Power Harvesting for Shipboard Health Monitoring Sensors

"Hi-Z Technology, Inc. (Hi-Z) proposes to use thermoelectric devices in developing a miniature energy harvesting system for shipboard health monitoring sensors. Thermoelectric devices convert heat directly to electricity in compact solid-state modules. Hi-Zhas been in the business of converting environmental and waste energy directly into electricity (energy harvesting) since 1988. Hi-Z has developed thermoelectric module technology that is well suited for this Navy application. This technology is based onthe use of thermal-to-electric conversion in the temperature ranges from room temperature to 300¿C. Hi-Z proposes to apply its newly developed multilayer Quantum Well thermoelectric material technology, which has even higher power conversion efficiency andsmaller volume that will help in satisfying the small design volume requirement. A number of these applications confirm the concept that energy can be harvested, particularly the recently completed design for the Navy where a thermoelectric generator wasdesigned, fabricated and installed to harvest energy freely available on board ships using the 5¿C differences between the temperature of the space inside the ship and the ship's hull. The current proposal is a logical extension of this work applied to asmaller design volume of one cubic inch. The benefits and potential commercial applications of this development are in use of these energy-harvesting modules to power sensors in hea