Abstract
Wearable electronics are rapidly expanding, especially in applications like health monitoring through medical sensors and body area networks (BANs). Thermoelectric generators (TEGs) have been the main candidate among the different types of energy harvesting methods for body-mounted or even implantable sensors. Introducing new semiconductor materials like organic thermoelectric materials and advancing manufacturing techniques are paving the way to overcome the barriers associated with the bulky and inflexible nature of the common TEGs and are making it possible to fabricate flexible and biocompatible modules. Yet, the lower efficiency of these materials in comparison with bulk-inorganic counterparts as well as applying them mostly in the form of thin layers on flexible substrates limits their applications. This research aims to improve the functionality of thin and flexible organic thermoelectric generators (OTEs) by utilizing a novel design concept inspired by origami. The effects of critical geometric parameters are investigated using COMSOL Multiphysics to further prove the concept of printing and folding as an approach for the system level optimization of printed thin film TEGs.
Highlights
There is a considerable amount of energy generated by the human body in the form of biomechanical and thermal energies, but most of it is usually wasted into the surrounding environment
There have been many attempts in recent years to take the advantage of this effect in order to build an efficient thermoelectric generator (TEG)
Most of the attempts at body heat harvesting consist of TEGs fabricated from bulk thermoelectric material [5,6,7,9,10,16]
Summary
There is a considerable amount of energy generated by the human body in the form of biomechanical and thermal energies, but most of it is usually wasted into the surrounding environment. There are significant potentials to harvest some of these wasted energies by means of devices, which benefits from the physical effects such as piezoelectricity [1], triboelectricity [2], and thermoelectricity [3]. Among these effects, thermoelectricity has abundant advantages to power wearable electronics, since it makes it possible to produce electricity from body heat as a permanent source of energy and in a reliable manner, rooted in the solid-state nature of this effect [4]. As an Sensors 2018, 18, 989; doi:10.3390/s18040989 www.mdpi.com/journal/sensors
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
