Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-vdxz6 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-23T15:02:56.751Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Characterization of Thermoelectric Power Generation Modules Made from New Materials

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 February 2011

Jarrod L. Short ,
Jonathan D'Angelo ,
Adam D. Downey ,
Michael A. Pajor ,
Ed Timm ,
Harold Schock ,
Mercouri G. Kanatzidis  and
Timothy P. Hogan
Jarrod L. Short
Affiliation:
[email protected], Michigan State University, Electrical and Computer Engineering, 2120 Engineering, East Lansing, MI, 48824, United States
Jonathan D'Angelo
Affiliation:
[email protected], Michigan State University, Electrical and Computer Engineering, United States
Adam D. Downey
Affiliation:
[email protected], Michigan State University, Electrical and Computer Engineering, United States
Michael A. Pajor
Affiliation:
[email protected], Michigan State University, Electrical and Computer Engineering, United States
Ed Timm
Affiliation:
[email protected], Michigan State University, Mechanical Engineering, United States
Harold Schock
Affiliation:
[email protected], Michigan State University, Mechanical Engineering, United States
Mercouri G. Kanatzidis
Affiliation:
[email protected], Michigan State University, Chemistry, United States
Timothy P. Hogan
Affiliation:
[email protected], Michigan State University, Electrical and Computer Engineering, United States
Get access

Abstract

Lead-Antimony-Silver-Tellurium (L-A-S-T) materials, synthesized at Michigan State University, show promising thermoelectric properties at high temperatures for use in power generation applications. Recent scaled-up quantities of L-A-S-T show a ZT=1.4 at 700 K approaching the figure of merit for samples made in small quantities. These materials are of great interest for power generation applications with hot side temperatures in the range of 600-800 K. Developing these materials into working devices requires minimization of the thermal and electrical parasitic contact resistances, so various fabrication methods are under investigation. To examine each method, a new measurement system has been developed to characterize these devices under various load and temperature gradients. An introduction to the system will be presented, as well as results for devices made of the L-A-S-T materials.

Keywords

thermoelectricityelectrical propertiesPb
Type
Research Article
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 886: Symposium F – Materials and Technologies fore Direct Thermal-to-Electric Energy Conversion , 2005 , 0886-F08-09
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2006

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

1 Hsu, Kuei Fang et al. , “Cubic AgPb(m)SbTe(2+m) Bulk Thermoelectric Materials with High Figure of Merit”, Science, Vol. 303, 2004.Google Scholar
2 Iwasaki, Hideo, “Evaluation of the Figure of Merit on Thermoelectric Materials by Harman Method”, J. Appl. Phys. Vol. 41, pp. 6606–6609, 2002.Google Scholar
3 Min, , Rowe, , and Kontostavlakis, , “Thermoelectric Figure of Merit under large temperature differences”, J. Phys. D: Appl. Phys., Vol. 37, pp. 1301–1304 (2004).Google Scholar
4 Downey, and Hogan, “Circuit model of a thermoelectric module for AC electrical measurements”, ICT at Clemson 2005.Google Scholar
5 Rauscher, L, Fujimoto, S, Kaibe, H T, and Sano, S, “Efficiency determination and general characterization of thermoelectric generators using an absolute measurement of the heat flow”, Meas. Sci. Tech., Vol. 16, pp. 1054–1060, 2005.Google Scholar
6 Sweet, J.N., Roth, , and Moss, , “Thermal conductivity of Inconel 718 and 304 Stainless Steel”, Int. J. of Thermophysics, vol. 8, pp 598, 1987.Google Scholar
7 Lide, David R., Handbook of Chemistry and Physics, 79th ed., CRC Press LLC, New York, pg 12–193, 1998-1999.Google Scholar
8 Sugawara, Akira, “The Precise Determination of thermal conductivity of fused quartz”, J. of App. Phys., Vol 39, No 13, pp 5994–5997, 1968.Google Scholar
9 Cobble, Milan H., “Calculations of Generator Performance”, Chap. 39 in CRC Handbook of Thermoelectrics edited by Rowe, D. M., CRC Press LLC, New York, pg. 489–501, 1995.Google Scholar
10 D'Angelo, Jonathan et al. , “Investigation of Low Resistance Contacts to Pb-Sb-Ag-Te (LAST) materials for module fabrication”, Materials Research Society Conference Proceedings, Fall 2005.Google Scholar