Electrospinning Equipment: Large-area radiation-modulated thermoelectric fabrics for high-performance thermal management and power generation

Background

With the development of wearable electronic devices and self-powered sensors, harvesting energy from the environment or human body has become a research hotspot. Thermoelectric generator (TEGs) fibers have attracted much attention due to their simple structure, good mechanical flexibility and direct thermoelectric conversion, but they still face the challenges of maintaining a stable temperature gradient and scalable manufacturing in practical applications. Recently, the team of Professor Zhang Keqin, Professor Liao Liangsheng and Dr. Zhuo Mingpeng from Soochow University proposed an innovative solution to prepare large-area radiation-modulated thermoelectric fabrics through electrospinning and screen printing technology, achieving efficient thermal management and power generation.

Design and preparation of radiation-modulated thermoelectric fabrics

The research team prepared polyvinylidene fluoride-hexafluoropropylene (PVDF-HFP) radiation cooling fiber membranes through electrospinning technology. The reflectivity of the membrane in the sunlight region (0.3-2.5μm) is higher than 96.9%, and the emissivity in the mid-infrared range is 96.8%, showing excellent radiation cooling performance. At the same time, the team used screen printing technology to prepare carbon nanotube (CNT)-based photothermal/thermoelectric arrays with an array density of more than 560 pairs.

Performance of thermoelectric fabrics

Combined with the photothermal properties of CNTs, the thermoelectric fabric (0.2 square meters) achieved a temperature difference (ΔT) of 37K at a solar intensity of 800 W/m2, and a peak power density of 0.20 mW/m2. In addition, the fabric showed good energy collection capabilities in outdoor experiments, and could also generate an output voltage of 0.5 mV through radiative cooling at night.

Application potential of thermoelectric fabrics

The fabric can not only efficiently collect solar energy, but also has thermal management functions, which can power wearable electronic devices. Its excellent tensile and washable properties make it have broad application prospects in the field of smart wearables.

The key role of electrospinning technology

Electrospinning technology played an important role in this study. The PVDF-HFP fiber membrane prepared by electrospinning has high reflectivity and high emissivity, and can effectively achieve radiative cooling. In addition, the flexibility and scalability of electrospinning technology enable it to be combined with screen printing technology to prepare large-area, high-performance thermoelectric fabrics.

Future Outlook

This study provides a low-cost, high-performance method for preparing thermoelectric fabrics. By optimizing the coverage ratio and pattern design of the PVDF-HFP film, the energy conversion efficiency of the thermoelectric fabrics can be further improved. In the future, this radiation-modulated thermoelectric fabric is expected to be commercially applied in self-powered wearable devices, smart clothing, and energy collection.

Electrospinning Nanofibers Article Source:

https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.adr2158