Wearable thermoelectric generator for human clothing applications

Author

Kim, Myung K. ; Kim, Myung Su ; Jo, S.E. ; Kim, H.L. ; Lee, S.M. ; Kim, Yong Jun

Author_Institution

Sch. of Mech. Eng., Yonsei Univ., Seoul, South Korea

fYear

2013

fDate

16-20 June 2013

Firstpage

1376

Lastpage

1379

Abstract

In this study, a wearable thermoelectric generator (TEG) in the flexible fabric is proposed for converting human body heat energy to electrical energy. The wearable TEG is composed of a flexible fabric material, thermoelectric columns (Bi₂Te₃) and electrical connection based on conductive fabric component. The proposed TEG showed the flexibility and the wearability suitable to be applied to the human body. The TEG was fabricated dispenser printing, and the fabricated device converted applied contact heat into electrical energy (0.98 μV/K). When the TEG applied to the human body, the measured output power was 178 nW in ambient temperature of 5 °C.

Keywords

bismuth compounds; clothing; fabrics; printing; thermoelectric conversion; Bi₂Te₃; TEG; conductive fabric component; dispenser printing fabrication; electrical connection; electrical energy conversion; flexible fabric material; heat energy conversion; human clothing application; power 178 nW; power measurement; temperature 5 degC; thermoelectric column; wearable thermoelectric generator; Fabrication; Fabrics; Generators; Printing; Substrates; Temperature measurement; Wearable thermoelectric generator; dispenser printing; energy harvesting; flexible; human body;

fLanguage

English

Publisher

ieee

Conference_Titel

Solid-State Sensors, Actuators and Microsystems (TRANSDUCERS & EUROSENSORS XXVII), 2013 Transducers & Eurosensors XXVII: The 17th International Conference on

Conference_Location

Barcelona

Type

conf

DOI

10.1109/Transducers.2013.6627034

Filename

6627034