Materials for thermoelectric energy conversion iopscience. Thermoelectric solid state energy harvesting using waste heat available in gas turbine engine offers potential for power generation to meet growing power needs of aircraft thermoelectric material advances offer new opportunities weightoptimized integrated turbine engine structure incorporating energy conversion devices. Semiconductor glass with superior flexibility and high. A thermoelectric generator teg, also called a seebeck generator, is a solid state device that converts heat flux temperature differences directly into electrical energy through a phenomenon called the seebeck effect a form of thermoelectric effect. Sep 19, 2016 concentrating solar thermoelectric generators stegs have the advantage of replacing the mechanical power block with a solid state heat engine based on the seebeck effect, simplifying the system. Solid state solarthermal energy conversion center nanoengineering group solar thermoelectric energy conversion gang chen,1 daniel kraemer,1 bed poudel,2 hsienping feng,1 j. Thermoelectric materials an overview sciencedirect topics. Unlike heat engines, the solid state electrical components typically used to perform thermal to electric energy conversion have no moving parts. Sige alloys, pbte, and teaggesb tags have been successfully integrated into radioisotope thermoelectric genera. One of the central themes of s3tec is to develop more efficient thermoelectric materials to directly convert heat into electricity via the seebeck effect, or provide cooling via the peltier effect. The discovery in the 1950s that semiconductors can act as efficient heat pumps led to premature expectations of environmentally benign solid state home.
Direct thermal energy conversion materials, devices, and systems is one of fourteen manufacturingfocused technology assessments prepared in support of chapter 6. When temperature differences are converted directly into. Besides the improvement of thermoelectric materials, device optimization is a crucial factor for efficient heattoelectric power conversion and one of the key challenges is how to create a large temperature across a thermoelectric generator especially in the case of a dilute incident heat flux. The core of the solution is an integrated approach to engineer electrical and thermal properties of nanostructured materials and devices and fabricate more efficient solid state and vacuumbased thermionic energy conversion systems. Frequently, thermoelectric generators are used for lowpower remote applications or where bulkier but more efficient heat engines such as stirling engines would not be possible. Heat to electric energy up to 20% conversion efficiency with.
Thermoelectric and pyroelectric energy conversion devices download pdf info publication number us7807917b2. With recent materials science advances, solid state thermoelectric heating and cooling has started to transform the heating and cooling and thermal management industry in a similar way that solid state electronics has transformed the electronics industry and our world. The possibility of converting a heat flux into an electrical current or vice versa is realized by a thermoelectric generator teg or thermo. New devices based on bulk and multilayer thermoelectric materials are described. Thermoelectronic energy conversion highlyefficient conversion of heat and solar radiation to electric power. Conversely when a voltage is applied to it, it creates a temperature. Efficient thermoelectric energy conversion critically depends on the performance of thermoelectric materials and devices. Thermoelectric energy conversion using nanostructured. The conversion of thermal energy to electricity and vice versa by means of solid state thermoelectric devices is extremely appealing. A johnson thermoelectric energy converter or jtec is a type of solid state heat engine that uses the electrochemical oxidation and reduction of hydrogen in a twocell, thermal cycle that approximates the ericsson cycle. The basic theory is introduced and the thermodynamic and solid state views are compared. A thermoelectric power converter has no moving parts, and is compact, quiet, highly reliable and environmentally friendly. The book discusses the range of materials that can be used to harness and convert solar energy in particular, including the properties of oxide. The book then goes on to discuss characterization techniques, including various light and mechanic microscopy techniques, while also summarizing applications for thermoelectric materials, such as micro and nanothermoelectric generators, wearable electronics and energy conversion devices.
Thermoelectric materials can directly convert heat to electricity and are expected to lead to new devices to harvest waste heat for energy efficiency as well as new cooling technologies. The ultimate performance and energy efficiency of existing solid state devices will soon be limited by the relatively well understood behaviors of commonly used simple periodic crystals and highly disordered. The search for cleaner, more sustainable energy sources is an evergrowing global concern because of escalating energy costs and global warming associated with fossil fuel sources. Continuum theory and modeling of thermoelectric elements. Thermoelectric power generation is based on solid state technology with no moving parts and works on the principle of seebeck e ect. It is under investigation as a viable alternative to conventional photovoltaic cells. Us7807917b2 thermoelectric and pyroelectric energy. Thermoelectric energy conversion with solid electrolytes. The possibility of converting a heat flux into an electrical current or vice versa is realized by a thermoelectric generator teg or thermoelectric cooler tec. Thermal energy harvesters are solid state devices that do not require any fuel and do not produce harmful discharge. This material is partially based on work supported as part of the solid state solarthermal energy conversion center s 3 tec. The solidstate battery thermal management system in the below pdf is a sample of our work. W ith the widespread use of semiconductors hn11 in microelectronics and optoelectronics, it is hard to imagine that the initial excitement was due to their promise not in electronics, but in refrigeration 12.
Their ability to harvest waste heat and deliver cooling power through solid state devices without moving parts makes them important candidates of. The advantage of the planar thermoelectric effect allows utility for large area applications and is scalable for large scale power generation plants. Thermoelectric effect can be used in numerous applications. An amtec of mature design should have an efficiency of 20 to 40 percent, a power density of 0. Working as refrigerators or power generators, they are competitive to 4,5, or. Low thermal conductivity high electrical conductivity high thermo emf seebeck construction of a typical commercial device. For context within the 2015 qtr, key connections between this technology assessment, other qtr. Thermoelectric benefits te coolers have no moving parts, need substantially less maintenance. Prospects for implementation of thermoelectric generators as. Solid state thermionic energy conversion was proposed by mahan et al. The direct coupling between heat and electricity is singled out for more detailed discussion of a useful figure of merit. We start by a brief overview of the fundamental interactions between heat and electricity, i. Teg is made of bismuth telluride, lead telluride and silicon germanium.
Zonal te devices located in the dashboard, headliner. Thermoelectric devices the thermoelectric effect is the direct conversion of temperature differences to electric voltage and vice versa. The third advantage is that thermoelectric devices are reliable, maintenance free, do not use moving parts or liquid, and use direct energy conversion. Small thermoelectric generators electrochemical society. Zuev in the last two decades numerous novel nanoscale materials have been synthesized. Nanoengineered materials for thermoelectric energy conversion. The text is aimed mainly at the project developer in the field of thermoelectric technology, both in. Unlike traditional dynamic heat engines, thermoelectric generators contain no moving parts and are completely silent. Thermoelectric devices are solid state devices that convert thermal energy from a temperature gradient into electrical energy the seebeck effect or convert electrical energy into a temperature gradient the peltier effect. Below we describe the most important developments and efforts in using these very new materials described above in fabrication of functional power generation devices and modules. Thermoelectric power generator, any of a class of solid state devices that either convert heat directly into electricity or transform electrical energy into thermal power for heating or cooling. Thermoelectric generation technology 2006, as one entirely solid state energy conversion method, can directly transform thermal energy into electricity by using thermoelectric transformation materials. Optimization of these properties requires tailoring vibrational properties as well as the entropy carried by electrical.
With the everrising demand throughout the world for energy consumption and co2 reduction, thermoelectric energy conversion has been receiving intensified attention as a potential candidate for wasteheat. Mar 04, 2016 thermoelectric effects can be used to make solid state refrigeration devices, or to sense temperature differences, or to convert thermal energy directly into electricity. It is unique because it can be applied to both small and largescale waste heat harvesting, and it can produce electrical energy from relatively small temperature gradients at relatively low operating temperatures. Research description laboratory of quantum materials for.
Thermoelectric devices based on vertical pillar and planar architectures are disclosed. Thermoelectric generators function like heat engines, but are less bulky and have no moving. Thermoelectric materials and applications for energy. Flexible energy conversion and storage devices wiley. In the past decade, several types of flexible energy conversion devices have been developed on the basis of piezoelectricity 2, electrostaticity 3, and triboelectricity 4, but these devices are usually. The maximum conversion efficiency of a thermoelectric device for power generation. The heart of the teg is a module, which produces power and is shown schematically in fig. Innovation demonstration under its open 2009 award from arpae, phononics goal was to develop compact and efficient thermoelectric waste heat converters and coolers based on lead chalcogenide materials. Solidstate energy conversion devices ieee journals.
Thermoelectrics solid state solar thermal energy conversion. Tegs are made from thermoelectric modules which are solidstate integrated circuits. Highperformance solidstate thermionic energy conversion. New materials now being developed by the thermoelectrics. The conversion efficiency is dominated by the materials dimensionless thermoelectric figure of merit. This interest has rendered substantial improvements in both the 1st and 2nd thermodynamic law efficiencies of the solid state energy harvesting devices. A peltier cooler, heater, or thermoelectric heat pump is a solid state active heat pump which transfers heat from one side of the device to the other, with consumption of electrical energy, depending on the direction of the. Temperature control to within fractions of a degree can be maintained using te devices.
Solid state energy harvesting and power conversion in gas. Such devices are based on thermoelectric effects involving interactions between the flow of heat and of. The first application is used most notably in spacecraft power generation systems for example, in voyager i and. Pdf thermoelectric application in energy conservation. Pdf heat transfer in thermoelectric materials and devices. Thermoelectric generators function like heat engines, but are less bulky and have no moving parts however, tegs are typically more expensive. Sound knowledge of the latest research results in the thermodynamics and design of thermoelectric devices, providing a solid foundation for thermoelectric element and module design in the technical development process and thus serving as an indispensable tool for any application development. Such devices are based on thermoelectric effects involving interactions between the flow of heat and of electricity through solid. The role of solid state chemistry in the discovery of new. Solid cell is developing an integrated thermoelectric heat exchanger iteghx for generation of carbon neutral electricity through recovery of cold energy during regasification of liquefied gases such as natural gas, ethane, nitrogen and oxygen. The first method is to use a nonplanar heterostructure with roughness in order of. Solid state thermoelectric te generation is a heat to electricity conversion technology that requires no moving parts. Lecture 8lecture 8 thermoelectric devices focused on generators for this class but coolers are designed nearly identically georgia tech ece 4833 dr.
The solid state based thermoelectric te energy conversion technique is of particular interest because of its potential application in power generation and temperature control. Conversion of heat to power solid state effect compound semiconductors are most efficient materials judged by figure of merit, z, preferring. Us20080295879a1 thermoelectric and pyroelectric energy. A thermoelectric device creates voltage when there is a different temperature on each side. Low temperature thermoelectric devices have exhibited 35 year mean time betwsen failures 2. Thermoelectric materials can be included in novel applications as biothermal batteries, solid state thermoelectric cooling, optoelectronic devices, space, and automotive power generation 94. Lifetesting has shown the capability of te devices to exceed 200,000 hrs. In this work a thermoelectric generator teg system simulator was developed to perform various parametric and.
Tegs are made from thermoelectric modules which are solid state integrated circuits. A thermoelectric device creates a voltage when there is a different temperature on each side. Materials for energy conversion devices summarises the key research on new materials which can be used to generate clean and renewable energy or to help manage problems from existing energy sources. Christopher caylor, 2 giri joshi,3 bo yu,3 xiao yan, 3 yi ma, 3 xiaowei wang, 3 dezhi wang,3 andrew muto,1 kenneth mcenaney,1 matteo chiesa, 1,4 and zhifeng ren3 1mechanical engineering department. Nanostructured high temperature bulk thermoelectric energy. Conversions of energy in general are considered first, with emphasis on schemes appropriate for energy conversion devices.
However, its costeffectiveness is seriously hampered by the. Solid state thermoelectric devices are currently used in applications ranging from thermocouple sensors to power generators in space missions, to portable airconditioners and refrigerators. Thermoelectric device that use for energy conversion from heat into electrical is known as thermoelectric generator teg. Thermoelectric materials have been integrated into solid state energy conversion devices, which can either function as electrical power generators or be utilized as heat pumps for electronic refrigeration. Nanostructured high temperature bulk thermoelectric energy conversion for efficient waste heat recovery pi chris caylor, gmz director of thermoelectric systems. The thermaltoelectric energy conversion is a solid state conversion process that is quiet, has no mechanical parts, and provides longterm stability.
Implementation of solid state thermoelectric energy conversion devices thermoelectric devices are typically used for heating, cooling, and power generation. For both solar thermophotovoltaics and thermoelectrics, a key for high efficiency is to control the absorption of solar photons and their reemission, while efficient thermoelectric energy conversion calls for controlling the electron and phonon transport such that materials conduct electricity well but insulate heat flow. Thermoelectric, thermionic and thermophotovoltaic energy. A popular choice for waste heat recovery has been thermoelectric energy conversion, but small output voltage without energy. The thermoelectric effect is the direct conversion of temperature differences to electric power and viceversa.
An overview of the development of thermoelectric materials is presented with particular emphasis being placed on the most recent developments. The alkali metal thermoelectric converter amtec is a device for the direct conversion of heat to electrical energy. Thermoelectric energy abstract thermoelectric generators teg are devices that convert temperature differences into usable electricity. We use two heterostructure designs to improve the energy conversion efficiency of solid state thermionic devices. Figure 2 shows the number of scientific papers published in the field of thermoelectric. The investigation of thermoelectric transport properties. Highefficiency thermoelectric te materials are important for powergeneration devices that are designed to convert waste heat into electrical energy. Among the viable technologies for this purpose, thermoelectric te energy converters are of increasing interest because these solid state devices can transform heat given off from sources such as power. Thermoelectricity in semiconductor nanostructures science. In linear response the changes in the thermoelectric properties can be.
The quantum theory of matters is the foundation for modern electronic and energy conversion devices that have emerged and altered the course of human history over the past seven decades. This battery thermal management system has many features that set it apart from typical battery thermal managements systems. They can be considered thermoelectric devices that use vacuum as their thermoelectric material 3. Addition of nitrogen and phosphorus are disclosed to optimize the oxide material properties for thermoelectric conversion efficiency. Therefore, if nanoscale materials are to be integrated into novel thermoelectric energy conversion devices, thermoelectric properties must be investigated in detail.
Aug 23, 2016 phononics thermoelectric devices have demonstrated industrybest performance as high power density, high efficiency solid state coolers. Highperformance flatpanel solar thermoelectric generators. A 1 kw thermoelectric generator for lowtemperature. Energy conversion devices that can convert ambient energy into electricity are eagerly desired for selfpowered wearable devices. The conversion of waste heat into electrical energy may play an important role in our current challenge to develop alternative energy. Such generators have been used reliably for over 30 years of maintenancefree operation in deep space probes such as the voyager missions of nasa.
For both solar thermophotovoltaics and thermoelectrics, a key for high efficiency is to control the absorption of solar photons and their reemission, while efficient thermoelectric energy conversion calls for controlling the electron and phonon transport such. Thermoelectric materials an interdisciplinary collaboration kanatzidis msu, chemistry. Innovating clean energy technologies in advanced manufacturing. The sodium ion conductor beta alumina is used to form a hightemperature regenerative concentration cell for elemental sodium. New devices based on bulk and multilayer thermoelectric materials using combinations of at least one of thermoelectric and.
Thermoelectrics, in particular solid state conversion of heat to electricity, is expected to be a key energy harvesting technology to power ubiquitous sensors and wearable devices in the future. This thermoelectric system has a heat transfer path through the battery terminals. Thermoelectric energy conversion exploits the seebeck effect to convert thermal energy into electricity, or the peltier effect for heat pumping applications. Materials for energy conversion devices 1st edition. Thermoelectric cooling uses the peltier effect to create a heat flux at the junction of two different types of materials. We will start with an introduction to thermoelectric technology, followed by discussing advances in thermoelectric materials, devices, and systems. Among them microcooling, microheating, powering of light sources, and yrecoverof wasted thermal energy from solar cells.