The Elements of Innovation Discovered
The Elements of Innovation Discovered
Metal Tech News - July 12, 2024
Lithium-tellurium battery cells being tested at UBC Okanagan's Advanced Materials for Energy Storage Lab.
Workers install First Solar cadmium-tellurium solar panels.
PyroDelta's tellurium-based thermoelectric generators are solid-state devices that convert temperature differences on opposite sides of the device into clean, low-cost electricity.
Tellurium is a natural semiconductor being used to convert sunlight and heat into clean electricity.
Tellurium is a rare element with some powerful properties that are being leveraged in American-made solar panels, solid-state batteries that could significantly extend the range of electric vehicles, and thermoelectric generators that convert temperature variations into clean electricity.
Recognizing tellurium's criticality to clean energy technologies for both civilian and defense purposes, the U.S. Department of Defense has ordered mineral explorer and innovator First Tellurium Corp. to join the Defense Industrial Base Consortium, which helps small businesses fund and develop innovative ideas with potential defense applications.
Tellurium is a natural semiconductor being used to convert sunlight and heat into clean electricity.
This encouragement to join the collaboration is due to some energy technologies being spearheaded by First Tellurium that intrigue DOD. This includes a lithium-tellurium battery that will not catch fire and could store up to four times more energy than traditional lithium-ion batteries, which is of particular interest to Pentagon officials.
DOD is also intrigued by the potential of tellurium-based thermoelectric devices being developed by a subsidiary of First Tellurium, as well as the company's tellurium-enriched mineral exploration projects in the United States and Canada.
"We had a very encouraging first meeting with the Department of Defense at this year's Energy Metals Conference in Washington, DC," said First Tellurium President and CEO Tyrone Docherty. "In subsequent meetings, they also expressed interest in our tellurium projects in Colorado and British Columbia and the thermoelectric device developed by our subsidiary PyroDelta Inc."
The U.S. National Science Foundation is also interested in the potential of tellurium-based thermoelectric devices to convert waste heat or other sources of temperature variations into clean electricity and has invited PyroDelta to submit a grant application.
"The National Science Foundation is a very prestigious and selective institution," said Michael Abdelmaseh, head of PyroDelta Inc. and inventor of the company's thermoelectric generator. "This opportunity represents the first and vital step in the process to obtain grant-based funding from them."
While tellurium does not often come up in conversation at the dinner table, this rare element with both metal and non-metal traits has quietly become an important ingredient to America's clean energy transition.
This is due to the metalloid's use in cadmium-telluride (CdTe) solar technology, which is less popular than traditional silicon panels internationally but represents the top photovoltaic solar technology in the U.S. According to the Department of Energy's 2023 Critical Materials Assessment, CdTe panels account for more than half of all new solar installations in the U.S.
This outsized popularity in the U.S. is due to the success of Ohio-based First Solar Inc., the world's largest manufacturer of CdTe solar panels. The company is on track to manufacture enough solar panels to produce roughly 16 gigawatts of electricity this year.
Workers install First Solar cadmium-tellurium solar panels.
DOE foresees shortages of tellurium as the popularity of this solar technology continues to rise in North America and around the world.
"Without significant expansion of the tellurium supply capacity, shortages of Te could occur in the short term (2025) and are likely in the medium term (2025-2035)," the Energy Department penned in its Critical Minerals Assessment.
To help fill shortfalls, First Tellurium is exploring two tellurium-enriched projects – Klondike in Colorado and Deer Horn in British Columbia – that could offer North American supplies of this critical metalloid.
Docherty said DOD is considering funding assistance for junior mining companies exploring for critical minerals such as tellurium, as well as for operating mines.
"They're fully aware that grass roots funding for critical metals exploration is currently hard to access through conventional financing channels," the First Tellurium CEO said.
While First Tellurium began as a mineral exploration company on the hunt for new sources of its namesake metalloid to meet solar demand, the Vancouver, B.C.-based company is increasingly evolving into a technologies company exploring tellurium's untapped potential.
This includes collaborating with the University of British Columbia Okanagan and Fenix Advanced Materials, a B.C.-based company that specializes in ultra-high purity metals for the clean energy sector, on advancing lithium-tellurium batteries with the potential to significantly extend the range and safety of EVs.
"All-solid-state, lithium-tellurium batteries enable higher energy output with an improved safety rating inside a smaller form-factor, thereby expanding its possible applications," said Jian Liu, principal's research chair in energy storage technologies at UBC Okanagan.
Safer and longer-lasting batteries, as well as the supply chains that support them, are high on the list of DOD priorities.
"Advanced batteries are the single-greatest cost and a bottleneck for electric platforms due to supply chain and integration issues," said Andrew Higier, director of the energy portfolio at the U.S. Defense Innovation Unit.
Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks, however, points out that the supply chains for batteries "essential to thousands of military systems" are currently dominated by China.
The high-ranking DOD leader underscores the need to bolster battery innovation and supply chains in the U.S.
"When it comes to batteries, America needs to lead the world," she said.
This is why DOD is interested in backing the tellurium-based battery and thermoelectric technologies being pioneered by First Tellurium and its subsidiaries.
"The Department of Defense, with its $800 billion-plus annual budget, presents a very exciting prospect for us," said Docherty.
Another exciting opportunity is an invitation for PyroDelta to submit a funding proposal to the National Science Foundation's Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer program.
"The NSF grant would be of great value to us, not only for the dilution-free funding, but also because the NSF is highly respected in the U.S. for backing top-quality innovations," said Docherty. "Their seal of approval would open other doors for collaboration and partnerships."
PyroDelta and the tellurium-based thermoelectric devices it is developing have already garnered the attention of Washington, DC-based RESOLVE Inc., a solution-focused global non-governmental organization that bridges the gap between people and the planet.
Under a memorandum of understanding with First Tellurium, RESOLVE is securing up to US$29 million (CDN$39.5 million) to fund a three-phase strategy for manufacturing, marketing, and selling PyroDelta's thermoelectric generators.
The interest from the National Science Foundation, RESOLVE, and DOD underscores the game-changing clean energy potential offered by the technology being advanced by PyroDelta.
PyroDelta's tellurium-based thermoelectric generators are solid-state devices that convert temperature differences on opposite sides of the device into clean, low-cost electricity.
The thermoelectric devices being developed by PyroDelta are solid-state generators that transform variances in temperatures on each side of the device into electricity.
This technology is already being used to transform waste heat from industrial processes into low-cost and low-carbon electricity – simply attach these devices to a hot surface, and they generate electricity without any moving parts.
Tellurium-based generators are showing the potential to improve the efficiency of EVs, solar power generation, and internal combustion engine vehicles by converting temperature variances into electricity.
PyroDelta is also developing a lightweight and compact thermoelectric generator that leverages the cooling effect of propellor downwash to generate electricity that extends the range of drones for civilian and military use.
"Our research and development is aimed at producing a thermoelectric device that fits seamlessly into existing commercial drone systems, without modification," said Docherty. "We believe this feature offers a significant advantage for drone industry adoption and deployment."
The National Science Foundation grant being applied for by PyroDelta will support the advancement of its thermoelectric devices to enhance solar systems, especially where space is limited.
"(W)e are very pleased with the growing interest from other parties," said Docherty. "As we've reported over the past six months, the device offers many potential applications for generating clean, renewable energy, particularly for solar, as well as conventional and electric vehicles and a range of industrial uses."
PyroDelta has recently published a video that explains how the thermoelectric device works with solar power installations and plans to publish versions for applications for the automotive, agriculture, drone, and other industries.
With more than 16 years of covering mining, Shane is renowned for his insights and and in-depth analysis of mining, mineral exploration and technology metals.
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