Progress of development for advanced thermoelectric conversion systems

The Japanese National Project "The Development for Advanced Thermoelectric Conversion Systems" supported by the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO) was started in FY2002 to be completed in FY2006.The final goal of the thermoelectric modules is to establish 15% in energy conversion efficiency with temperature difference of 550 K. Moreover, thermoelectric conversion systems technologies for high temperature waste heat to be applied to electric heating furnaces and diesel engines, as well as those for lower temperature one to be applied to projector lamps and large-scale electric transformers are being established for the realization of practical systems. By the end of 2004, the interim goal of the thermoelectric modules (12% in efficiency) and system technologies has already been cleared. The progress by the end of FY2004 and future prospects of the project are introduced.