A prototype microthermophotovoltaic power generator

Yang, Wenming; Chou, S.K.; Chen, Shu; Li, Z. W.; Han, Xue

doi:10.1063/1.1751614

Cited by 60 publications

(34 citation statements)

References 7 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Combustion converts the chemical energy of fuels into thermal energy, which can then be harnessed as electricity in an integrated device via various alternate routes. Examples include integrated microreactors for generation of hydrogen for fuel cells via reforming [2][3][4] or ammonia decomposition [5,6], micro-turbines [7,8], thermoelectric devices [9,10], thermo-photovoltaics [11], etc.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Optimal reactor dimensions for homogeneous combustion in small channels

2007

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Optimal reactor dimensions for homogeneous combustion in small channels

2007

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

“…The second type of devices are based on energy harvesting which extract energy from the ambient environment. Some of the typical devices in this category include micro-thermoelectric devices [38], microelectromagnetic devices [39], micro-thermophotovoltaic devices [40], and micro-piezoelectric devices [41]. Among these, micro-electrochemical energy storage and conversion devices such as batteries, fuel cells and supercapacitors are particularly attractive because of (i) their higher efficiency compared to internal or combustion engines; (ii) their relatively high energy density; and (iii) their advantages related to their operation such as low-vibration, low-noise, and negligible air pollution [42].…”

Section: Miniaturized Power Sourcesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Design, fabrication, and evaluation of on-chip micro-supercapacitors

Beidaghi¹,

Chen²,

Wang³

2011

Energy Harvesting and Storage: Materials, Devices, and Applications II

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

“…In such systems, the energetic photons emitted as a result of a combustion event create free electric charge in TPV cells that are able to move under electric field, thereby producing electrical power [9,48]. Power densities on the order of 1W/cm 3 have been demonstrated with such devices [57][58][59][60][61][62]. The direction in this field is geared towards the design and manufacturing of low band gap and high quality TPV cells to replace silicon solar cells and to improve the efficiency and power density [48].…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

An integrated electromagnetic micro-turbo-generator supported on encapsulated microball bearings

Beyaz

Hanrahan

Feldman

et al. 2012

2012 IEEE 25th International Conference on Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS)

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

This dissertation presents the development of an integrated electromagnetic microturbo-generator supported on encapsulated microball bearings for electromechanical power conversion in MEMS (Microelectromechanical Systems) scale. The device is composed of a silicon turbine rotor with magnetic materials that is supported by microballs over a stator with planar, multi-turn, three-phase copper coils. The microturbo-generator design exhibits a novel integration of three key technologies and components, namely encapsulated microball bearings, incorporated thick magnetic materials, and wafer-thick stator coils. Encapsulated microball bearings provide a robust supporting mechanism that enables a simple operation and actuation scheme with high mechanical stability. The integration of thick magnetic materials allows for a high magnetic flux density within the stator. The wafer-thick coil design optimizes the flux linkage and decreases the internal impedance of the stator for a higher output power. Geometrical design and device parameters are optimized based on theoretical analysis and finite element simulations. A microfabrication process flow was designed using 15 optical masks and 110 process steps to fabricate the micro-turbogenerators, which demonstrates the complexity in device manufacturing. Two 10 pole devices with 2 and 3 turns per pole were fabricated. Single phase resistances of 46Ω and 220Ω were measured for the two stators, respectively. The device was actuated using pressurized nitrogen flowing through a silicon plumbing layer. A test setup was built to simultaneously measure the gas flow rate, pressure, rotor speed, and output voltage and power. Friction torques in the range of 5.5-33µNm were measured over a speed range of 0-16krpm (kilo rotations per minute) within the microball bearings using spin-down testing methodology. A maximum per-phase sinusoidal open circuit voltage of 0.1V was measured at 23krpm, and a maximum per-phase AC power of 10µW was delivered on a matched load at 10krpm, which are in full-agreement with the estimations based on theoretical analysis and simulations. The micro-turbogenerator presented in this work is capable of converting gas flow into electricity, and can potentially be coupled to a same-scale combustion engine to convert high-density hydrocarbon energy into electrical power to realize a high-density power source for portable electronic systems.

show abstract

A prototype microthermophotovoltaic power generator

Cited by 60 publications

References 7 publications

Optimal reactor dimensions for homogeneous combustion in small channels

Optimal reactor dimensions for homogeneous combustion in small channels

Design, fabrication, and evaluation of on-chip micro-supercapacitors

An integrated electromagnetic micro-turbo-generator supported on encapsulated microball bearings

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About