NORTHVILLE, Mich. and
ODELZHAUSEN, Germany, Sept. 11, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Gentherm
Incorporated (NASDAQ-GS: THRM), the global market leader and a
developer of innovative thermal management technologies, announced
today it will feature its latest thermoelectric generator cartridge
design for converting waste heat to electrical energy at the
65th annual International Motor Show September 10-13 in Frankfurt, Germany in Hall 4.1, Booth D23.
Gentherm is leading a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)-funded
project to develop a solution for capturing automobile waste
exhaust heat and converting it to electrical energy to power
electrical systems within the vehicle and to improve fuel economy.
Partnering with Gentherm is Tenneco, a global developer of
clean air and ride performance products and systems for the
automotive industry, and two global vehicle manufacturers.
The project calls for Gentherm to supply modular,
cylindrical-shaped thermoelectric cartridges that convert waste
heat from the exhaust into electricity. Tenneco then
integrates the cartridges inside a thermoelectric generator (TEG)
that includes a unique heat exchanger. Tenneco will be
displaying the complete TEG at its booth in Hall 5.1, Stand
A16.
"Our new TEG cartridge design is the result of several years of
research with the DOE and other important partners," said Gentherm
President and Chief Executive Officer Daniel R. Coker. "We believe it is a
breakthrough technology that has applications in a variety of
global industries, but especially for automobiles in terms of
reducing CO2 emissions, improving fuel economy and
providing a new source of much-needed electricity. We are now
working closely with Tenneco to integrate our thermoelectric
cartridges into a new and innovative exhaust system design."
In a typical internal combustion engine, approximately 30
percent of the fuel energy is used for actual vehicle propulsion,
while more than 70 percent is lost, about half of it through the
vehicle's exhaust system. Thermoelectric generators help
capture a portion of the lost energy, convert it to electricity and
redistribute it to electrical systems in the vehicle, which can
ultimately support improved fuel efficiency.
Inside the new TEG system, thermoelectric material is sandwiched
together within the cartridges and exposed to hot exhaust gas on
one side and to engine coolant on the other side. The temperature
gradient over the thermoelectric material results in an electrical
current flow, which is then redistributed to the vehicle. The
cartridges use semiconductor materials that are abundant and
environmentally benign. "The modular design of the TEG cartridges
enables packaging scalability depending on vehicle design, making
it more cost-effective to integrate into the vehicle's exhaust
system," said Dr. Dmitri
Kossakovski, Gentherm's R&D director and leader of the
power generation team located in Azusa,
California.
The U.S. DOE consortium anticipates that initial demonstrators
will be available in 2014.
Visit Gentherm in Hall 4.1, Booth D23.
About the Frankfurt IAA
The International Motor Cars
Show (IAA—Internationale Automobil-Ausstellung) is the world's most
comprehensive show of the automotive industry, created for everyone
who develops, manufactures or uses passenger cars. A special
feature is the large presence of suppliers throughout the entire
automotive value added chain. More than 300 exhibitors from the
supply industry will be presenting their products.
About Tenneco
Tenneco is a $7.4
billion global manufacturing company with headquarters in
Lake Forest, Illinois and
approximately 25,000 employees worldwide. Tenneco is one of
the world's largest designers, manufacturers and marketers of clean
air and ride performance products and systems for automotive and
commercial vehicle original equipment markets and the aftermarket.
Tenneco's principal brand names are Monroe®, Walker®, XNOx™
and Clevite®Elastomer.
About Gentherm
Gentherm (NASDAQ-GS:THRM) is a global
developer and marketer of innovative thermal management
technologies for a broad range of heating and cooling and
temperature control applications. Automotive products include
actively heated and cooled seat systems and cup holders, heated and
ventilated seat systems, thermal storage bins, heated seat and
steering wheel systems, cable systems and other electronic
devices. The Company's advanced technology team is developing
more efficient materials for thermoelectric and systems for waste
heat recovery and electrical power generation for the automotive
market that may have far-reaching applications for consumer
products as well as industrial and technology markets.
Gentherm has more than 7,000 employees in facilities in the U.S.,
Germany, Mexico, China, Canada, Japan, England, Korea, Malta, Hungary and the Ukraine. For more
information, go to www.gentherm.com.
Except for historical information contained herein,
statements in this release are forward-looking statements that are
made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private
Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements include
statements regarding future activities, new products,
customers, markets and technologies, future revenue growth and
profitability, and other forward-looking opportunities.
Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks and
uncertainties which may cause the Company's actual results in
future periods to differ materially from forecasted results. Those
risks include, but are not limited to, risks associated with
risks associated with departing key employees, failure to
develop new sales, products, customers or technologies increased
costs of raw materials and components, new competitors and general
adverse conditions in the industries in which the Company
operates. Those and other risks are described in the
Company's annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended
December 31, 2012 and subsequent
reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC),
copies of which are available from the SEC or may be obtained from
the Company. Except as required by law, the Company assumes no
obligation to update the forward-looking statements, which are made
as of the date hereof, even if new information becomes available in
the future.
Contact:
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Allen & Caron
Inc
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Jill Bertotti
(investors)
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jill@allencaron.com
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Len Hall
(media)
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len@allencaron.com
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(949)
474-4300
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SOURCE Gentherm