Thermoelectric Cloths for Energy Harvesters Using Carbon Nanotube Yarn

Abstract

The need for energy harvesting technology as a power source for isolated small electronic devices is increasing. Our body heat or exhausted heat is one of the promising energy sources, and therefore thermoelectric technology is attracting attention. For such applications, the ease of installation and the user's comfortableness should be emphasized. Measuring whether the required power can be generated at an acceptable cost without increasing or decreasing the naturally occurring heat flow is also essential. In this paper, we review the progress of thermoelectric cloths, which have been studied by the author's group with a consistent policy, and propose a direction in which wearable thermoelectric generators should be developed. We hope this paper will serve as a hint for those conducting similar research.