Our office will be closed from April 27 to May 6 due to our company's holiday (Golden Week holiday).
We will resume working from May 7.
Sorry for your inconvenience during this period.

Best regards

UlVAC-RIKO,Inc will be closed for the New Years holiday as below.
December 29th 2012 to January 6th 2013

Best wishes for a happy holiday season and a happy new year.

ULVAC-RIKO, Inc.(Head office: Yokohama, Kanagawa; President and CEO: Yoshikazu Ishii) has developed "Seebeck Coefficient / Electric Resistance Measuring System ZEM-5 series" specialized in each application and will start to sell from July.

We have developed and are now selling "Seebeck Coefficient / Electric Resistance Measuring System ZEM-3" corresponding to the performance evaluation of thermoelectric materials.
Recently, effectively using energy has been encouraged along with the emission reduction of CO₂. The requests for power saving have been increased and the developments of energy saving technique have been accelerated since last year's East Japan earthquake. Attentions to thermoelectric materials have been drawn as a maintenance free and a clean technology since they are converted to electricity from heat without any driving part.
As developments of thermoelectric materials have been advanced, the performance evaluation with high level for various kinds of materials has been pursued. We have developed "ZEM-5 series" specialized in the features of various kinds of materials such as high temperature materials, high resistance materials and thin films, and so on. We have supplied thermoelectric materials evaluation system to respond to the detailed requirements of various kinds of materials.
"Seebeck Coefficient / Electric Resistance Measuring System ZEM-5 series" which we are ready to start to sell, specializes in the specification corresponding to features of various kinds of materials.
We adopted C type thermocouple with low reaction as Si series thermoelectric materials. We reviewed measurement system to measure higher resistance (Actual measurement:10MΩ) which are equal to that of oxide thermoelectric materials. We have developed optimization of sample assembly and measurement method to evaluate thin films (nano order), low-middle temperature type specialized in the needs of evaluation at close to room temperature and the evaluation of small sample with a few millimeter.

§ Features
- A series of performance evaluation of various thermoelectric materials with optimization.
- Adopting C type thermocouple for optimum evaluation of Si series thermoelectric materials (SiGe, MgSi).
- Diagnostic program of thermocouple to be equipped as a standard accessory.
- Capable of controlling temperature up to 1200°C(HT-high temperature type).
- Capable of corresponding to high resistance up to (Actual measurement:10MΩ). (HR-high resistance type).
- Capable of film measurements deposited on substrate(TF- thin film type).
- Capable of the temperature control between -150°C and 200°C(LT-low-middle temperature type).

§ Main specification

Thermal properties	Seebeck coefficient and electric resistance.
Sample size	2 - 4mm square or 2 - 4mmφ× 3 - 15mm long (High temperature HT type).
Thin film	Capable of confirming electric current nano order thin film deposited on the substrate of width 2 - 4mm, thickness 0.4 - 1.2mm, and length 20mm through insulating layer (TF type).
Measurement accuracy: Seebeck coefficient	Seebeck coefficient :±7% Electric resistance:±7% (Excluding sample under 5mm long).
Temperature range	100°C - 200°C (HT High temperature type).   50°C-  800°C (HR High resistance type).   50°C  - 500°C (TF Thin film type). -150°C -  200°C (LT Low-middle temperature type).
Atmosphere	in decompressed He gas
Thermocouple	C thermocouple (HT High temperature type). R thermocouple (TF Thin film type standard, HR High resistance type). K thermocouple (LT Low-middle temperature type).
Data acquisition	Desktop personal computer (OS:Windows 7).

§ Utilities(HT type)

Space requirement	About 750mm W x 900mm D (for desk area of system). About 700mm W x 800mm D (for PC rack).
System dimension	About 750mm W x 900mm D x About 750mm H (without projection).
Weight of system	About 80 kg.
Power	System:AC200V, 40 A(single phase +grounding one location). Data acquisition:AC 100 V, 10 A(AC outlet 2 locations).
Cooling water	Water pressure: 0.15 MPa, Flow rate: 5 L/min. (City water or cooling water circulator)

§ Series

ZEM-5 HT	High temperature type (Corresponding to 1200°C).
ZEM-5 HR	High resistance type (Capable of evaluating up to 10MΩ).
ZEM-5 TF	Thin film type (Corresponding to thin film).
ZEM-5 LT	Low-middle temperature type (Temperature between -150°C and 200°C).

§ Applications
- Evaluation of Seebeck coefficient and electric resistance of thermoelectric materials.
- Performance evaluation of Si series thermoelectric materials.
- Performance evaluation of oxide thermoelectric materials.
- Performance evaluation of thin film thermoelectric materials.

§ Exhibition
Panel will be exhibited at ULVAC booth of "The 31st International & 10^th European Conference on Thermoelectrics (ICT&ECT 2012)" in Denmark from July 9 to July 15, 2012.

§ Sales plan in 2012
Total quantity: 10 systems (domestic and overseas).

§ Explanation of terms
1. Seebeck coefficientS (V K^-1)
Thermoelectric effects such as Seebeck coefficient, Peltier effect and Thomson effect are widely known. Electromotive force will occur by applying temperature difference to joints of 2 different conductors. This is Seebeck effect.
If temperature difference is dT and potential difference is dV  Seebeck coefficientS shall be obtained from the following formula.


2. Electric resistanceρ (Ω m)
Electric resistance is the index for capacity of non conducting electricity.

3. Figure of merit
3 parameters shall be required to improve performance of thermoelectric materials.
(1) Occurrence of a big electromotive force(Voltage)
(2)Acquisition of a big power
(3)Advent of a big temperature difference.
Physical properties corresponding to the above three parameters are (1) Seebeck coefficientS (V K^-1), (2) Electric resistance ρ (Ω m, and (3) Thermal conductivity λ (W m^-1 K^-1). A big Seebeck coefficient (absolute value), low electric resistance and low thermal conductivity shall be required to improve performance of thermoelectric materials. Figure of merit given by Z (K^-1) is described by the following formula.

ZEM-5 is optimum for performance evaluation of thermoelectric materials since the above Seebeck coefficient S and electric resistance ρ can be measured at the same time.

 YOKOHAMA, JAPAN (May 31, 2011) - Ulvac-RIKO is proud to announce a new breakthrough in renewable energy research - efficiently converting hot water of 90°C into 3 kilowatts (100 V, 30 A) of electricity using a (patented) compact and portable power generation system.

§ Introduction
 With the world facing global warming and an ever reducing supply of oil resources, there is a clear and present need for new technology research in renewable energy. Furthermore, in light of the recent great east Japan earthquake, the shutdown of thermal and nuclear based power plants has created brand new demands not only for energy efficient technologies, but also for the immediate utilization of brand new, yet untapped alternative sources of energy. Once such source, underutilized but in abundance, is low temperature heat source below 150°C, which commonly exists in the form of waste heat from factories, solar heat, or hot springs. Modern attempts to utilize such heat source is limited scales in the 50+ kilowatts range, and only to sites able to meet restrictive requirements such as high volume heat, large space, expensive upfront costs

§ Abstract of Results
 ULVA-RIKO has developed a breakthrough small scale solution to generate 3~12 kilowatts of power from low temperature heat sources below 150°C. This one of a kind system is small enough to fit in a small truck, and its low noise operation makes it the ideal solution to be used at sites previously enable to meet the high requirements posed by existing solutions. The power output of this solution, between 3 to 12 kilowatts, is well capable of meeting the power demands of 5 to 20 average households. By directly converting heat energy into electric energy, this breakthrough technology is aiming to be an integral part of future power demands in our society.
 This development project consists of two components, the construction of the Rankine cycle¹⁾ based (figure 1) portable power generator system (figure 2), and the power generation tests using hot and cooling water (figure 3). In the example shown, using hot water of 91°C with a flow rate of 43 L/min, at temperature difference of 69?C, the system was able to generate 3.8kW of power output, at a high energy regeneration efficiency of 7.2 %²⁾.
 At the heart of the power generator system is the one of a kind, ECcentric Orbiting scroll expander generator (Ecoscroll Expander)^{3), 4)}, developed using our proprietary technology. The Ecoscoll Expander is compact, highly efficient with quiet operation, which makes it the ideal solution not only for our power generator system, but also HEV, EV car electric compressor, fuel cell air blowers⁵⁾, vacuum pumps, and many other purposes.
Parts of this project were made possible by the 2009 and 2010 Local Innovation Research and Development Commission of Kanto Bureau of Economy, Trade and Industry, Richstone Inc., and the joint research efforts with The National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology.

§ Features
- Generate electricity from hot water at temperatures of 75~100°C.
- Light and portable. Can be transported by a light truck and deployed with virtually no construction cost.
- Compact size and quiet operation. Can be deployed at sites previous unsuitable for big and noisy machines.
- Scalable depending on heat source to generate a maximum of 12 kW.

§ Application of low temperature heat source
- Factory waste heat
- Automobiles, ships
- Steam
- Fuel cell
- Hot springs
- Solar heat and others...

§ Utility
Case of compact and portable power generation system between 3 to 6 kW
Body size： W1100 mm x D800 mm x H1400 mm
Body weight： About 200 kg

§ Future Plans
 Having realized the viability of its target performance, the system will be field tested for durability, and will be commercially available thereafter.

§ Explanation of technical term
1) Rankine cycle : One process transferring heat energy into mechanical energy by using working medium existing in both liquid and gas phases. Ex.) thermal and nuclear based power plants
2) Energy regeneration efficiency : Ratio of the efficiency power to the input energy.
3) Scroll expander : Composition of a pair of the same spiral pattern, one pattern is fixed and the other is made oscillating movement. Increasing expansion room volume, the gas volume is expanded.
4) ECO scroll expander : Scroll expander by ECcentric Orbiting method [ECcentric Orbiting scroll expander].
5) air blower : Discharge machine of middle pressure between pressure fan and compressor.

Figure 1. Schematic figure of compact and portable power generation system(Rankine cycle)

Figure 2. compact and portable power generation system(test model).

Figure 3. View of electric power examination of compact and portable power generation system.