Description: NASA emphasizes the need to implement energy harvesting in its future mission activities. By harvesting energy from the ambient surroundings, there is less dependence on a primary power supply (e.g., combustion engines, fuel cells, batteries, solar cells, etc.). Overall power consumption is thereby reduced, equipment weight goes down and logistical supply needs are simplified. Future NASA missions will need innovative energy harvesting methods that are cost effective with reduced mass, reduced volume, and that accommodate extreme operating conditions. For this STTR application, Lynntech has teamed Dr. Ray Baughman (Director of NanoTech Institute, University of Texas at Dallas) to pioneer the use of artificial muscles (also known as coiled polymer actuators) as an advanced method for heat-to-electricity energy harvesting. Our primary application is to harvest waste heat from airplane engines, but it could be adapted for use in many other applications where waste heat is generated.

Benefits: The expected results of the Phase I project will provide a strong technical base for Phase II follow-on research and development work, so as to apply this technology to NASA's roadmap in the discipline area of Space Power and Energy Storage (SPES) for Exploration Systems Mission Directorate (ESMD). In addition, the National Research Council has identified "Increase Available Power" as a NASA Top Technical Challenge. Also, a NASA Grand Challenge is "Affordable and Abundant Power" for NASA mission activities. As such, novel energy harvesting technologies are critical toward supporting future power generation systems to begin to meet these challenges. NASA has many unique needs for space power that require special technology solutions due to extreme environmental conditions. These missions would benefit from the advanced thermal energy harvesting technology proposed here. It will provide a valuable supply of electricity obtained from harvesting waste heat from diverse sources such as engines, solar cells, microchips, warm soils, as well as heat sources in extra-terrestrial locations.

The proposed technology will provide a valuable supply of electricity obtained from harvesting waste heat from diverse sources such as jet engines, vehicle engines and exhaust pipes, microchips, solar cells, warm soils, power stations, boilers, oil refineries, steel manufacturing, glass manufacturing, gas pipelines, compressors, furnaces, ovens, incinerators, etc. This in turn will reduce the net power consumption. Market sectors with attractiveness for waste heat recovery include oil and gas extraction, petroleum and coal products manufacturing, chemical plants, pulp and paper mills, steel, metal, glass, and brick manufacturing, etc. Of special interest is heat waste harvested in remote locations, helping to provide independence from the electric grid.