Final Report Summary - POWER DRIVER (An innovative environmentally friendly thermo-electric power generation system for automotive and marine applications that is powered by exhaust waste thermal energy to reduce fuel consumption.)
Executive Summary:
EU legislation is targeting transport CO2 emissions with penalties for OEM Automotive manufacturers for fleet averages CO2 g/km exceeding the requirements for all new passenger cars. This will become increasingly effective in encouraging consumers to purchase fuel efficient vehicles, and for manufacturers to invest in reducing CO2 emissions and pollution. In addition, concerns about rising fuel costs are driving the need for greater fuel efficiencies. As a result, a disruptive technology step is required that will enable the manufactures or cars and marine engines to meet the forthcoming legislative standards. One very attractive way of achieving this is to generate power from the Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) waste heat. The POWER DRIVER project aims to overcome the limitations relating to the production of an automotive and marine power generation system by integrating cutting-edge nano-structured silicide and functionally graded telluride thermo-electric materials into a heat exchanger assembly that will enable electrical power to be generated from the exhaust system without affecting back-pressure or engine balance. By doing this, the exhaust system created will offer greatly improved environmental performance due to improved fuel efficiency and reduced emissions (CO2, nitrogen oxides, hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide and particulates) at a cost that is affordable to the end-user.
Initial effort focused on developing baseline nanometric grade thermo-electric materials and was followed by optimisation focused on meeting the required TEG output at a cost basis consistent with the commercial demands of the project end-users. The hot air exhaust heat exchanger was designed and optimised such that the heat transfer was maximised without causing excessive exhaust back pressure, in order that the net fuel economy was positive. The cooling plates were designed, built and tested. At a flow rate of 10 l/min the predicted pressure drop across the cooling plate was 115 mbar compared with 140 mbar for the actual full prototype. Two small device prototype thermoelectric modules were produced; one Silicide module and one Lead Telluride based. A third module based on Bismuth Telluride was also evaluated. The integrated automotive system was mounted onto a fully instrumented hot air test-rig to simulate the exhaust of a 2 litre gasoline car. Experimental test data was obtained and compared with the predicted theoretical results generated during the design and development stages. For the marine application both the Rolls-Royce and Halyard applications used a multi-layer parallel plate design concept based on the passenger car application.
The current automotive: flat plate design is not considered as exploitable due to a combination of cost, performance and weight. There are a number of opportunities that have been identified during the project to reduce cost and weight and increase performance that could take the current design towards the target €75/g CO2 target. For the Rolls-Royce marine application, based on a first order analysis, a yield of 20-30kW at full power with a target cost of around $1/W is achieved. However this does not meet the customer expectations in terms of efficiency and cost. Assuming an enhanced TEG performance can be achieved for the same cost then for a future TEG system to be considered as value added for marine applications a $0.5/W should be targeted for future work. For the Halyard application a review of possible installation scenarios shows that the most likely opportunity for applying TEG technology is during an exhaust overhaul which would typically run alongside a re-power exercise. Under these circumstances the system would be competing with whole ship energy efficiency schemes and with the technology as it currently stands would be uncompetitive.
A single patent application has resulted in relation to an approach to overcome the stress related issues and to provide potential for simplifying the number of components. Product guides have been created and technology transfer events have been carried out. A business plan detailing the post-project activities has been created. The identification of other applications of the processes developed and the market areas for the product has been carried out. In support of dissemination the website has been established and news released on the project. A number of publications have been generated along with posters and presentations delivered at various international conferences.
Project Context and Objectives:
EU legislation is targeting transport CO2 emissions with penalties for OEM Automotive manufacturers for fleet averages CO2 g/km exceeding the requirements for all new passenger cars. This will become increasingly effective in encouraging consumers to purchase fuel efficient vehicles, and for manufacturers to invest in reducing CO2 emissions and pollution. If they are unable to achieve targets, then this may have a significant negative impact on manufacturers, either by reduced profits due to the charge, or decreasing competitiveness and therefore lower sales. There is considerable prestige in advanced designs where vehicles have next generation performance, and best in class statistics promoting their leadership position. Cars also produce emissions such as Nitrogen oxides, Hydrocarbons, Carbon monoxide and particulate matter which are subject to tight controls. For marine application, existing and forthcoming legislation is aiming at reducing the emissions of Carbon Monoxide, Hydrocarbons and particulate matter. In addition, concerns about rising fuel costs are driving the need for greater fuel efficiencies. As a result, a disruptive technology step is required that will enable the manufactures or cars and marine engines to meet the forthcoming legislative standards. One very attractive way of achieving this is to generate power from the Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) waste heat. A prototype system created by BMW can generate up to 250W of electricity under normal driving conditions that can cut fuel consumption by up to 2%. However, the thermo-electric materials used for these applications to date have a number of clear limitations as they can be easily thermally damaged, are expensive and only achieve low efficiencies. The POWER DRIVER project aims to overcome the limitations relating to the production of an automotive and marine power generation system by integrating cutting-edge nano-structured silicide and functionally graded telluride thermo-electric materials into a heat exchanger assembly that will enable electrical power to be generated from the exhaust system without affecting back-pressure or engine balance. By doing this, the exhaust system created will offer greatly improved environmental performance due to improved fuel efficiency and reduced emissions (CO2, nitrogen oxides, hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide and particulates) at a cost that is affordable to the end-user. It is predicted that (even if the additional weight of the unit is considered) fuel efficiency will increase by at least 5%, leading to a corresponding 5% reduction in emissions.
Project Results:
Initial effort focused on developing baseline nanometric grade thermo-electric materials and was followed by optimisation focused on meeting the required TEG output at a cost basis consistent with the commercial demands of the project end-users. For silicides the production of p- and n-type materials via a mechanical alloying route demonstrated significant handling and processing difficulties. An alternate method produced an n-type material with a ZTmax of up to 1.4. Studies into p-type higher-manganese-silicide (HMS) material showed the benefit of using a rapid solidification technique with a ZTmax of 0.6 being achieved which is equal to the state-of-the-art. In relation to telluride based materials p-type GeTe with a ZTmax of 1.7 has been synthesised. Two alternate n-type compositions based on PbI2 doped PbTe have been produced with ZTmax values of 0.9 & 1.2. Two additional compositions were identified, Na doped PbTe and PbSnTe. The first, exhibiting higher ZTs, but was found to be mechanical very brittle and not suited to the handling and processing activities required for further TEG module development. The hot air exhaust heat exchanger was designed and optimised such that the heat transfer was maximised without causing excessive exhaust back pressure, in order that the net fuel economy was positive. The predicted pressure drop was 21 mbar compared with 85 - 86 mbar for the final prototype. The predicted efficiency was 60% compared to the test efficiency of 48 – 50%. The cooling plates were designed, built and tested. At a flow rate of 10 l/min the predicted pressure drop across the cooling plate was 115 mbar compared with 140 mbar for the actual full prototype. Two small device prototype thermoelectric modules were produced; one Silicide module and one Lead Telluride based. Separate joining methods were developed for each module based on the working temperatures of each module calculated in earlier stages of the project. A third module based on Bismuth Telluride was also evaluated. The integrated automotive system was mounted onto a fully instrumented hot air test-rig to simulate the exhaust of a 2 litre gasoline car. Experimental test data was obtained and compared with the predicted theoretical results generated during the design and development stages. The thermo-electric generator within the integrated system was built using solely commercially sourced bismuth telluride thermoelectric modules rather than the hybrid originally designed. This was necessary because of joining problems experienced in the assembly of the silicide modules. For the marine application the various data on a marinised diesel engine for both the Rolls-Royce and Halyard applications were collated. For both applications a multi-layer parallel plate design concept based on the passenger car application was used. For the Rolls –Royce application a design the predicted power output was 14.0 - 27.7 kW (silicide only) and 14.6 – 31.5 kW (hybrid). For the Halyard application the corresponding figures were 2.7 – 4.9 kW and 2.9 – 5.7 kW. A single patent application has resulted in relation to an approach to overcome the stress related issues and to provide potential for simplifying the number of components. Product guides have been created and technology transfer events have been carried out. A business plan detailing the post-project activities has been created. The identification of other applications of the processes developed and the market areas for the product has been carried out. In support of dissemination the website has been established and news released on the project. A number of publications have been generated along with posters and presentations delivered at various international conferences
Potential Impact:
Automotive: The current flat plate design is not considered as exploitable due to a combination of cost, performance and weight. There are a number of opportunities that have been identified during the project to reduce cost and weight and increase performance that could take the current design towards the target €75/g CO2 target. The assessment of the scale-up potential of processing and manufacturing has identified a number of considerations that will have to be taken into account for any further work before the technology can be considered as exploitable.
Marine: For the Rolls-Royce application a cylindrical package multi-layer parallel plate design concept based on the automotive application has been created utilising both silicide only and hybrid design options. Based on a first order analysis a yield of 20-30kW at full power with a target cost of around $1/W is achieved. However this does not meet the customer expectations in terms of efficiency and cost. Assuming an enhanced TEG performance can be achieved for the same cost then for a future TEG system to be considered as value added for marine applications a $0.5/W should be targeted for future work.
For the Halyard application a cylindrical package multi-layer parallel plate design concept based on the passenger car application has been created utilising both silicide only and hybrid design options. A review of possible installation scenarios shows that the most likely opportunity for applying TEG technology is during a re-power activity where the vessel is purely having its generators changed. The vessel is likely to require lifting from the water with access through the hull needed to gain access to the engine room. Under this scale of works the physical constraints are considerable. The only opportunity to install such a retrofit system would be during an exhaust overhaul which would typically run alongside a re-power exercise. Under these circumstances the system would be competing with whole ship energy efficiency schemes and with the technology as it currently stands would be uncompetitive.
The biggest socio-economic impact has been identified as the environment benefits of the thermoelectric technology process. Implementation and commercialisation of this technology in the identified end-users sectors will have a positive environmental impact through improved fuel efficiency and thereby reduced CO2 emissions. Oil is a valuable resource which can be used for more productive purposes than burning unnecessarily. In addition implementation and commercialisation of this technology will enable the SME participants to achieve sustainable, competitive and profitable business growth.
The PowerDriver consortium has prepared a business plan for future funding, the business case and a final dissemination document covering the outputs.
Main dissemination activities.
The aim of the dissemination activities is to raise the awareness of the technology development of the PowerDriver project. The project seeks to address a number of specific issues relating to the exploitation of thermoelectrics in waste heat conversion. The target groups include commercial, academic and the public.
All consortium members will take part in the dissemination activities through their market contacts, publications of technology, general papers and attending relevant events. The Exploitation Board, chaired by the Exploitation Manager of the project Marco Stella of DTS, is responsible for planning and approval of dissemination materials. All publications and presentations will be subjected to veto by the Exploitation Manager in order to ensure that no proprietary information is disseminated prematurely. Non-confidential information related to project results and findings will be shared throughout the relevant mediums to reach a broader target audience. Issues related to confidentiality are further regulated with the Consortium Agreement that has been signed by all consortium members. Compliance with Part C of Annex II of the Grant Agreement will be ensured.
A logo was generated for the projected, and the logo has been used in project presentations and various templates when project partners have communicated at meetings.
All publications will include a reference to the FP7 funding scheme through which the research and development work has been financed, with the following sentence: “The research leading to these results has received funding from the European Union’s Seventh Framework Programme managed by REA-Research Executive Agency FP7/2007-2013(si apre in una nuova finestra) under grant agreement no 286503”.
In addition all publications will include the project logo and the relevant EC and/or FP7 logos.
Specific media will be utilised:
Websites
The project website is an essential supporting tool for the dissemination of project results and provides additional promotion of the project. The website domain name is www.powerdriver.info. This website can be used for sharing non-confidential information regarding the consortium, R&D work carried out and news related to publishable materials or relevant events which partners are organising or participating in. It can also be used to obtain feedback and gain information from website visitors.
We are using the powerdriver.info domain to underline the scientific/technical/public interest that this project has, but we have secured the powerdriver.com domain to ensure professional dissemination in the future.
The site contains general public project descriptions, project information and can host in the future updated project publications. In addition it can be expanded to include other dissemination materials like specific publications data, potentially interviews and process or demonstration videos.
To ensure a high proportion of target audience visiting the project website, consortium members will make a reference to the website in their dissemination materials and where possible updated on their internal project websites.
Publications
The list of relevant and adequate journals for publications has been initially identified in the DoW. This list will be further refined over the course of the project.
It is planned to publish 2 to 3 articles in scientific journals within the ISI list, (e.g. advanced engineering materials, advanced materials processes, International journal of material production technology etc.)
Press releases will be generated at appropriate points in time.
It is hoped that as a result of the press releases and various website activities that project news will be picked up by relevant online publications in terms of blogs and newsletters.
EC dissemination tools such as Cordis News, Cordis Wire and Transport research on Europa.eu will be investigated.
Conferences and Workshops
A number of specific events have been identified and these will be targeted. They are:
• May 13 - ENMAT II Conference, Karlsruhe, Germany
• June 13 - ICT 2013 Conference, Kobe, Japan
• Sept 13 - Euromat 2013 Conference, Seville, Spain
• Nov 13 - ECT 2013 Conference, Noordwijk, Netherlands
• Dec 13 - Materials Research Society (MRS) meeting, Boston, USA
• Jan 14 - Electronic Materials and Applications (EMA) meeting, Orlando, USA
Wikipedia Page
A Wikipedia page will be created and provide a detailed overview about the PowerDriver technology and the research undertaken. The page will contain pictures of the prototype and will explain the process, as well as the benefits and impacts.
Video Clip
The production of a video clip will be considered for publication initially on the ETL website and then submitted to YouTube at the end of the project. If possible similar clips will be generated by the other partners and then combined together for publication on the project website.
Exploitation of results
A business plan has been formed after extensive reviews of results and progress of the EU funded PowerDriver project. The focus is on developing exciting new core technology which will enable the consortium to lead the thermoelectric generator development into the automotive and marine sectors primarily. However, this technology is envisaged to be applicable to other sectors, providing a common platform which can be commercialised. The approach of the project is considered to have fundamental values with the potential for exceptional growth and, from a cost perspective of materials, strong competitive edge for the long term.
The SME consortium recognises the results are not yet at an advanced enough stage for external business investment. It is unanimously agreed that a follow on European or National funded project is the preferred route which will provide an ideal framework to continue the capacity and knowledge developed so far. The consortium partners have not worked together before with many of the SME partners needing to register for a PIC number to enter a European programme for the first time.
The plan has been developed to support the consortium in finding alliances and partnerships, seeking future funding and to support scale up manufacturing investments should advanced equipment be needed from EBAN or from financers. A comparison of growth rates and valuation, from conservative estimates, indicates that after 7 years investors are expected to make an 84% IRR and an 8 fold increase in valuation. The consortium has access to many skills within the management teams and SME partners which means development is both cost effective and with a quality approach.
Jaguar Land Rover estimates that as many as 50% of its 600k engines produced may be paired with a thermoelectric generator system of this type by 2023. Further that a total system price of 180 € would make the technology viable for installation against other potential solutions.
Rolls Royce have indicated whilst current thermoelectric performance does not provide sufficient efficiency that with modest performance improvements and price reduction in line with automotive requirements there are application groups where a thermoelectric system would be selected.
The consortium is at an important point with knowledge and capacity available to build a world leading European supply chain for the largest applications for thermoelectric technology.
List of Websites:
www.powerdriver.info
EU legislation is targeting transport CO2 emissions with penalties for OEM Automotive manufacturers for fleet averages CO2 g/km exceeding the requirements for all new passenger cars. This will become increasingly effective in encouraging consumers to purchase fuel efficient vehicles, and for manufacturers to invest in reducing CO2 emissions and pollution. In addition, concerns about rising fuel costs are driving the need for greater fuel efficiencies. As a result, a disruptive technology step is required that will enable the manufactures or cars and marine engines to meet the forthcoming legislative standards. One very attractive way of achieving this is to generate power from the Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) waste heat. The POWER DRIVER project aims to overcome the limitations relating to the production of an automotive and marine power generation system by integrating cutting-edge nano-structured silicide and functionally graded telluride thermo-electric materials into a heat exchanger assembly that will enable electrical power to be generated from the exhaust system without affecting back-pressure or engine balance. By doing this, the exhaust system created will offer greatly improved environmental performance due to improved fuel efficiency and reduced emissions (CO2, nitrogen oxides, hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide and particulates) at a cost that is affordable to the end-user.
Initial effort focused on developing baseline nanometric grade thermo-electric materials and was followed by optimisation focused on meeting the required TEG output at a cost basis consistent with the commercial demands of the project end-users. The hot air exhaust heat exchanger was designed and optimised such that the heat transfer was maximised without causing excessive exhaust back pressure, in order that the net fuel economy was positive. The cooling plates were designed, built and tested. At a flow rate of 10 l/min the predicted pressure drop across the cooling plate was 115 mbar compared with 140 mbar for the actual full prototype. Two small device prototype thermoelectric modules were produced; one Silicide module and one Lead Telluride based. A third module based on Bismuth Telluride was also evaluated. The integrated automotive system was mounted onto a fully instrumented hot air test-rig to simulate the exhaust of a 2 litre gasoline car. Experimental test data was obtained and compared with the predicted theoretical results generated during the design and development stages. For the marine application both the Rolls-Royce and Halyard applications used a multi-layer parallel plate design concept based on the passenger car application.
The current automotive: flat plate design is not considered as exploitable due to a combination of cost, performance and weight. There are a number of opportunities that have been identified during the project to reduce cost and weight and increase performance that could take the current design towards the target €75/g CO2 target. For the Rolls-Royce marine application, based on a first order analysis, a yield of 20-30kW at full power with a target cost of around $1/W is achieved. However this does not meet the customer expectations in terms of efficiency and cost. Assuming an enhanced TEG performance can be achieved for the same cost then for a future TEG system to be considered as value added for marine applications a $0.5/W should be targeted for future work. For the Halyard application a review of possible installation scenarios shows that the most likely opportunity for applying TEG technology is during an exhaust overhaul which would typically run alongside a re-power exercise. Under these circumstances the system would be competing with whole ship energy efficiency schemes and with the technology as it currently stands would be uncompetitive.
A single patent application has resulted in relation to an approach to overcome the stress related issues and to provide potential for simplifying the number of components. Product guides have been created and technology transfer events have been carried out. A business plan detailing the post-project activities has been created. The identification of other applications of the processes developed and the market areas for the product has been carried out. In support of dissemination the website has been established and news released on the project. A number of publications have been generated along with posters and presentations delivered at various international conferences.
Project Context and Objectives:
EU legislation is targeting transport CO2 emissions with penalties for OEM Automotive manufacturers for fleet averages CO2 g/km exceeding the requirements for all new passenger cars. This will become increasingly effective in encouraging consumers to purchase fuel efficient vehicles, and for manufacturers to invest in reducing CO2 emissions and pollution. If they are unable to achieve targets, then this may have a significant negative impact on manufacturers, either by reduced profits due to the charge, or decreasing competitiveness and therefore lower sales. There is considerable prestige in advanced designs where vehicles have next generation performance, and best in class statistics promoting their leadership position. Cars also produce emissions such as Nitrogen oxides, Hydrocarbons, Carbon monoxide and particulate matter which are subject to tight controls. For marine application, existing and forthcoming legislation is aiming at reducing the emissions of Carbon Monoxide, Hydrocarbons and particulate matter. In addition, concerns about rising fuel costs are driving the need for greater fuel efficiencies. As a result, a disruptive technology step is required that will enable the manufactures or cars and marine engines to meet the forthcoming legislative standards. One very attractive way of achieving this is to generate power from the Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) waste heat. A prototype system created by BMW can generate up to 250W of electricity under normal driving conditions that can cut fuel consumption by up to 2%. However, the thermo-electric materials used for these applications to date have a number of clear limitations as they can be easily thermally damaged, are expensive and only achieve low efficiencies. The POWER DRIVER project aims to overcome the limitations relating to the production of an automotive and marine power generation system by integrating cutting-edge nano-structured silicide and functionally graded telluride thermo-electric materials into a heat exchanger assembly that will enable electrical power to be generated from the exhaust system without affecting back-pressure or engine balance. By doing this, the exhaust system created will offer greatly improved environmental performance due to improved fuel efficiency and reduced emissions (CO2, nitrogen oxides, hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide and particulates) at a cost that is affordable to the end-user. It is predicted that (even if the additional weight of the unit is considered) fuel efficiency will increase by at least 5%, leading to a corresponding 5% reduction in emissions.
Project Results:
Initial effort focused on developing baseline nanometric grade thermo-electric materials and was followed by optimisation focused on meeting the required TEG output at a cost basis consistent with the commercial demands of the project end-users. For silicides the production of p- and n-type materials via a mechanical alloying route demonstrated significant handling and processing difficulties. An alternate method produced an n-type material with a ZTmax of up to 1.4. Studies into p-type higher-manganese-silicide (HMS) material showed the benefit of using a rapid solidification technique with a ZTmax of 0.6 being achieved which is equal to the state-of-the-art. In relation to telluride based materials p-type GeTe with a ZTmax of 1.7 has been synthesised. Two alternate n-type compositions based on PbI2 doped PbTe have been produced with ZTmax values of 0.9 & 1.2. Two additional compositions were identified, Na doped PbTe and PbSnTe. The first, exhibiting higher ZTs, but was found to be mechanical very brittle and not suited to the handling and processing activities required for further TEG module development. The hot air exhaust heat exchanger was designed and optimised such that the heat transfer was maximised without causing excessive exhaust back pressure, in order that the net fuel economy was positive. The predicted pressure drop was 21 mbar compared with 85 - 86 mbar for the final prototype. The predicted efficiency was 60% compared to the test efficiency of 48 – 50%. The cooling plates were designed, built and tested. At a flow rate of 10 l/min the predicted pressure drop across the cooling plate was 115 mbar compared with 140 mbar for the actual full prototype. Two small device prototype thermoelectric modules were produced; one Silicide module and one Lead Telluride based. Separate joining methods were developed for each module based on the working temperatures of each module calculated in earlier stages of the project. A third module based on Bismuth Telluride was also evaluated. The integrated automotive system was mounted onto a fully instrumented hot air test-rig to simulate the exhaust of a 2 litre gasoline car. Experimental test data was obtained and compared with the predicted theoretical results generated during the design and development stages. The thermo-electric generator within the integrated system was built using solely commercially sourced bismuth telluride thermoelectric modules rather than the hybrid originally designed. This was necessary because of joining problems experienced in the assembly of the silicide modules. For the marine application the various data on a marinised diesel engine for both the Rolls-Royce and Halyard applications were collated. For both applications a multi-layer parallel plate design concept based on the passenger car application was used. For the Rolls –Royce application a design the predicted power output was 14.0 - 27.7 kW (silicide only) and 14.6 – 31.5 kW (hybrid). For the Halyard application the corresponding figures were 2.7 – 4.9 kW and 2.9 – 5.7 kW. A single patent application has resulted in relation to an approach to overcome the stress related issues and to provide potential for simplifying the number of components. Product guides have been created and technology transfer events have been carried out. A business plan detailing the post-project activities has been created. The identification of other applications of the processes developed and the market areas for the product has been carried out. In support of dissemination the website has been established and news released on the project. A number of publications have been generated along with posters and presentations delivered at various international conferences
Potential Impact:
Automotive: The current flat plate design is not considered as exploitable due to a combination of cost, performance and weight. There are a number of opportunities that have been identified during the project to reduce cost and weight and increase performance that could take the current design towards the target €75/g CO2 target. The assessment of the scale-up potential of processing and manufacturing has identified a number of considerations that will have to be taken into account for any further work before the technology can be considered as exploitable.
Marine: For the Rolls-Royce application a cylindrical package multi-layer parallel plate design concept based on the automotive application has been created utilising both silicide only and hybrid design options. Based on a first order analysis a yield of 20-30kW at full power with a target cost of around $1/W is achieved. However this does not meet the customer expectations in terms of efficiency and cost. Assuming an enhanced TEG performance can be achieved for the same cost then for a future TEG system to be considered as value added for marine applications a $0.5/W should be targeted for future work.
For the Halyard application a cylindrical package multi-layer parallel plate design concept based on the passenger car application has been created utilising both silicide only and hybrid design options. A review of possible installation scenarios shows that the most likely opportunity for applying TEG technology is during a re-power activity where the vessel is purely having its generators changed. The vessel is likely to require lifting from the water with access through the hull needed to gain access to the engine room. Under this scale of works the physical constraints are considerable. The only opportunity to install such a retrofit system would be during an exhaust overhaul which would typically run alongside a re-power exercise. Under these circumstances the system would be competing with whole ship energy efficiency schemes and with the technology as it currently stands would be uncompetitive.
The biggest socio-economic impact has been identified as the environment benefits of the thermoelectric technology process. Implementation and commercialisation of this technology in the identified end-users sectors will have a positive environmental impact through improved fuel efficiency and thereby reduced CO2 emissions. Oil is a valuable resource which can be used for more productive purposes than burning unnecessarily. In addition implementation and commercialisation of this technology will enable the SME participants to achieve sustainable, competitive and profitable business growth.
The PowerDriver consortium has prepared a business plan for future funding, the business case and a final dissemination document covering the outputs.
Main dissemination activities.
The aim of the dissemination activities is to raise the awareness of the technology development of the PowerDriver project. The project seeks to address a number of specific issues relating to the exploitation of thermoelectrics in waste heat conversion. The target groups include commercial, academic and the public.
All consortium members will take part in the dissemination activities through their market contacts, publications of technology, general papers and attending relevant events. The Exploitation Board, chaired by the Exploitation Manager of the project Marco Stella of DTS, is responsible for planning and approval of dissemination materials. All publications and presentations will be subjected to veto by the Exploitation Manager in order to ensure that no proprietary information is disseminated prematurely. Non-confidential information related to project results and findings will be shared throughout the relevant mediums to reach a broader target audience. Issues related to confidentiality are further regulated with the Consortium Agreement that has been signed by all consortium members. Compliance with Part C of Annex II of the Grant Agreement will be ensured.
A logo was generated for the projected, and the logo has been used in project presentations and various templates when project partners have communicated at meetings.
All publications will include a reference to the FP7 funding scheme through which the research and development work has been financed, with the following sentence: “The research leading to these results has received funding from the European Union’s Seventh Framework Programme managed by REA-Research Executive Agency FP7/2007-2013(si apre in una nuova finestra) under grant agreement no 286503”.
In addition all publications will include the project logo and the relevant EC and/or FP7 logos.
Specific media will be utilised:
Websites
The project website is an essential supporting tool for the dissemination of project results and provides additional promotion of the project. The website domain name is www.powerdriver.info. This website can be used for sharing non-confidential information regarding the consortium, R&D work carried out and news related to publishable materials or relevant events which partners are organising or participating in. It can also be used to obtain feedback and gain information from website visitors.
We are using the powerdriver.info domain to underline the scientific/technical/public interest that this project has, but we have secured the powerdriver.com domain to ensure professional dissemination in the future.
The site contains general public project descriptions, project information and can host in the future updated project publications. In addition it can be expanded to include other dissemination materials like specific publications data, potentially interviews and process or demonstration videos.
To ensure a high proportion of target audience visiting the project website, consortium members will make a reference to the website in their dissemination materials and where possible updated on their internal project websites.
Publications
The list of relevant and adequate journals for publications has been initially identified in the DoW. This list will be further refined over the course of the project.
It is planned to publish 2 to 3 articles in scientific journals within the ISI list, (e.g. advanced engineering materials, advanced materials processes, International journal of material production technology etc.)
Press releases will be generated at appropriate points in time.
It is hoped that as a result of the press releases and various website activities that project news will be picked up by relevant online publications in terms of blogs and newsletters.
EC dissemination tools such as Cordis News, Cordis Wire and Transport research on Europa.eu will be investigated.
Conferences and Workshops
A number of specific events have been identified and these will be targeted. They are:
• May 13 - ENMAT II Conference, Karlsruhe, Germany
• June 13 - ICT 2013 Conference, Kobe, Japan
• Sept 13 - Euromat 2013 Conference, Seville, Spain
• Nov 13 - ECT 2013 Conference, Noordwijk, Netherlands
• Dec 13 - Materials Research Society (MRS) meeting, Boston, USA
• Jan 14 - Electronic Materials and Applications (EMA) meeting, Orlando, USA
Wikipedia Page
A Wikipedia page will be created and provide a detailed overview about the PowerDriver technology and the research undertaken. The page will contain pictures of the prototype and will explain the process, as well as the benefits and impacts.
Video Clip
The production of a video clip will be considered for publication initially on the ETL website and then submitted to YouTube at the end of the project. If possible similar clips will be generated by the other partners and then combined together for publication on the project website.
Exploitation of results
A business plan has been formed after extensive reviews of results and progress of the EU funded PowerDriver project. The focus is on developing exciting new core technology which will enable the consortium to lead the thermoelectric generator development into the automotive and marine sectors primarily. However, this technology is envisaged to be applicable to other sectors, providing a common platform which can be commercialised. The approach of the project is considered to have fundamental values with the potential for exceptional growth and, from a cost perspective of materials, strong competitive edge for the long term.
The SME consortium recognises the results are not yet at an advanced enough stage for external business investment. It is unanimously agreed that a follow on European or National funded project is the preferred route which will provide an ideal framework to continue the capacity and knowledge developed so far. The consortium partners have not worked together before with many of the SME partners needing to register for a PIC number to enter a European programme for the first time.
The plan has been developed to support the consortium in finding alliances and partnerships, seeking future funding and to support scale up manufacturing investments should advanced equipment be needed from EBAN or from financers. A comparison of growth rates and valuation, from conservative estimates, indicates that after 7 years investors are expected to make an 84% IRR and an 8 fold increase in valuation. The consortium has access to many skills within the management teams and SME partners which means development is both cost effective and with a quality approach.
Jaguar Land Rover estimates that as many as 50% of its 600k engines produced may be paired with a thermoelectric generator system of this type by 2023. Further that a total system price of 180 € would make the technology viable for installation against other potential solutions.
Rolls Royce have indicated whilst current thermoelectric performance does not provide sufficient efficiency that with modest performance improvements and price reduction in line with automotive requirements there are application groups where a thermoelectric system would be selected.
The consortium is at an important point with knowledge and capacity available to build a world leading European supply chain for the largest applications for thermoelectric technology.
List of Websites:
www.powerdriver.info