Abstract
In recent years, demands for energy efficiency have motivated many researchers
worldwide to seek innovative methods capable of enhancing the efficiency of the
thermoelectric energy conversion of heat to electricity. Since the dimensionless
thermoelectric figure of merit ZT (=𝛼2𝜎T/𝜅, where 𝛼 is the Seebeck coefficient,
𝜎 is the electrical conductivity, 𝜅 is the thermal conductivity, and T is the absolute
temperature) can be regarded to be proportional to the thermoelectric efficiency
for a given temperature difference, materials improvements in this direction
include either electronic optimization methods for maximizing the 𝛼2𝜎 product
or phonons scattering methods for minimizing the thermal conductivity (the
denominator of ZT).
worldwide to seek innovative methods capable of enhancing the efficiency of the
thermoelectric energy conversion of heat to electricity. Since the dimensionless
thermoelectric figure of merit ZT (=𝛼2𝜎T/𝜅, where 𝛼 is the Seebeck coefficient,
𝜎 is the electrical conductivity, 𝜅 is the thermal conductivity, and T is the absolute
temperature) can be regarded to be proportional to the thermoelectric efficiency
for a given temperature difference, materials improvements in this direction
include either electronic optimization methods for maximizing the 𝛼2𝜎 product
or phonons scattering methods for minimizing the thermal conductivity (the
denominator of ZT).
| Original language | American English |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | Thermoelectric Energy Conversion |
| Subtitle of host publication | Basic Concepts and Device Applications |
| Editors | Diana Davila Pineda, Alireza Rezaniakolaei |
| Chapter | 1 |
| Pages | 1-14 |
| ISBN (Electronic) | 9783527698134 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Oct 2017 |
Publication series
| Name | Advanced Micro and Nanosystems |
|---|---|
| Publisher | Wiley |