Development of a Pt nanoparticle-based microcombustor power device

This work discusses design and development of a microcombustor- thermoelectric coupled device using catalytic combustion with platinum nanoparticles. Previously, our work successfully demonstrated room temperature ignition and control over catalytic activity of methanol-air mixtures with platinum nanoparticles. Current efforts are focussed on using our catalytic system to design a microcombustor power source by integrating it with thermoelectric generators. For this work, commercial thermoelectric generators were used to convert the temperature gradient created by catalytic combustion directly to electrical power. Specifically, a planar reactor assembly was designed and tested to optimize temperature gradients and therefore power output. Alternative fuels were explored for optimizing the microreactor performance. Key parameters that influence performance and contribute to the modeling efforts were identified.