A.4 Thermo-mechanic generators
PhD Student: Shankar Ravindran
Micro heat engines are essentially the miniaturized versions of the heat engines in the macro world. These devices transport heat periodically from a heat source to a heat sink, with a part of the heat transported being converted to mechanical work. Development of micro heat engines themselves is an interdisciplinary effort spanning heat transfer and mechanical engineering. Integrating an electric power generator into the heat engine, to generate electric power, adds a further dimension, namely electrical engineering. However, we have successfully demonstrated electric power generation using a micro heat engine with integrated pyroelectric as well as electromagnetic generators. We are currently in the process of developing new heat engines with integrated electric power generators. We are also focusing on the development of new techniques to enhance heat transfer at the dynamic thermal interfaces which are often found in micro heat engines.
Micro heat engine developed by Huesgen et al.