Powering wearable devices by human heat with highly efficient, flexible, bio-inspired generators

Project Information

POWERbyU

Grant agreement ID: 101052603

DOI

10.3030/101052603

EC signature date 9 September 2022

Start date 1 October 2022

End date 30 September 2027

Funded under

• European Research Council (ERC)

Total cost

€ 2 499 516,00

EU contribution

€ 2 499 266,00

Coordinated by

AGENCIA ESTATAL CONSEJO SUPERIOR DE INVESTIGACIONES CIENTIFICAS
Spain

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - POWERbyU (Powering wearable devices by human heat with highly efficient, flexible, bio-inspired generators)

Reporting period: 2022-10-01 to 2025-03-31

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

In today's fast-paced world, wearable technology is becoming integral to our lives, especially in healthcare. Imagine wearing a device that continuously monitors vital signs, alerts you to health issues, and even communicates with your healthcare provider—all without needing cumbersome batteries. This is now possible with advancements in self-powered wearable electronics, which harness energy from the body or environment to operate seamlessly.

The Internet of Everything (IoE) is revolutionizing how we connect, with 31 billion devices expected by 2025, generating €635 billion annually. Wearable sensors are at the heart of this revolution. These compact gadgets monitor vital signs like blood pressure, ions in sweat, and glucose levels in real time, sending data to healthcare professionals for timely decision-making and improved care.

However, there's a catch. The current reliance on traditional batteries poses challenges. They are bulky, inflexible, and require frequent recharging, limiting wearable devices' potential. To address these issues, innovations such as flexible thermoelectric generators (TEGs) are emerging. TEGs convert body heat into energy, offering a sustainable power source and eliminating the need for recharging. Unfortunately, current TEGs use rigid substrates that don’t conform well to the human body, reducing their efficiency. The POWERbyU project is tackling these limitations by developing flexible TEGs on polymeric substrates with enhanced thermal conductivity. By integrating advanced materials and engineering solutions, the project aims to create self-powered devices capable of continuous operation.

These innovations have applications beyond healthcare. In construction, for instance, wearable technology can enhance safety by monitoring workers' health in hazardous conditions. Additionally, incorporating wearable devices into workplace wellness programs can promote healthier lifestyles and improve employee well-being. With growing consumer interest, understanding factors like perceived usefulness, design, and user experience is key to adoption.

In conclusion, self-powered wearable electronics mark a significant leap in healthcare and beyond. By addressing battery limitations and leveraging innovative materials, projects like POWERbyU are poised to enhance the functionality and reliability of wearable devices, and promise to revolutionize how we monitor health, enhance well-being, and interact with the world.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

We’ve made significant strides in developing High Thermal Conductivity Flexible Substrates. For that we have developed a method to obtain 3D Anodic Alumina (AAO) templates with pore sizes ranging from 30 nm to 350 nm. These templates are crucial for enhancing the thermal properties of polymers. We've also successfully infiltrated various polymers into these templates using a specially designed high-vacuum oven in our lab. This breakthrough enables the creation of materials that can harness both thermal energy and mechanical movement, potentially improving the efficiency of energy-harvesting devices.
Despite challenges like global component shortages, we successfully designed and built the EUROPHAS system, a semi-industrial multichamber deposition system. This advanced system helps grow and analyze thermoelectric layers, crucial for efficient energy conversion. The first series of selenide films produced have shown promising results, which were shared at international conferences in Japan and Portugal.
We’ve made early progress in heat flow simulations using COMSOL Multiphysics. Our optimized thermoelectric device design has significantly improved power output while reducing device volume. These simulations help us fine-tune the device before actual fabrication, speeding up the development process.
To integrate our generators into devices, we've started designing electronic circuits that convert low DC signals into usable power. We’ve purchased components to build various low-input power DC-DC converters.
We began integrating thermoelectric materials into polyester, commonly used in clothing, to test flexible devices and foresee any technical issues. This work has been published in a scientific journal. Additionally, we've set up a new failure analysis system and are preparing a paper on our initial findings.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

Our project has achieved several significant milestones, with impactful potential for the future. Our advances in 3D-AAO templates, EUROPHAS deposition system, and heat flow simulations mark significant progress in materials science and engineering. These developments have the potential to revolutionize the fabrication of thermoelectric materials and devices, leading to more efficient and sustainable energy solutions.
1. Development of High Thermal Conductivity Flexible Substrates: We’ve pioneered new 3D Anodic Aluminium Oxide (3D-AAO) templates that offer greater versatility in creating structures and nanostructures. This advancement allows the use of a wider range of polymers and nanoscale sizes, paving the way for optimized material properties through nanostructuration that could not be done before.
2. EUROPHAS System and Selenides Fabrication: Using our EUROPHAS multichamber system, we can now produce efficient thermoelectric materials, like 2D selenide films on flexible, high thermal conductivity polymer substrates, at room temperature. This breakthrough enables the incorporation of earth-abundant, efficient 2D selenides into devices, overcoming the typical degradation issues at higher temperatures by operating at lower temperatures and currents.
3. COMSOL Simulations: We have conducted simulations to efficiently direct the heat flow in thermoelectric generator (TEG), which could lead to reduced costs, and improved material properties. This advancement enhances the synergy of our other developments.
4. Future Steps to Ensure Uptake and Success: To further ensure the success and uptake of our advancements, we need to focus on several key areas:
Patent Management: We will manage commercial patentability for our developed techniques and circuit designs.
Conducting real-condition tests to optimize heat flow, as the use of junctions and contact materials can lead to phenomena affecting heat and charge transfer. Further research is essential to address and solve these issues.
Commercialization and IPR Support: We will continue to seek intellectual property rights support to protect our innovations and facilitate commercialization.

EUROPHAS system November 2024