Thermoelectric Pavement Heating and Generation System
Team Members Heading link
- Austin Meartz
- Josh Polek
- Artem Vyshnyakov
Advisors: Douglas Kerr, PE; David McDonald
Project Description Heading link
As part of the UIC Capstone Project, sustainable energy harvesting and pavement heating via thermoelectric generation were examined. The objective of the study was to create a technology to prevent snow and ice accumulations on roadways, airport runways, and sidewalks, while significantly lowering energy consumption and providing an additional source of renewable energy.
The proposed technology has been termed Thermoelectric Pavement Heating and Generation Systems (TPHGS). The technology utilizes thermoelectric generators (TEGs) that are capable of harvesting thermal energy and converting it to electrical energy when subjected to different thermal environments. Moreover, TEGs can receive electric current and be turned into heating elements.
A single prototype was created, consisting of two copper plates shaped as triangular prisms, one of which was made smaller to fit inside the other. Between the plates were installed TEG units that would use the temperature differential of the plates to generate electricity. Theoretically, the bottom end of the TPHGS would be installed in the subgrade (soil) of a pavement section, and the TPHGS would be installed in the concrete slab of the pavement section.
Due to the COVID-19 outbreak and campus restrictions, the team was unable to make a pavement section and perform applicable testing. However, it was determined that when the TEGs were supplied with 90 watts for 15 seconds (0.375 W-hr) the temperature of the outside copper prism was raised by 30° F, which would successfully prevent snow and ice accumulation in most applications. Based on TEG manufacturer data, a single prototype would also be able to generate over 3.3 watts of electricity when provided with a temperature differential of 36℉.