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Energy Harvesting Technology Development at DARPA

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 August 2011

Viktoria Greanya ,
Cynthia Daniell  and
Colleen Nehl
Viktoria Greanya
Affiliation:
Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, Defense Sciences Office, 3701 North Fairfax Drive, Arlington, VA 22203-1714
Cynthia Daniell
Affiliation:
Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, Defense Sciences Office, 3701 North Fairfax Drive, Arlington, VA 22203-1714
Colleen Nehl
Affiliation:
Booz Allen Hamilton, 3811 North Fairfax Drive, Arlington, VA 22203-1707
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Abstract

Programs in the Defense Sciences Office (DSO) at the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) bridge the gap from fundamental science to applications by identifying and pursuing the most promising ideas within the science and engineering research communities and transforming these ideas into new DoD capabilities. The Department of Defense (DoD) recognizes that our dependence on fossil fuel must be reduced and is actively supporting new technical solutions to this challenge. Moreover, advancements in alternative energy generation and storage technologies will render the warfighter more efficient, capable and mobile. Energy harvesting is a central pathway to solving this critical need. This paper will highlight two DARPA DSO programs which are making significant strides in the advancement in materials to improve energy harvesting technology with a focus on rapid transition to the end user. The Nanostructured Materials for Power (NMP) program is developing high performance thermoelectric materials and devices for energy harvesting with goals of energy conversion of 30%. The Low-Cost, Lightweight Portable Photovoltaics (PoP) program is developing integrated PV technologies with high power conversion efficiency (20%) in a form factor capable of being produced at low cost on flexible substrates. The paper will review the goals of the programs, discuss their implications, and highlight some of the research strategies underway.

Keywords

thermoelectricphotovoltaicnanostructure
Type
Research Article
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 1325: Symposium E – Energy Harvesting—Recent Advances in Materials, Devices and Applications , 2011 , mrss11-1325-e01-01
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2010

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References

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