In this study, an oxide reduction process and a reduction-sintering process were employed to synthesize a thermoelectric alloy from three thermoelectric composite oxide powders, and the thermoelectric properties were investigated as a function of the milling duration. Fine grain sizes were analyzed by via X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy, to investigate the influence of the milling duration on the synthesized samples. It was found that microstructural changes, the Seebeck coefficient, and the electrical resistivity of the compounds were highly dependent on the sample milling duration. Additionally, the carrier concentration considerably increased in the samples milled for 6 h; this was attributed to the formation of antisite defects introduced by the accumulated thermal energy. Moreover, the highest value of ZT (=1.05) was achieved at 373K by the 6-h milled samples. The temperature at which the ZT value maximized varied according to the milling duration, which implies that the milling duration of the three thermoelectric composite oxide powders should be carefully optimized for their effective application.
In this article, the authors present a model and a method of determining thermal parameters of a single point of the thermal touch screen for the blind and thermal parameters of selected parts of a human hand. Blind people, by using this device can “see” a pattern of dots by feeling hot spots. The thermal touch screen for the blind was used as a calorimeter and enables to calculate the amount of heat provided to a finger at a temperature ranging from 8°C to 52°C, that is the full range of temperature detected by humans. The authors designated thermal conductivity and heat capacity of both Peltier micromodule and parts of the user's hand. Results of the presented research allow optimizing the construction of the thermal touch screen for the blind and may be helpful for thermal modelling of the human body.
This paper provides some information about thermoelectric technology. Some new materials with improved figures of merit are presented. These materials in Peltier modules make it possible to generate electric current thanks to a temperature difference. The paper indicates possible applications of thermoelectric modules as interesting tools for using various waste heat sources. Some zero-dimensional equations describing the conditions of electric power generation are given. Also, operating parameters of Peltier modules, such as voltage and electric current, are analyzed. The paper shows chosen characteristics of power generation parameters. Then, an experimental stand for ongoing research and experimental measurements are described. The authors consider the resistance of a receiver placed in the electric circuit with thermoelectric elements. Finally, both the analysis of experimental results and conclusions drawn from theoretical findings are presented. Voltage generation of about 1.5 to 2.5 V for the temperature difference from 65 to 85 K was observed when a bismuth telluride thermoelectric couple (traditionally used in cooling technology) was used.
Nanostructured thermoelectric materials receiving great attention for its high thermoelectric performance. In this research, nanostructured n-type Bi2Te2.7Se0.3 alloys have prepared using high energy ball milling and followed by spark plasma sintering. Also, we have varied ball milling time to investigate milling time parameter on the thermoelectric properties of n-type Bi2Te2.7Se0.3 powder. The powders were discrete at 10 min milling and later particles tend to agglomerate at higher milling time due to cold welding. The bulk fracture surface display multi-scale grains where small grains intersperse in between large grains. The maximum Seebeck coefficient value was obtained at 20-min milling time due to their lower carrier density. The κ values were decreased with increasing milling time due to the decreasing trend observed in their κL values. The highest ZT of 0.7 at 350 K was observed for 30-min milling time which was ascribed to its lower thermal conductivity. The Vickers hardness values also greatly improved due to their fine microstructure.
This paper presents the design, fabrication and testing of an improved thin-film thermal converter based on an electro-thermally excited and piezo-resistively detected micro-bridge resonator. The resonant thermal converter comprises a bifilar heater and an opposing micro-bridge resonator. When the micro-bridge resonator absorbs the radiant heat from the heater, its axial strain changes, then its resonant frequency follows. Therefore the alternating voltage or current can be transferred to the equivalent DC quantity. A non-contact temperature sensing mechanism eliminates heat loss from thermopiles and reduces coupling capacitance between the temperature sensor and the heater compared with traditional thin-film thermal converters based on thermopiles. In addition, the quasi-digital output of the resonant thin-film thermal converter eliminates such problems as intensity fluctuations associated with analogue signals output by traditional thin-film thermal converters. Using the fast-reversed DC (FRDC) method, the thermoelectric transfer difference, which determines the frequency-independent part of the ac-dc transfer difference, is evaluated to be as low as 1.1 · 10−6. It indicates that the non-contact temperature sensing mechanism is a feasible method to develop a high-performance thermal converter.
The paper deals with an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) facilitating voltage conversion in thermoelectric energy harvesters. The chip is intended to be used to boost up the voltage coming from a thermoelectric module to a level that is required by electronic circuits constituting wireless sensor nodes. The designed charge pump does not need any external parts for its proper operation because all the capacitors, switches and oscillator are integrated on the common silicon die. The topography of the main functional blocks and post-layout simulations of the designed integrated circuit are shown in the article.
One of the ways to decrease thermal conductivity is nano structurization. Cobalt triantimonide (CoSb3) samples with added indium or tellurium were prepared by the direct fusion technique from high purity elements. Ingots were pulverized and re-compacted to form electrodes. Then, the pulsed plasma in liquid (PPL) method was applied. All materials were consolidated using rapid spark plasma sintering (SPS). For the analysis, methods such as X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) with a laser flash apparatus (LFA) were used. For density measurement, the Archimedes’ method was used. Electrical conductivity was measured using a standard four-wire method. The Seebeck coefficient was calculated to form measured Seebeck voltage in the sample placed in a temperature gradient. The preparation method allowed for obtaining CoSb3 nanomaterial with significantly lower thermal conductivity (10 Wm–1K–1 for pure CoSb3 and 3 Wm–1K–1 for the nanostructured sample in room temperature (RT)). The size of crystallites (from SEM observations) in the powders prepared was about 20 nm, joined into larger agglomerates. The Seebeck coefficient, α, was about –200 µVK–1 in the case of both dopants, In and Te, in microsized material and about –400 µVK–1 for the nanomaterial at RT. For pure CoSb3, α was about 150 µVK–1 and it stood at –50 µVK–1 for nanomaterial at RT. In bulk nanomaterial samples, due to a decrease in electrical conductivity and inversion of the Seebeck coefficient, there was no increase in ZT values and the ZT for the nanosized material was below 0.02 in the measured temperature range, while for microsized In-doped sample it reached maximum ZT = 0.7 in (600K).
In this study, the effect of electroless Pd-P plating on the bonding strength of the Bi-Te thermoelectric elements was investigated. The bonding strength was approximately doubled by electroless Pd-P plating. Brittle Sn-Te intermetallic compounds were formed on the bonding interface of the thermoelectric elements without electroless Pd-P plating, and the fracture of the bond originated from these intermetallic compounds. A Pd-Sn solder reaction layer with a thickness of approximately 20 µm was formed under the Pd-P plating layer in the case of the electroless Pd-P plating, and prevented the diffusion of Bi and Te. In addition, the fracture did not occur on the bonding interface but in the thermoelectric elements for the electroless Pd-P plating because the bonding strength of the Pd-Sn reaction layer was higher than the shear strength of the thermoelectric elements.
The implementation of micro scale combined heat and power systems is one of the ways to improve the energy security of consumers. In fact, there are many available large and medium scale cogeneration units, which operate according to the Rankine Cycle. Due to European Union demands in the field of using renewable energy sources and increasing energy efficiency result in the importance of additionally developing systems dedicated for use in residential buildings, farms, schools and other facilities. This paper shows the concept of introducing thermoelectric generators into typical wood stoves: steel plate wood stoves and accumulative wood stoves. Electricity generated in thermoelectric generators (there were studies on both three market available units and a prototypical unit developed by the authors) may be firstly consumed by the system (to power controller, actuators, fans, pumps, etc.). Additional power (if available) may be stored in batteries and then used to power home appliances (light, small electronics and others). It should be noted that commercially available thermoelectric generators are not matched for domestic heating devices – the main problems are connected with an insufficient heat flux transmitted from the stove to the hot side of the generator (caused e.g. by the non -homogeneous temperature distribution of the surface and bad contact between the stove and the generator) and inefficient cooling. To ensure the high efficiency of micro cogeneration systems, developing a dedicated construction both of the generator and the heat source is necessary.
The half-metallic, mechanical, and transport properties of the quaternary Heusler compound of PdZrTiAl is discussed under hydrostatic pressures in the range of –11.4 GPa to 18.4 GPa in the framework of the density functional theory (DFT) and Boltzmann quasi-classical theory using the generalization gradient approximation (GGA). By applying the stress, the band gap in the minor spin increases so that the lowest band is obtained 0.25 eV at the pressure of –11.4 GPa while the maximum gap is calculated 0.9 eV at the pressure of 18.4 GPa. In all positive and negative pressures, the PdZrTiAl composition exhibits a half-metallic behavior 100% spin polarization at the Fermi level. It is also found that applying stress increases the Seebeck coefficient in both spin directions. In the minority spin, the n-type PdZrTiAl, the power factor (PF) for all the cases is greater in the equilibrium state than the strain and stress conditions whereas in the majority spin, the PF value of the stress state is greater than the other two. The non-dimensional figure of merit (ZT) is significant and is about one in spin down in the room temperature for the all pressure states that it remains on this value by applying pressure. The obtained elastic constants indicate that the PdZrTiAl crystalline structure has a mechanical stability. Based on the Yong (E), Bulk (B) and shear (G) modulus and Poisson (n) ratio, the brittle-ductile behavior of this compound has been investigated under pressure. The results indicate that PdZrTiAl has a ductile nature and it is a stiffness compound in which elastic and mechanical instability increases by applying strain.
The perovskites XBiO3 (X = Al, Ga, In) have been studied in terms of mechanical, optical and thermoelectric behavior for energy harvesting application. Density functional theory is applied to study electronic, optical and thermoelectric properties of the studied materials. Structural, mechanical and thermodynamic stabilities are confirmed from the tolerance factor, Born mechanical stability and formation energy/specific heat capacity. Poisson and Plough ratios show the studied materials are ductile and have ability to withstand pressure. Band structure analysis shows the indirect band gap 3.0/2.1/1.0 eV for ABO/GBO/IBO. A complete set of optical spectra is reported by dielectric constants, refractive index, optical conduction, absorption of light and optical loss energy. Shifting of maximum absorption band to visible region increases the potential of perovskites XBiO3. Transport characteristics are also investigated by electrical conductivity, Seebeck coefficient and figure of merit.
Due to air pollution, global warming and energy shortage demands new clean energy conversion technologies. The conversion of industrial waste heat into useful electricity using thermoelectric (TE) technology is a promising method in recent decades. Still, its applications are limited by the low efficiency of TE materials in the operating range between 400-600 K. In this work, we have fabricated Cu0.005Bi0.5Sb1.495Te3 powder using a single step gas atomization process followed by spark plasma sintering at different temperatures (623, 673, 723, and 773 K), and their thermoelectric properties were investigated. The variation of sintering temperature showed a significant impact on the grain size. The Seebeck coefficient values at room temperature increased significantly from 127 μVK to 151 μV/K with increasing sintering temperature from 623 K to 723 K due to decreased carrier concentration. The maximum ZT values for the four samples were similar in the range between 1.15 to 1.18 at 450 K, which suggest these materials could be used for power generation in the mid-temperature range (400-600 K).