Dr. Peter Bermel, an Assistant Professor of Electrical & Computer Engineering at Purdue University, recently received the NSF CAREER* award for his proposal entitled, "Thermophotonics for Efficient Harvesting of Waste Heat as Electricity". The total amount of support awarded is $500,000 over the next 5 years.

In this project, Dr. Bermel and his research group will engage in theoretical and experimental efforts to recover waste heat as electricity. As stated in his project abstract, this work is needed since in 2013 alone, 61% of raw energy (namely, coal, natural gas, and oil) was wasted as heat because of the low efficiency of power conversion. A thermophotovoltaic (TPV) system—desirable for its low maintenance and quiet, portable operation—can uniquely capture this waste heat as electricity by using thermal photons (discrete units or quanta of light) whose energies match the bandgap of the photovoltaic (PV) cell. However, TPV systems emit the vast majority of thermal photons at low energies, thus greatly reducing efficiencies. To overcome this barrier, Dr. Bermel proposes to develop a highly innovative approach to TPV, called thermo-photonics (TPX), by redirecting thermal photons into useful energies matching the PV cell.  TPX can significantly increase the efficiency of TPV converters—up to 50%.  What is more, this device may efficiently utilize standard silicon PV technology, thus ensuring a relatively easy transfer to commercial development when the concept is proven.  Studying TPX will develop fundamental knowledge of thermal radiation, heat transfer, and the limits of photovoltaic conversion processes to make a potentially transformative contribution. Applications may include harvesting waste heat, converting solar power, and creating new light sources.

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*The Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Program is a Foundation-wide activity that offers the National Science Foundation's most prestigious awards in support of junior faculty who exemplify the role of teacher-scholars through outstanding research, excellent education and the integration of education and research within the context of the mission of their organizations. Such activities should build a firm foundation for a lifetime of leadership in integrating education and research. For more information, please see: http://www.nsf.gov/career