A team of scientists based in the US have developed a flexible thermoelectric device that can supply energy from wasted heat.

The team from Penn State University had previously created these devices, but they were made with more rigid materials. In contrast, the more flexible devices offer up better levels of efficiency and power output according to an article on Techxplore.

It is able to wrap around a waste heat source such as a pipe.

“Think about an industrial power plant with pipes hundreds of feet long,” said Shashank Priya, who is the associate vice president for research and a professor of materials science and engineering at Penn State. 

“If you can wrap these devices around an area that large, you could generate kilowatts of energy from wasted heat that’s normally just being thrown away. You could convert discarded heat into something useful.”

The device is comprised of flexible metal foil and liquid metal, which aided its performance in tests carried out by the team.

“A large amount of heat from the energy we consume is essentially being thrown away, often dispersed right into the atmosphere,” said Priya.

“We haven’t had cost-effective ways with conformal shapes to trap and convert that heat to useable energy. This research opens that door.”