28 October 2024

Imagine a flexible module capable of converting waste heat into electricity, whether the surface it's attached to is flat or curved. This module can also generate heating or cooling from electricity. Fully functional prototypes are now available at Linköping University.

Photographer: Thor Balkhed

After three years of work at the Printed Electronics Arena at Campus Norrköping, researchers from Linköping University and RISE, in collaboration with the Danish company ParsNord, have completed prototypes for flexible thermoelectric modules.

A thermoelectric module (TEM) is an electronic device that can convert heat into electricity or use electricity to create heating or cooling. It harnesses temperature differences: when one side of the module is hot and the other is cold, electricity is generated. Alternatively, when electricity is applied, one side becomes cooler while the other gets warmer.

Thermoelectric modules currently available on the market are used in products such as portable coolers, car seat heaters, and energy-harvesting devices. However, traditional TEMs are rigid, limiting their range of applications.

Photographer: Thor Balkhed

The main outcome of this project is the production of a relatively affordable module that functions even on non-flat surfaces.

The invention open up new applications such as wearable coolers for medical purposes and electric generators that can power sensor nodes in smart buildings and industrial environments.

According to the developers, this breakthrough is expected to have significant scientific and technological impact. The long-term vision is to establish Europe’s first manufacturer of flexible thermoelectric modules, headquartered in Norrköping at the House of Printed and Organic Electronics (HOPE).

Seyedmohammad Mortazavinatanzi, Postdoc at LiU and CEO at ParsNord Thermoelectric Filial has led the project, which is funded by the Norrköping Municipality's Fund for Research and Development. (Swedish).

Researchers in a lab

Open Positions at the Laboratory of Organic Electronics

Learn more about open PhD, Postdoc, Masters, Scholarship, and other positions at LOE.

The chemistry lab at Campus Norrköping doubles in size

LiU will soon be opening its expanded chemistry laboratory in Norrköping. 500 new square metres will more than double the first premises opened in 2020.

Conjugated polymer Chemistry

We develop green chemistry & chemical functionalization of conjugated polymers and explore photo- and electroactive stimuli-responsive hybrid materials.

Two men in white lab coats with a computer in a lab.

Improving Alphafold to predict very large proteins

The AI tool Alphafold has been improved so that it can now predict the shape of very large and complex protein structures. Linköping University researchers have also succeeded in integrating experimental data into the tool.

Rinata Kazak looking down at her jacket.

LiU researcher ahead of UN climate summit - "I’m optimistic"

Azerbaijan will host the International Climate Summit this year. Although the country is heavily dependent on its oil production, holding the meeting there could actually be an advantage, according to Rinata Kazak, who will represent LiU.

Two women at a table talking.

Working together for a less biased world

In what ways does modern technology risk giving us a distorted picture of the world? Seeking answers, researchers at Tema Genus are working with colleagues in computer science.