Skip to main content
eScholarship
Open Access Publications from the University of California

UCLA

UCLA Electronic Theses and Dissertations bannerUCLA

Experimental and Analytical Studies on Pyroelectric Waste Heat Energy Conversion

Abstract

This study is concerned with direct conversion of thermal energy into electrical energy by subjecting pyroelectric materials to the Olsen cycle. The Olsen cycle consists of two isoelectric field and two isothermal process on the electric displacement versus electric field diagram. The energy and power generation capabilities of copolymer poly(vinylidene fluoridetrifluorethylene) [P(VDF-TrFE)] films and lead lanthanum zirconate titanate (PLZT) ceramics were evaluated by executing the Olsen cycle via so-called "stamping experiments" and "dipping experiments".

The stamping experiments consisted of alternatively pressing a pyroelectric material in thermal contact with hot and cold aluminum blocks under specified electric fields. It was performed to assess the pyroelectric energy conversion performance using heat conduction. The largest energy density generated in the stamping experiments was 155 J/L/cycle with 60/40 P(VDF-TrFE) thin film at 0.066 Hz between 25 and 110°C and electric fields cycled between 20 and 35 MV/m. This energy density exceeded the 130 J/L/cycle achieved by our previous prototypical device using oscillatory laminar convective heat transfer. However, the performance was limited by poor thermal contact between the aluminum blocks and pyroelectric material and also by excessive leakage current inherent to P(VDF-TrFE) at high temperatures and/or large electric fields. On the other hand, dipping experiments consisted of successively immersing a pyroelectric material into isothermal hot and cold thermal reservoirs at different temperatures while simultaneously cycling the electric fields. It was performed on relaxor ferroelectric x/65/35 PLZT ceramics with x between 5 and 10 mol.%. The operating temperature, applied electric field, sample thickness, cycle frequency, and electrode material were systematically varied to explore their respective effects on the energy and power densities produced. A maximum energy density of 1014 J/L/cycle was obtained with a 190μm thick 7/65/35 PLZT sample at 0.0256 Hz at temperatures between 30 and 200°C and electric field from 0.2 to 7.0 MV/m. To the best of our knowledge, this energy density is the largest achieved among pyroelectric single crystals, ceramics, and polymers using the Olsen cycle. Meanwhile, a maximum power density of 55.3 ± 8.0 W/L obtained with a 190μm thick 9.5/65/35 PLZT sample at 0.125 Hz. Additionally, the temperature-dependent dielectric behavior of PLZT ceramics were characterized.

The polarization transition temperature of lanthanum-doped x/65/35 PLZT ceramics decreased from 240 to 10°C for increasing lanthanum dopant concentration x from 5 to 10 mol.%. This establishes that the different compositions should be operated at different temperatures for maximum pyroelectric energy conversion. Finally, a physical thermo-electrical model for estimating the energy harvested by ferroelectric relaxors was further validated against experimental data for a wide range of electric fields and temperatures.

Main Content
For improved accessibility of PDF content, download the file to your device.
Current View