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Thermoelectrics: Direct Solar Thermal Energy Conversion

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  31 January 2011

Terry M. Tritt ,
Harald Böttner  and
Lidong Chen
Terry M. Tritt
Affiliation:
Clemson University, USA
Harald Böttner
Affiliation:
Fraunhofer Institut für Physikalische Meβtechnik, Germany
Lidong Chen
Affiliation:
China Academy of Sciences, China

Extract

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The field of thermoelectricity began in the early 1800s with the discovery of the thermoelectric effect by Thomas Seebeck. Seebeck found that, when the junctions of two dissimilar materials are held at different temperatures (ΔT), a voltage (V) is generated that is proportional to ΔT. The proportionality constant is the Seebeck coeffcient or thermopower: α = −δV/ΔT. When the circuit is closed, this couple allows for direct conversion of thermal energy (heat) to electrical energy. The conversion effciency, ηTE, is related to a quantity called the fgure of merit, ZT, that is determined by three main material parameters: the thermopower α, the electrical resistivity ρ, and the thermal conductivity κ.

Type
Research Article
Information
MRS Bulletin , Volume 33 , Issue 4: Harnessing Materials for Energy , April 2008 , pp. 366 - 368
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2008

References

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