechargeable lithium or disposable button batteries have some problems, such as limited capacity, frequent replacement, environmental pollution, etc. Wearable energy harvester (WEH) can fundamentally solve these problems. Among WEHs, thermoelectric generator (TEG) is a promising option due to its independence of light condition or the motion of the wearer, and thermoelectric conversion (TEC) has the characteristics of quietness and continuity. Therefore, TEG has become a suitable choice for harvesting low-grade heat energy such as human body heat. Ionic thermoelectric gel (iTEG) has the advantages of a large Seebeck coefficient, freely defined shape and size, low processing cost, wide material sources, easy encapsulation, etc. In this paper, the gelatin-based iTEG is regulated and optimized by silica nanoparticles (SiO 2 NPs). The optimal compound quantity of SiO 2 NPs is determined, and the optimization mechanism is discussed through a series of characterization tests. Based on the iTEG, a kind of scalable flexible TEGs is proposed, and its preparation method is described in detail. A small wristband TEG (STEG) was made, and its Seebeck coefficient is 74.5 mV/K. Its bendability and stretchability were verified, and the impedance matching experiment was carried out. By charging a capacitor, the STEG successfully lights up an LED at a temperature difference (ΔT) of ~15.5 K. Subsequently, a large extended oversleeve TEG (LTEG) was prepared, and a set of heat sinks was added at the cooling end of the LTEG. Being worn on a volunteer’s forearm, the LTEG output a voltage of more than 3 V at ~20 °C. Through storing the converted energy in a capacitor, the LTEG directly drove a calculator without a DC–DC booster. The proposed iTEG and TEGs in this paper have the prospect of mass production, extending to people’s clothes, harvesting human body heat and directly powering wearable electronics.

Keywords: thermoelectric generator; wearable energy harvester; thermoelectric material; ionic gelatin; flexible thermoelectrics (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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