Thin, flexible thermoelectric devices could revolutionize energy/heat conversion applications—HybridaSol team

If you’ve ever spent a winter in an area of the country where it snows, you can attest to the benefits of a heated car seat. The thermoelectric technology behind a heated (or cooled) car seat has been around for a number of years. UCF I-Corps team member HybridaSol has developed a new approach that allows for the production of large-format, lighter thermoelectric devices that could make the heated/cooled seat a standard feature for all cars, and opens the door to a wide range of other energy/heat conversion applications.

Based on technology developed by UCF’s Florida Solar Energy Center (FSEC), HybridaSol is utilizing a proprietary printing process to create large, thin and flexible thermoelectric devices—which can generate electricity from heat or pump heat using electricity—for a variety of applications in the automotive, solar and electronics industries.

“Our large-format thermoelectric devices can be used to harvest energy from waste-heat to produce electricity or move heat from one side of the sheet to the other to provide heating or cooling, as necessary,” said Jason M. Hendler, Entrepreneurial Lead for the team. “We’re optimistic about the market opportunity because traditional thermoelectric technology has been deployed in a variety of applications for a number of years. With the HybridaSol approach, we can offer a more flexible solution that can be scaled for current and new applications.”

In addition to Hendler, the team includes FSEC faculty member Nicoleta Hickman, Ph.D., the team’s I-Corps Principal Investigator, solar energy expert Robert Reedy, industry veteran Craig Nelson who serves as I-Corps Mentor, and FSEC research engineer Scott Reinhart.

Hendler explained that HybridaSol’s participation in the UCF I-Corps program is already producing tangible benefits. As part of the program process, the team has met with, and received positive and insightful feedback from, potential customers.

“The program is really helping our team to get on the same page with the solution needs of potential customers. It’s also helping us fine tune our approach to the market,” said Hendler.