Only a certain part of energy from i.e. burning coal and hydrocarbon is used in technological processes, whereas the majority is dispersed in the air in the form of heat waste. Thermoelectric technologies may be successfully applied for turning heat waste into electric energy. They can also be used to develop "green" energy resources: geothermal or solar energy, as well as for the construction of reliable heat pumps, from micro-coolers to large refrigeration units.
Thermoelectric converters, just like photovoltaic cells, are built on the basis of semiconductors. As a result, they are characterised by the absence of moving mechanical parts, and thus exceptional durability and reliability. The lecture will provide an overview of current thermoelectric technologies as well as recent achievements of the AGH University employees in the development of new, efficient thermoelectric materials and the resulting converters and other devices.
Professor Krzysztof Wojciechowski
Employee at the Faculty of Materials Science and Ceramics at the AGH University. Co-author of over 90 publications on thermoelectric materials and devices. Specialised in chemistry and materials engineering of semiconductors. He also conducts extensive R&D activities. He has carried out projects with partners such as Honda Ltd, Sasol Technology Ltd, EDF Poland, and Synthos SA.
Polish modern industry is heading toward fulfilling the demands of the Industry 4.0 paradigm by making the best use of machine and human resources, optimising working time, and applying the latest trends in numerical modelling of production processes. This is particularly noticeable in the thriving heavy industry which manufactures and processes metals for customers, for example in the automotive, aerospace, or appliance sector. This presentation aims to show what role supercomputers play in this process and why their use is essential in solving complex engineering processes. What will be presented are applications in two areas: intensive numerical calculations, such as FEA or CFD, and artificial intelligence. The results of the presented works have real applications in modern heavy industry, which significantly affects the quality of finished products.
AGH University Associate Professor Łukasz Rauch
Graduate in two fields of study: computer science and marketing and management. For the last 20 years, he has been associated with the AGH University, and currently he is the Vice-Dean for Science and Cooperation at the Faculty of Metals Engineering and Industrial Computer Science. His main scientific interest is the application of computer science in solving industrial problems. Head of multiple scientific and research and development papers and author of more than 200 scientific publications.