08.08.2013 Views

Exploration and Optimization of Tellurium‐Based Thermoelectrics

Exploration and Optimization of Tellurium‐Based Thermoelectrics

Exploration and Optimization of Tellurium‐Based Thermoelectrics

SHOW MORE
SHOW LESS

Create successful ePaper yourself

Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.

Chapter 1. Introduction to Thermoelectric Materials<br />

The world is at a crossroads. Fossil fuels are quickly drying up, global warming <strong>and</strong><br />

environmental pollution are now a cause for worldwide concern, <strong>and</strong> industries are under pressure to<br />

make old products less damaging <strong>and</strong> new products “green”, clean, <strong>and</strong> efficient. Wind, solar, hydrogen<br />

<strong>and</strong> other forms <strong>of</strong> clean energy are being installed wherever possible, including ro<strong>of</strong>s <strong>of</strong> buildings (aka<br />

green ro<strong>of</strong>s), [1] factories, locomotives <strong>and</strong>, <strong>of</strong> course, automobiles. Politicians <strong>and</strong> scientists alike are<br />

beginning to underst<strong>and</strong> (<strong>and</strong> explore) the need for alternative automotive fuel sources <strong>and</strong> ways to<br />

conserve energy that prolong <strong>and</strong> effectively utilize diminishing fossil fuels. Thermoelectric (TE)<br />

materials are the only known solids in existence that are capable <strong>of</strong> direct conversion <strong>of</strong> heat into<br />

electricity, [2] which is achieved via a temperature gradient across the material. These solid‐state devices<br />

have the added advantage that they can be used alongside any other power generation material, such<br />

as combustion engines, to further improve the energy yield from said device; any lost heat recycled into<br />

electricity, is energy the device would have otherwise never recovered! Take, for example, automotive<br />

designs for hybrid, electric or even conventional starter batteries: their internal chemistry is optimized<br />

to a certain temperature range which needs to be maintained in order to sustain a long battery life.<br />

Thermoelectric materials can regulate very hot or very cold batteries <strong>and</strong> even optimize them; a lead‐<br />

acid battery at 294 K generates 13.5 V, but the same battery at 266 K generates 14.5 V. [3] In short, they<br />

are complementary materials that make green technology (e.g. batteries) even greener!<br />

When an n‐type <strong>and</strong> a p‐type thermoelectric material are paired together, attached to a circuit,<br />

<strong>and</strong> electrical current is moved through the device, a temperature gradient is created at both ends <strong>of</strong><br />

said device; a system capable <strong>of</strong> removing heat from one end <strong>and</strong> depositing it on the other is the result.<br />

Known as the Peltier Effect (Figure 1.1 (a)), it is typically thought <strong>of</strong> as thermoelectric cooling. [4]<br />

Figure 1.1 (a) Peltier Effect (b) Seebeck Effect<br />

2

Hooray! Your file is uploaded and ready to be published.

Saved successfully!

Ooh no, something went wrong!