Karlsruhe Institute of Technology

About Karlsruhe Institute of Technology

The Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) is “The Research University in the Helmholtz Association” creating and offering knowledge for society and the environment. The goal is to provide relevant contributions to the global challenges in the fields of energy, mobility and information. About 9800 employees are collaborating on a broad interdisciplinary basis in natural sciences, engineering, economy as well as humanities and social sciences. KIT is one of the German Universities of Excellence. The Institute of Microstructure Technology (IMT) does applied research and development in nano and micro technology ¬with special focus on the topics smart microsystems, microsystems for life sciences and photonics.

Role in project

In this project, KIT pursues the ambitious goal of exploring a new generation of miniature-scale power generators using low temperature differences of only a few degrees. They will rely on tailored thermo-magnetic films that are developed within the consortium. Film materials are highly attractive, since their large surface-to-volume ratio enables rapid heat transfer within a fraction of a second. Applications are, e.g., in IoT (internet-of-Things) for powering remote sensor devices independent of the power grid like in industrial automation, buildings or hardly accessible places. The vast availability of low temperature heat sources will open up a whole new realm of applications, where electronic devices should be operated continuously without the need for disposable batteries.