GMZ Energy successfully demonstrates 1 kW thermoelectric generator for Bradley Fighting Vehicle

3 December 2014

GMZ Energy, a market leader in the development of high-temperature thermoelectric generation (TEG) solutions, has successfully demonstrated a 1,000W TEG designed for diesel engine exhaust heat recapture in a Bradley Fighting Vehicle. (Earlier post.) This announcement follows GMZ’s June 2014 demonstration of its 200W diesel TEG. The company integrated five of its 200W TEGs into a single 1,000 W diesel engine solution that directly converts exhaust waste heat into electrical energy to increase fuel efficiency and lower costs.

With this demonstration, GMZ has successfully reached the next milestone in the $1.5 million vehicle efficiency program sponsored by the US Army Tank Automotive Research, Development and Engineering Center (TARDEC) and administered by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE).

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GMZ’s TEG demonstrated more than 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.

The US Military will soon begin testing GMZ’s 1,000 Watt TEG in a Bradley Fighting Vehicle. Click to enlarge.

With battlefield fuel costs ranging from $40 to $800 per gallon, the US 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.

An automotive TEG is intended to improve fuel economy by power from waste heat to reduce the electric generator load on the engine. GMZ is targeting a fuel economy improvement of 5%. Click to enlarge.

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. GMZ recently introduced the TG16-1.0, a new thermoelectric module capable of producing twice the power of the TG8-1.0. (Earlier post.) By doubling the power density, GMZ’s new module substantially increases performance while maintaining a minimal footprint.

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 US 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

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).