An Air-Breathing, Portable Thermoelectric Power Generator Based on a Microfabricated Silicon Combustor

The global consumer demand for portable electronic devices is increasing. The emphasis on reducing size and weight has put increased pressure on the energy and power densities of available power storage and generation options, which have been dominated by batteries. The energy densities of many hydrocarbon fuels exceed those of conventional batteries by several orders of magnitude, and this gap motivates research efforts into alternative portable power generation devices based on hydrocarbon fuels. Combustion-based power generation strategies have the potential to achieve significant advances in the energy density of a generator, and thermoelectric power generation is particularly attractive due to the moderate temperatures which are required.