WALTHAM, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--GMZ Energy, a market leader in the development of high-temperature thermoelectric generation (“TEG”) solutions, today announced the successful demonstration of a 1,000W TEG designed for diesel engine exhaust heat recapture. This announcement follows GMZ’s June 2014 demonstration of its 200W diesel TEG. The company integrated five 200W TEGs into a single 1,000W diesel engine solution that directly converts exhaust waste heat into electrical energy to increase fuel efficiency and lower costs.
GMZ’s TEG demonstrated over 1,000 watts of continuous output power with no degradation in performance over the test period. In order to simulate vehicle performance, the unit was tested by connecting directly to the exhaust of a 15-liter V8 diesel engine inside an engine test cell. At approximately 80 liters (2.8 ft3), GMZ’s TEG is less than one-third of the TARDEC program’s specified size requirement.
With this demonstration, GMZ has successfully reached the next milestone in the $1.5 million vehicle efficiency program sponsored by the U.S. Army Tank Automotive Research, Development and Engineering Center (“TARDEC”) and administered by the U.S. Department of Energy (“DOE”). With battlefield fuel costs ranging from $40 to $800 per gallon, the U.S. military is especially interested in thermoelectric technologies, which are physically robust, have long service lives, and require no maintenance due to their solid-state design.
GMZ’s patented half-Heusler material is uniquely well suited for military applications. The 1000W TEG features enhanced mechanical integrity and high-temperature stability thanks to GMZ’s patented nanostructuring approach. GMZ’s TEG also enables silent generation, muffles engine noise, and reduces thermal structure.
Cheryl A. Diuguid, CEO of GMZ, said: “With the successful demonstration of GMZ’s 1,000W TEG solution, we are excited to move to the next phase of this program and begin testing in a Bradley Fighting Vehicle. In addition to saving money and adding silent-power functionality for the U.S. Military, this TEG can increase fuel efficiency for most gasoline and diesel engines. We look forward to implementing our low-cost TEG technology into a broad array of commercial markets, including long-haul trucking, heavy equipment, and light automotive.”
The TARDEC TEG incorporates GMZ’s TG8-1.0 TE modules, which are the first commercially available modules capable of delivering power densities greater than one Watt/cm² while operating at temperatures of up to 600°C. The company currently sells sample quantities of these modules to large OEMs worldwide.
About GMZ Energy
GMZ Energy is a market leader in the development of high temperature thermoelectric generation (“TEG”) solutions that directly convert waste heat into electricity. The company uses its patented processes to manufacture thermoelectric materials that improve performance and increase efficiency across multiple applications, thereby lowering costs. GMZ partners with OEMs worldwide to develop TEG modules for appliances, passenger vehicles, heavy equipment, diesel generators, power plants and industrial waste heat recovery. Founded in 2006 and headquartered in Waltham, MA, GMZ has a broad portfolio of internationally developed patents. The company’s top-tier investors include: Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, BP Alternative Energy, I2BF, Mitsui Global Investment, and Energy Technology Ventures (a joint venture between General Electric, NRG Energy, and ConocoPhillips). To learn more, visit: www.gmzenergy.com.
