Thermoelectric generators should be on the verge ofproduction

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John Fairbanks, the department's thermoelectrics technologydevelopment manager, said the success of that generator justifiedthe competitive search in 2004 for a device that could augment orreplace a vehicle's alternator. Three teams were selected toparticipate in the program, with GM and thermoelectricsmanufacturer BSST separately working on cars and a team fromMichigan State University focusing on heavy-duty trucks.

Fairbanks said thermoelectric generators should be on the verge ofproduction in about three years.

"It's probably the biggest impact in the shortest time that I canthink of," he said.

The technology is similar to what NASA uses to power deep spaceprobes, a perk being it doesn't seem to be susceptible to wear.Probes have used a thermoelectric setup for about 30 years.

Thermoelectric devices can work in two ways — usingelectricity to provide heating or cooling, or using temperaturedifferences to create electricity.

The second method is Yang's focus, and for good reason.

In an internal combustion engine, only about a quarter of the totalenergy from gasoline is used to actually turn the wheels, while 40percent is lost in exhaust heat and 30 percent is lost throughcooling the engine. That means about 70 percent of the availableenergy is wasted, according to GM.

"If I can use some of that heat energy and convert it toelectricity, you can improve the overall efficiency," Yang said.

A Suburban produces 15 kilowatts of exhaust heat energy during citydriving, which is enough to power three or four air conditionerssimultaneously.

But it's not possible to harness all the exhaust heat a vehicleproduces, so when the Suburban is cruising between 50 and 60 mph,the generator can produce about 800 watts of power, Yang said. Thatelectricity could go to accessories such as a GPS device, DVDplayer, radio and possibly the vehicle's water pumps.

Yang's prototype device is to be tested in a Suburban next year. Asimilar prototype created by Ohio State scientists and BSST shouldbe tested in a BMW in 2009.

The thermoelectric generator works when one side of its metallicmaterial is heated, and excited electrons move to the cold side.The movement creates a current, which electrodes collect andconvert to electricity.

While it's not clear how much the device would add to the price ofa vehicle, the whole point of the research is to make itcost-effective, Yang said.

"There are several other steps that are required to commercializethe material, but we're cautiously optimistic that these steps canbe carried out successfully," said Lon Bell, president of BSST, asubsidiary of Northville-based thermoelectrics supplier AmerigonInc.

BSST also is working with Ford Motor Co. to develop climate controlsystems based on thermoelectrics.

Ford wants a system that would target a person's extremities whenit's cold or the back of the neck in summer heat, rather than blowout a lot of air to change the temperature of the entire vehicle.

"We think we can make people feel cooler more quickly, feelcomfortable more quickly, and that will translate into less powerin the central AC system," said Clay Maranville, a Ford seniorresearch scientist.

Honda Motor Co. also has supported university research intothermoelectrics, but a spokesman said the automaker doesn't haveits own research program.