HIPERT · High Performance Half Heusler Thermoelectrics for Waste Heat Recovery

This project aims to develop high-performance, low-cost and environmentally-friendly Half Heusler (HH) thermoelectric (TE) materials for waste heat recovery in mid-temperature applications. It is an interdisciplinary research program, combining research actions from five different scientific fields: Computational Materials Physics, Chemistry, Nanotechnology, Materials Science and Manufacturing Engineering. Theoretical approaches and calculations will support the experimental investigations for the discovery and development of new n- and p-type HH materials with the potential for high TE performances. A range of different strategies will be implemented in order to optimize their electrical transport properties and achieve in parallel high reductions in thermal conductivity through effective phonon scattering, targeting to efficiencies with TE figure-of-merit, ΖΤ, close to 2. The final objective of the project is the construction of a prototype TE device using the developed optimized materials and the evaluation of the final efficiency and produced power output of the device. The interdisciplinary nature of the project will give the researcher the chance to gain training and experience from diverse disciplines, learning new methodologies, expanding his scientific horizon, strengthening his professional maturity and becoming more independent for an Academic position.HIPERT will have a high impact on scientific community, while in log-term it is anticipated to be beneficial for the economy and society. The HIPERT research outputs will introduce new scientific concepts and will inspire further research for the development of high-performance thermoelectrics. In parallel, it is expected to open the road for the development of HH TE generators in industrial level, creating attractive opportunities for European SMEs and companies to be involved in large-scale R&D projects, aiming to bring HH thermoelectrics in the market as an efficient sustainable energy technology.