Comparison of skutterudites and advanced thin-film B/sub 4/C/B/sub 9/C and Si/SiGe materials in advanced thermoelectric energy recovery systems

2005 ◽  
Author(s):  
T.J. Hendricks
Keyword(s):  
Thin Film ◽  
Energy Recovery ◽  
Thermoelectric Energy

Thin-film thermoelectric energy harvesting for security and sensing applications

2011 ◽  
Author(s):  
David A. Koester ◽  
Paul Crocco ◽  
Ramaswamy Mahadevan ◽  
Edward Siivola ◽  
Karl von Gunten
Keyword(s):  
Thin Film ◽  
Energy Harvesting ◽  
Sensing Applications ◽  
Thermoelectric Energy ◽  
Thermoelectric Energy Harvesting

New Perspectives in Thermoelectric Energy Recovery System Design Optimization

2013 ◽  
Vol 42 (7) ◽  
pp. 1725-1736 ◽  
Author(s):  
Terry J. Hendricks ◽  
Naveen K. Karri ◽  
Tim P. Hogan ◽  
Charles J. Cauchy
Keyword(s):  
Design Optimization ◽  
System Design ◽  
Energy Recovery ◽  
Energy Recovery System ◽  
Thermoelectric Energy ◽  
Recovery System ◽  
System Design Optimization

Enhancing Thermoelectric Energy Recovery via Modulations of Source Temperature for Cyclical Heat Loadings

2006 ◽  
Vol 129 (6) ◽  
pp. 749-755 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. McCarty ◽  
K. P. Hallinan ◽  
B. Sanders ◽  
T. Somphone
Keyword(s):  
Heat Flow ◽  
Energy Recovery ◽  
Waste Heat ◽  
Temperature Drop ◽  
Source Temperature ◽  
Physical Conditions ◽  
Thermal Switch ◽  
Thermoelectric Energy ◽  
In Series ◽  
Flow Through

Recent improvements in thermoelectric (TE) materials have expanded the potential to use this technology to generate electricity from waste heat in a variety of applications. The performance of a TE generator improves when the temperature difference across the generator is as large as possible given the constraints associated with its application. This paper considers the use of a “thermal switch,” located physically between the heat source and the TE device, to modulate the heat flow through the TE device. A control schema is envisioned which permits heat to flow from the source to the TE device only when the source temperature is near maximum, yielding a higher time-averaged temperature drop across the TE and therefore a higher efficiency. A numerical model is used to evaluate the benefits of an active thermal switch in series with a TE generator relative to a baseline case defined by the absence of a thermal switch for both time-varying and constant heat inputs. The results demonstrate that modulating the heat flow through the TE device and maintaining the source temperature at a near constant maximal value is capable of improving the time-averaged TE device energy recovery efficiency. For some conditions, improved efficiencies of more than five times are realized. The requisite physical conditions necessary for achieving these improvements are also identified.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document