Search results for "thermoelectric"

Enhanced thermoelectric performance in the p-type half-Heusler (Ti/Zr/Hf)CoSb0.8Sn0.2 system via phase separation

2014

A novel approach for optimization of the thermoelectric properties of p-type Heusler compounds with a C1b structure was investigated. A successful recipe for achieving intrinsic phase separation in the n-type material based on the TiNiSn system is isoelectronic partial substitution of Ti with its heavier homologues Zr and Hf. We applied this concept to the p-type system MCoSb0.8Sn0.2 by a systematic investigation of samples with different compositions at the Ti position (M = Ti, Zr, Hf, Ti0.5Zr0.5, Zr0.5Hf0.5, and Ti0.5Hf0.5). We thus achieved an approximately 40% reduction of the thermal conductivity and a maximum figure of merit ZT of 0.9 at 700 °C. This is a 80% improvement in peak ZT fr…

A Solar Pond for Feeding a Thermoelectric Generator or an Organic Rankine Cycle System

2017

The world energy demand is continuously growing, which means an increase in consumption for all modern fuels or stronger effort on the development and improvement of renewable technologies. Moreover, Developing Countries claims more energy and they have often wide unutilized or unusable lands. The solar energy represents a useful opportunity for these Countries. The Solar Pond is both a solar collector and a thermal storage for long period and is suitable to use in wide sunny areas. Solar pond technology is able to supply heat for several applications requiring low-grade thermal energy or for electrical power production. In order to produce electrical energy from solar ponds it is necessary…

Heat and work fluxes in thermoelectric coolers

2021

Abstract Thermodynamics considers heat and work as the observables of energy. Then, in a non-equilibrium process, the fluxes of heat, work and energy are related. The expressions for the heat and energy flux densities are well known; although several conventions have been adopted. The work flux density defined from the heat and energy flux densities can be very useful in describing the energy balance when chosen to emphasize observable quantities. This paper discusses the advantages of the use of the conduction heat flux density given by Fourier’s law and a work flux density defined from it. As a case study, heat and work fluxes are evaluated in the elements of a thermoelectric cooler using…

Structure and Doping Determined Thermoelectric Properties of Bi2Se3Thin Films Deposited by Vapour–Solid Technique

2019

In this work, a simple catalyst-free vapour-solid deposition method was applied for controlled deposition of two types (planar and disordered) of continuous Bi 2 Se 3 nanostructured thin films on different (fused quartz/glass, mica, graphene) substrates. Characterisation of electron transport (type, concentration and mobility of the main charge carriers) and thermoelectric properties (Seebeck coefficient and power factor) showed that proposed in this work deposition method allows to obtain Bi 2 Se 3 thin films with power factor comparable and even higher than reported for the Bi 2 Se 3 thin films grown by molecular beam epitaxy technique. Power factor of the best obtained thin films can be …

Structure-determined thermoelectric properties of Bi2Se3 thin films deposited by vapour-solid technique

2018

International audience; In this work, a simple catalyst-free vapour-solid deposition method is applied for controlled obtaining of two types (planar and disordered) continuous Bi2Se3 nanostructured thin films on different (fused quartz/glass, mica, graphene) substrates. Performed for the deposited thin films transport and thermoelectric characterization (type, concentration and mobility of the main charge carriers, Seebeck coefficient and power factor) showed that proposed deposition method allows to fabricate “low-doped” Bi2Se3 thin films with power factor comparable and even higher than reported for the Bi2Se3 thin films fabricated by molecular beam epitaxy technique.

Origin of the spin Seebeck effect in compensated ferrimagnets

2016

Magnons are the elementary excitations of a magnetically ordered system. In ferromagnets, only a single band of low-energy magnons needs to be considered, but in ferrimagnets the situation is more complex owing to different magnetic sublattices involved. In this case, low lying optical modes exist that can affect the dynamical response. Here we show that the spin Seebeck effect (SSE) is sensitive to the complexities of the magnon spectrum. The SSE is caused by thermally excited spin dynamics that are converted to a voltage by the inverse spin Hall effect at the interface to a heavy metal contact. By investigating the temperature dependence of the SSE in the ferrimagnet gadolinium iron garne…

Thermoelectric Heat Exchange and Growth Regulation in a Continuous Yeast Culture

2018

We have designed a thermoelectric heat exchanger (TEHE) for microbial fermentations that is able to produce electric power from a microbial continuous culture using the intrinsic heat generated by microbial growth. While the TEHE was connected, the system proved able to stably self-maintain both the temperature and the optical density of the culture. This paves the way toward a more sustainable operation of microbial fermentations, in which energy could be saved by converting part of the metabolic heat into usable electric power.

A novel multielectrode for epicardial recording with temperature control based in Peltier cells

2009

Electrophysiological parameters of the myocardium are influenced by temperature. Working with experimental models of isolated heart, the analysis of modulating effect exerted by local changes of temperature can provide some information about the mechanisms of certain arrhythmias and their electrophysiological bases, such as ventricular fibrillation. Conventional multiple electrodes do not seem to be appropriate, being necessary the development of specific devices. The design and implementation of a device adapted to these requirements is presented in this paper. This is a multi-electrode able to reproduce located and controlled conditions of hypothermia and hyperthermia, in a determined are…

Highly Efficient Thermoelectric Heusler Materials

2012

Investigation of the Thermoelectric Properties of the Series TiCo1-xNixSnxSb1-x

2010

The effect of the simultaneous substitution of cobalt by nickel and antimony by tin in the solid solution TiCo1–xNixSnxSb1–x was systematically investigated. The number of valence electrons does not change by this substitution and therefore the resistivity stays semimetallic or semiconducting. The series were synthesized by arcmelting and the thermoelectric properties were determined. It was found out that the substitution of cobalt and antimony by nickel and tin reduces the thermal conductivity to 2 W·m–1·K–1 at 400 K. The reduction is caused by titanium rich prolate micro structures that were found by energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy investigations. The Seebeck coefficient and the res…