Net-zero electricity generation from waste heat
Project Description
This undergraduate research program explores how wasted heat—such as heat released from industrial processes, electronics, or the environment—can be converted directly into clean electricity, contributing to net-zero energy goals. The project is built around pyroelectric materials, a special class of materials that naturally generate electrical charges when their temperature changes. Students will learn, at an intuitive and hands-on level, how heat fluctuations can be harvested without moving parts, fuels, or emissions. Through simple experiments, data analysis, and device demonstrations, participants will connect fundamental material behavior with real-world energy challenges. The program emphasizes sustainability, interdisciplinary thinking, and practical impact, showing how advanced materials science can turn everyday wasted heat into a usable energy resource and help enable future low-carbon technologies.
Supervisor
CHEN Sherry
Quota
4
Course type
UROP1000
UROP1100
UROP2100
UROP3100
UROP3200
UROP4100
Applicant's Roles
Applicants will work closely with a graduate student mentor on hands-on laboratory experiments related to waste-heat energy conversion. They will read and discuss selected research literature to understand the basic physical principles behind thermal-to-electrical energy conversion, particularly in advanced functional materials. Students will also assist with data collection and analysis, gaining experience in connecting experimental observations with fundamental concepts.
Applicant's Learning Objectives
a) Understand the key concepts behind net-zero energy conversion and the role of waste-heat harvesting in sustainable energy systems
b) Explain, at a fundamental level, how thermal energy can be converted into electrical energy using functional materials
c) Perform basic measurements of thermal and electrical properties of materials using laboratory instrumentation
d) Interpret experimental data and relate measurements to material behavior and energy conversion performance
e) Develop a conceptual understanding of thermodynamic principles relevant to energy conversion processes
b) Explain, at a fundamental level, how thermal energy can be converted into electrical energy using functional materials
c) Perform basic measurements of thermal and electrical properties of materials using laboratory instrumentation
d) Interpret experimental data and relate measurements to material behavior and energy conversion performance
e) Develop a conceptual understanding of thermodynamic principles relevant to energy conversion processes
Complexity of the project
Challenging