Exploiting low-grade waste heat to produce electricity through supercapacitor containing carbon electrodes and ionic liquid electrolytes
Journal article, 2022
Low-grade thermal energy harvesting presents great challenges to traditional thermoelectric systems based on the Seebeck effect, the thermogalvanic effect, and the Soret effect due to fixed temperature gradient and low voltage output. In this study, we report an ionic thermoelectric system, essentially a supercapacitor (SC) containing an ionic liquid (IL) electrolyte and activated carbon electrodes, which works on the thermocapacitive effect and does not require any fixed temperature gradient, rather it works in a homogeneously changing temperature. A systematic investigation is carried out on SCs containing two different ILs, 1-Ethyl-3-methylimidazolium bis (trifluoromethylsulfonyl), EMIm TFSI, and 1-Ethyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate, EMIm OAc. A high voltage output of 176 mV is achieved for EMIm TFSI containing SC by exposing just to 60 °C environment. Moreover, a large voltage of 502 mV is recovered from the SC upon subjecting to heat after one electrical charge/discharge cycle. A system containing two SCs in series demonstrates a significant voltage of 947 mV. The observed performance difference between the two ILs is rationalized in terms of the extent of asymmetry in the interfaces of the electrical double layer that essentially originates from different diffusivity of individual ions. The mechanism can be applied to a plethora of ILs to exploit low-grade heat to store electricity without a fixed temperature gradient, opening up the possibility to merge different scientific communities and enrich this rising research field.
Self-diffusion coefficient
Ionic liquid
Supercapacitor
Low-grade heat
Thermal charge
Temperature gradient
Author
Mohammad Mazharul Haque
Chalmers, Microtechnology and Nanoscience (MC2), Electronics Material and Systems
Iqbaal Abdurrokhman
Chalmers, Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Applied Chemistry
Alexander Idström
Chalmers, Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Applied Chemistry
Qi Li
Chalmers, Microtechnology and Nanoscience (MC2), Electronics Material and Systems
Azega Rajendra Babu Kalai Arasi
Wallenberg Wood Science Center (WWSC)
Chalmers, Microtechnology and Nanoscience (MC2), Electronics Material and Systems
Anna Martinelli
Chalmers, Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Applied Chemistry
Lars Evenäs
Chalmers, Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Applied Chemistry
Wallenberg Wood Science Center (WWSC)
Per Lundgren
Chalmers, Microtechnology and Nanoscience (MC2), Electronics Material and Systems
Peter Enoksson
Wallenberg Wood Science Center (WWSC)
Chalmers, Microtechnology and Nanoscience (MC2), Electronics Material and Systems
Enoaviatech AB
Electrochimica Acta
0013-4686 (ISSN)
Vol. 403 139640Subject Categories
Energy Engineering
Materials Chemistry
Other Chemical Engineering
DOI
10.1016/j.electacta.2021.139640