Magnesium and Manganese Silicides For Efficient And Low Cost Thermo-Electric Power Generation
- Brimrose Technology Corporation
- Pennsylvania State University
Thermoelectric Power Generation (TEPG) is the most efficient and commercially deployable power generation technology for harvesting wasted heat from such things as automobile exhausts, industrial furnaces, and incinerators, and converting it into usable electrical power. We investigated the materials magnesium silicide (Mg2Si) and manganese silicide (MnSi) for TEG. MgSi2 and MnSi are environmentally friendly, have constituent elements that are abundant in the earth's crust, non-toxic, lighter and cheaper. In Phase I, we successfully produced Mg2Si and MnSi material with good TE properties. We developed a novel technique to synthesize Mg2Si with good crystalline quality, which is normally very difficult due to high Mg vapor pressure and its corrosive nature. We produced n-type Mg2Si and p-type MnSi nanocomposite pellets using FAST. Measurements of resistivity and voltage under a temperature gradient indicated a Seebeck coefficient of roughly 120 V/K on average per leg, which is quite respectable. Results indicated however, that issues related to bonding resulted in high resistivity contacts. Determining a bonding process and bonding material that can provide ohmic contact from room temperature to the operating temperature is an essential part of successful device fabrication. Work continues in the development of a process for reproducibly obtaining low resistance electrical contacts.
- Research Organization:
- Brimrose Technology Corporation, P.O. Box 616, 19 Loveton Circle, Sparks, Maryland 21152-9201. Phone: 410-472-2600
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE Office of Science (SC)
- Contributing Organization:
- Subcontractor: The Pennsylvania State University, Applied Research Laboratory, P.O. Box 30, State College, PA 16804-0030, Phone: 814-865-6531
- DOE Contract Number:
- SC0009453
- OSTI ID:
- 1108470
- Report Number(s):
- DE-SC0009453_Final Report; PR/Funding No.: 13S001301
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
30 DIRECT ENERGY CONVERSION
32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION
36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
Thermoelectric Power Generation (TEPG)
Field Assisted Spark Plasma Sintering Technology (FAST)
Magnesium Silicide
Manganese Silicide
TE Material
Light-Weight
Low-Cost
Environmentally Friendly Materials