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Solid State Heat Pumps

Award Information
Agency: Department of Defense
Branch: Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency
Contract: W31P4Q-04-C-RB03
Agency Tracking Number: 04ST1-0004
Amount: $98,582.00
Phase: Phase I
Program: STTR
Solicitation Topic Code: ST041-001
Solicitation Number: N/A
Timeline
Solicitation Year: 2004
Award Year: 2004
Award Start Date (Proposal Award Date): 2004-07-14
Award End Date (Contract End Date): 2005-02-28
Small Business Information
2591 Clyde Ave., Suite 3
State College, PA 16801
United States
DUNS: 051655103
HUBZone Owned: No
Woman Owned: No
Socially and Economically Disadvantaged: No
Principal Investigator
 Gerald Mahan
 Professor
 (814) 865-6092
 gmahan@psu.edu
Business Contact
 David Pickrell
Title: President
Phone: (814) 861-4160
Email: dpickrell@omegapiezo.com
Research Institution
 Pennsylvania State Univ.
 Gerald D Mahan
 
Dept. of Physics and Materials, 104 Davey Laboratory
University Park, PA 16802
United States

 (814) 865-6092
 Nonprofit College or University
Abstract

This research involves theoretical and experimental investigations of a novel thermoelastic effect which may be used in a completely solid state heat engine. By employing piezoelectric solids in a thermoelastic system, it may be possible to engineer a composite layered material which can use electricity to produce heat flow directly, or reversibly, to use heat to generate electricity. A composite thermo-elastic/piezoelectric material has the potential to be more efficient than the best thermoelectric device. Like material has the potential to be more efficient than the best thermoelectric device. Like a thermoelectric device, a completely solid state thermoelastic device would be more compact and robust (having no sliding parts, pressure seals, etc.) than a fluid-based heat engine. The size of a thermoeleastic device may span length scales from micrometers to centimeters, with the former having layers of nanoscale thickness. Such a span would encompass applications from microcooling electronics to personal air conditioning.

* Information listed above is at the time of submission. *

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