Professor Justin Holmes, Professor Steffen Hardt, Dr Satarupa Dutta, and Dr Ievgen Nedrygailov presented at the 80th International Conference of the University of Latvia. Abstract: While climate change, increasing energy consumption, deteriorated air quality and exhaustion of natural resources represent central economic and social challenges today, the waste heat energy released into the atmosphere is a clean, fuel-free and inexpensive energy source. Seventy per cent of energy generated daily is waste heat. Even though thermoelectric and thermo-electrochemical cells are technologies used to convert waste heat into electrical energy, there does not yet exist a technology for the viable harvesting of low-grade waste heat [1]. This presentation will provide an overview of the EU-funded project ‘TRANSLATE’ which aims to develop a proof-of-concept nanofluidic platform technology based on the flux of ions in nanochannels (Fig. 1) [2]. The work targets innovation in versatile and sustainable energy harvesting and storage [3]. References: [1] Agathokleous, R. et al. Waste Heat Recovery in the EU industry and proposed new technologies. Energy Procedia. 2019, 161, 489-496. [2] Dietzel, M.; Hardt, S. Thermoelectricity in confined liquid electrolytes. Phys. Rev. Lett. 2016, 116, 225901. [3] https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/964251

TRANSLATE is a €3.4 million EU-funded research project that aims to develop a new nanofluidic platform technology to effectively convert waste heat to electricity. This technology has the potential to improve the energy efficiency of many devices and systems, and provide a radically new zero-emission power source. The TRANSLATE project has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement number 964251, for the action of 'The Recycling of waste heat through the Application of Nanofluidic ChannelS: Advances in the Conversion of Thermal to Electrical energy'. More information can be be found on the TRANSLATE project website: https://translate-energy.eu/