Background

Phononic Devices is a private research and development company that innovates high performance, environmentally friendly and commercially transforming thermoelectric materials, devices and fully integrated thermal management systems.

Phononic Devices is commercializing advanced thermoelectric materials and devices that are expected to dramatically improve the efficiency of heat-to-electric energy conversion. With the exclusive access to intellectual property from the University of Oklahoma, their approach combines enhanced thermo power with a thermally insulating and manufacturing-friendly semiconductor platform.

Phononic Devices is headquartered in Cary, North Carolina; research partners include thermoelectric experts at the University of Oklahoma, University of California, Santa Cruz and at the California Institute of Technology. They are funded by Venrock and Oak Investment Partners and were recently awarded a $3 million grant from ARPA-E.

FAQ's

What is Phononic Devices Mission?

• Phononic Devices is innovating high performance, environmentally friendly, and commercially transforming thermoelectric materials, devices and fully integrated thermal management systems.

What is ZT Efficiency, its contributing factors and why is it important to Phononic’s solutions?

• ZT Thermoelectric Measure of Carnot Efficiency: overall efficiency of heat to electricity conversion that applies to BOTH cooling and power generation operating modes.

• ‘Seebeck Coefficient’: represents the electronic mobility within the material as a function of dopants/charge carriers and determines how much current/power (thermopower) can be generated at a given ΔT

• Electrical Resistivity & Thermal Conductivity: dominates the denominator of the equation; desirable materials have high electron conductivity but low lattice thermal conductivity. Superior materials scatter phonons generated via electron transport through the lattice – if the lattice absorbs heat phonons are not scattered effectively and the overall efficiency of the process is reduced.

What are the ideal features & materials needed to enhance ZT?

• Driving ZT Efficiency Improvement: desirable thermoelectric materials and devices will combine enhanced thermopower with thermally insulating yet electronically conductive semiconductor materials.

How does Phononic Devices improve ZT efficiency?

• ZT Efficiency: by combining nanostructured materials with enhanced thermopower from a thermally insulating semiconductor platform Phononic Devices approach is expected to dramatically improve thermal to electric efficiency

Is anyone else combining both enhanced thermopower with thermally insulating materials?

• To the best of our knowledge we have not seen a competitive effort that uses a nanostructured approach to thermopower using a thermally insulating material system

Does Phononic have access to any relevant IP?

• Exclusive Access to Enabling IP: Phononic Devices has negotiated exclusive access to core enabling IP from the University of Oklahoma.