Innovative Thermoelectric Power Generation for UAV Applications Navy SBIR FY2010.3 Sol No.: Navy SBIR FY2010.3 Topic No.: N103-208 Topic Title: Innovative Thermoelectric Power Generation for UAV Applications Proposal No.: N103-208-0605 Firm: Technology in Blacksburg, Inc. 265 Industrial Drive Christiansburg, Virginia 24073 Contact: Jonathan Fleming Phone: (540) 381-8502 Web Site: www.techsburg.com Abstract: Onboard waste heat recovery systems for unmanned air vehicles (UAVs) offer improved efficiency and operational capability. Systems based on modern thermoelectric generator technology offer the most practical and cost-effective option for near-term development into a commercial product. Techsburg will build on prior thermoelectric generator-UAV system integration research and development to show feasibility of solid-state waste heat conversion on a modern UAV. Thermoelectric systems can provide waste heat energy recovery for additional power on long endurance missions, and also provide on-demand heating or cooling of critical aircraft components during the mission. Previous work has shown fuel efficiency gains which result in significantly improved endurance and time on station. Compact, conformable systems will be designed and modeled during Phase I, and analyzed for both small and large UAVs to show the overall concept feasibility over a range of aircraft sizes. Benefits: Direct extension of this work demonstrates that, with proper integration, thermoelectric waste heat recovery systems offer improved performance and extended endurance for most unmanned vehicle systems (ground, air, or water). On a larger, more general scale, it is estimated that upwards of 50-60% of energy produced worldwide is lost as waste heat, and does no useful work. This presents significant opportunity for companies and technologies that can capture this wasted energy, and turn it into useful work. Applications that are off the grid, where fuel costs are much higher and a greater premium is paid for energy efficiency, value thermoelectric devices' ability to provide a low weight, low profile, low vibration power solution. The automotive and commercial trucking industries are rapidly adopting thermoelectric power generation technology to generate electric power with no belt-drive losses and a more robust electrical system. Auto makers predict a 8 to 15% improvement in fuel economy enabled by thermoelectric technology. Return