Research Subjects | Advanced Materials for Energy Applications and Thermal Management

Our research goals focus on:

(i) fabrication of advanced materials to enhance energy conversion efficiency in solid-state devices;

(ii) developing novel thermal devices at the micro- and nano-scale for thermal management applications;

(iii) developing better metrology techniques for accurate and high spatial resolution characterization of thermal and thermoelectric properties of materials and interfaces;

(iv) integrating these materials into systems that generate residual heat to harvest or reuse that energy.

Our work includes nano- and micro-fabrication, characterization and multiscale simulations. On-campus collaborations include Material Science, Physics, Chemical, Mechanical, Fluid and Thermal Engineering.

Projects

3S-ERA: Solid-State Semiconductors for Energy Recovery in Aircraft

Energy harvesting devices at minimum weight can significantly reduce fuel and CO₂ emissions in many applications, like transport or industrial processes, contributing to the development of a more resilient and sustainable world. Thermoelectric materials, i.e. semiconductors that are able to convert heat into electricity, can contribute as a renewable solution to this goal. 3S-ERA will develop a technology that will enable the aeronautical application of thermoelectric materials to convert thermal energy into electrical energy, establishing the foundations to export this technology to other sectors.

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Thermal Conduits for Energy Conversion and Management in Batteries.

In the ENERGIES project, we will develop high thermally conducting fibers as thermal conduits for the temperature control of Li-ion batteries. To facilitate isothermal battery operation, fibers will be employed to efficiently transport the heat in- and out- of the batteries.

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