A Review on low-grade thermal energy harvesting: Materials, methods and devices

摘要: Combined rejected and naturally available heat constitute an enormous energy resource that remains mostly untapped. Thermal harvesting can provide a cost-effective reliable way to convert into mechanical motion or electricity. This extensive review analyzes the literature covering broad topical areas under solid-state low temperature thermal harvesting. These topics include thermoelectricity, pyroelectricity, thermomagneticity, thermoelasticity. For each area, detailed discussion is provided comprising of basic physics, working principle, performance characteristics, state-of-the-art materials, current generation devices. Technical advancements reported in are utilized analyze performance, identify challenges, guidance for material mechanism selection. The provides analysis advantages disadvantages mechanism, which will towards designing hybrid harvester overcome various limitations individual mechanism.