High power density of radiative-cooled compact thermoelectric generator based on body heat harvesting

Advancements in flexible and wearable electronics have led to the development of self-powered, wearable systems. Thermoelectric generators (TEGs) offer promising solutions toward self-powered energy harvesting from body heat. However, previously developed TEGs are large-sized owing to their heat sinks. Hence, highquality heat sinks are required for flexible TEGs with a small size and high power for wearable devices. Herein, a TEG integrated with a flexible, micron-thin poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-hexafluoropropylene) radiativecooled heat sink, with an emissivity of 97.47%, is proposed. The TEG with the radiative heat sink (TEG_rad) generates power by depositing heat into a cold space (temperature of 3 K) through passive radiative cooling. Thus, TEG_rad achieved a power density of 12.48 mu W/cm(2) with a temperature difference (Delta T) of 1.9 degrees C, higher than those of flexible TEGs that were previously reported, based on body heat harvesting under natural convection. Further, TEG_rad is not only more than two times compact, but also delivers high power output compared with a TEG with a bulky finned heat sink. Moreover, a flexible lithium-sulfur (Li-S) battery was coupled with TEG_rad to store the generated power for uninterrupted power supply to a self-powered wearable system.

Automated summary

Advancements in flexible and wearable electronics have enabled the development of self-powered wearable systems. Thermoelectric generators (TEGs) integrated with radiative-cooled heat sinks offer promising solutions for energy harvesting from body heat. By improving heat sink quality and efficiency, flexible TEGs can achieve compact size and high power output.