A thermoelectric generator for low-grade heat to electricity/hydrogen conversion (H2E)

Heat-to-power conversion can be achieved by thermoelectric generators (TEGs), devices that exploit the Seebeck effect to build up an electric potential across a stack of semiconductors subjected to a temperature difference.

This physical effect has long been known, but widespread application has remained limited because of the low efficiency (less than 5%) and high cost of available semiconductors, often containing rare metals and featuring high toxicity and poor thermal stability.

Compared to alternative technologies for valorisation of low-grade heat, e.g., the Organic Rankine Cycle, TEG technology has substantial advantages, including lower weight and absence of moving parts. This leads to high reliability and low-maintenance, crucial attributes for the chemical process industry.

Using less expensive semiconductor materials and increasing efficiency are the main challenges to broaden the application field of TEGs.

H2E proposes a new approach to enable improved TEGs using a thermo-electrochemical-hydrogen production device (TEC-H) based on recently discovered, robust, low cost, non-toxic porous semiconductor materials.

These new semiconductors are implemented in an original design, mounting them in stacks to produce a TEC-H device that is modular and exhibits good scalability. The resulting disruptive increase in efficiency will enable power generation with a decreased cost per unit power.

H2E will valorise low-grade waste heat in the temperature range below 100 °C, a range currently not exploited in industry. Besides industrial waste heat, also low-grade geothermal heat represents huge potential. H2E aims to innovate the production of two end products: renewable electricity and green hydrogen - by water splitting.

H2E will contribute to a more energy-efficient and low-carbon future, in line with Europe’s long-term strategy to become climate-neutral by 2050 as set by the European Commission in The European Green Deal.