Seungjun Choo1,Hyejin Ju1,Han Gi Chae1,Beomjin Kwon2,Jae Sung Son1
Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology1,Arizona State University2
Seungjun Choo1,Hyejin Ju1,Han Gi Chae1,Beomjin Kwon2,Jae Sung Son1
Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology1,Arizona State University2
The world faces severe environmental rises such as air pollution and global warming caused by fossil fuels and restrictions on energy production, including fossil fuel depletion. These issues drive an urgent need for sustainable and renewable energy sources. Among the various renewable energy sources, thermal energy spreads in natural and artificial environments, but 60% of the heat is wasted without being converted into usable energy. Thermoelectric (TE) power generation has been considered a reliable and durable method of recovering dissipated waste heat because it can convert heat directly into electricity without polluting the environment. The geometric design of the thermoelectric material in the module is vital to ensure sustainable development. Still, the application of the geometrical design in actual TEG cannot quickly achieve with conventional manufacturing processes. Here, we propose designing cellular thermoelectric architectures for efficient and durable development enabled by an extrusion-based 3D printing process of Cu2Se thermoelectric materials. We develop an optimal aspect ratio of a cuboidal thermoelectric leg to maximize output power and extend this optimum calculation and design to the mechanically rigid cell structure of honeycomb-based thermoelectric leg composed of a hollow hexagonal column as a unit. In addition, we developed an organic additive-free Cu<sub>2</sub>Se-based 3D printing ink with the desired viscoelasticity customization by an additive of inorganic Se<sub>8</sub><sup>2-</sup> polyanion to fabricate the designed topology. Computational simulations and experimental measurements demonstrate the superior power output and mechanical stiffness of the proposed cellular thermoelectric architecture compared to formal cuboidal, and hollow hexagonal column shapes, demonstrating the importance of the topological structure of thermoelectric material for higher power and more extended durability.