{"title":"Temperature and time dependent finite-element model of a thermoelectric couple","authors":"P. G. Lau, R. Buist","doi":"10.1109/ICT.1996.553305","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1109/ICT.1996.553305","url":null,"abstract":"The cooling performance of a thermoelectric (TE) couple is modeled from mathematical differential equations via finite-elements with the use of a digital computer. The finite-element model, which incorporates material property dependence on time and temperature, is presented. TE couple transient performance is investigated by applying an on-off current waveform to the model. Results from the model output are compared with experiment.","PeriodicalId":447328,"journal":{"name":"Fifteenth International Conference on Thermoelectrics. Proceedings ICT '96","volume":"163 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1996-03-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"115831557","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
J. Schilz, M. Riffel, R. Mathesius, G. Schiller, R. Henne, R.W. Smith
{"title":"Plasma spray forming as a novel production method for thermoelectric materials","authors":"J. Schilz, M. Riffel, R. Mathesius, G. Schiller, R. Henne, R.W. Smith","doi":"10.1109/ICT.1996.553259","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1109/ICT.1996.553259","url":null,"abstract":"To date the development of thermoelectric materials and technology has reached a level, that allows the fabrication of reliable generators. It now turns out that the main impediment on the way to large scale, commercial (terrestrial) applications is primarily not the comparable low efficiency of the devices, but the high investment costs, which are still on the order of several ten Dollars per Watt. Necessary conditions for cost reduction are the availability of (i) cheap, non-toxic materials in large quantities and (ii) processing methods which allow efficient production; preferably the formation of complete device structures within a single, automized manufacturing step. This paper introduces plasma spraying as a forming process with the potential to fulfil the above stated condition. The paper reports on first studies on the consolidation and characterization of iron disilicide (FeSi/sub 2/). It was found that plasma spray forming is applicable to produce dense materials with properties comparable to hot-pressed ones.","PeriodicalId":447328,"journal":{"name":"Fifteenth International Conference on Thermoelectrics. Proceedings ICT '96","volume":"11 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1996-03-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"114914263","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Precipitation study of lead and chalcogens in single crystals of PbSe-PbTe solid solution","authors":"V. Kuznetsov","doi":"10.1109/ICT.1996.553278","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1109/ICT.1996.553278","url":null,"abstract":"Lead chalcogenides and their solid solutions exhibit a retrograde solubility of lead and chalcogens that can result in the precipitation of excess components and degradation of electrical properties when this materials are used at temperatures lower then their fabrication temperature. The kinetic of precipitation of lead and chalcogens from supersaturated single crystals PbSe, PbTe, and their solid solution has been studied in this work. Single crystals were grown from vapour phase by a sublimation procedure in a vertical quartz ampoules. Sample treatment times ranged from 2 min to several hundred hours at three temperatures for both lead- and chalcogen-saturated crystals. Based on the analysis of the kinetic data the activation energy of precipitation was estimated and compared with the activation energy of diffusion of lead and chalcogens.","PeriodicalId":447328,"journal":{"name":"Fifteenth International Conference on Thermoelectrics. Proceedings ICT '96","volume":"68 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1996-03-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"116299897","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Deposition of (Bi,Sb)2Te3 films by magnetron co-sputtering from two targets-first results","authors":"M. Stolzer, V. Bechstein, J. Meusel","doi":"10.1109/ICT.1996.553519","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1109/ICT.1996.553519","url":null,"abstract":"Sputtered (Bi,Sb)/sub 2/Te/sub 3/ films show an excellent adhesivity on Kapton substrates and are suitable for patterning by wet etching. The known problem of strong deviation from stoichiometry in these films results from both the different sticking coefficients and the resputtering of the elements during the film growth. An oversupply of tellurium atoms is a possible and usually applied solution. A coating system was used which enables the control of direction and intensity of the particle flux from two magnetron sources separately. The targets consist of (i) stoichiometric (Bi/sub 0.25/Sb/sub 0.75/)/sub 2/Te/sub 3/ and (ii) pure tellurium. The experimental arrangement allows one to control the Te:(Bi,Sb) flux ratio R/sub F/ in a wide range. WDX analysis of the composition shows, that the films are nearly stoichiometric in the range 1.7/spl les/R/sub f//spl les/4 at substrate temperature T/sub S/=300/spl deg/C. A small deviation from stoichiometry was observed depending on the variation of T/sub S/.","PeriodicalId":447328,"journal":{"name":"Fifteenth International Conference on Thermoelectrics. Proceedings ICT '96","volume":"148 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1996-03-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"124724989","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"A stove-top generator for cold areas","authors":"A. Killander, J. Bass","doi":"10.1109/ICT.1996.553511","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1109/ICT.1996.553511","url":null,"abstract":"This paper discusses the development and test of a prototype thermoelectric generator which is designed to use the heat of existing wood fired stoves that are typically used in the area for home heating. This generator is being developed by the Royal Institute of Technology, in Sweden, to provide small amounts of power to homes in the remote northern areas of the country which are beyond the electric grid. The paper discusses some of the aspects of the generator design, as well as the early results obtained and some of the lessons learned from the first home test site in Skerfa, Sweden, which is located near the Arctic Circle. The bismuth-telluride thermoelectric modules used in the generator are also discussed.","PeriodicalId":447328,"journal":{"name":"Fifteenth International Conference on Thermoelectrics. Proceedings ICT '96","volume":"7 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1996-03-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"130679090","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
T. Koyanagi, T. Tsubouchi, M. Ohtani, K. Kishimoto, H. Anno, K. Matsubara
{"title":"Thermoelectric properties of Co(MxSb/sub 1-x/)3 (M=Ge, Sn, Pb) compounds","authors":"T. Koyanagi, T. Tsubouchi, M. Ohtani, K. Kishimoto, H. Anno, K. Matsubara","doi":"10.1109/ICT.1996.553266","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1109/ICT.1996.553266","url":null,"abstract":"The thermoelectric properties of CoSb/sub 3/, which was doped with IV elements of Sn, Ge and Pb, were investigated in order to improve the p-type thermoelectric performance of non-doped CoSb/sub 3/. Co(M/sub x/Sb/sub 1-x/)/sub 3/ (M=Ge, Sn, Pb) compounds were prepared by hot-pressing. The solubility limit of these dopants was determined from measurements of the X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The solubility limit of Ge and Sn are estimated to be about 1.4 and 2.4%, respectively, while Pb hardly substitutes for Sb. The Hall measurements reveal that the maximum carrier concentrations at room temperature were 1.5/spl times/10/sup 19/ cm/sup -3/ for Ge and 2.9/spl times/10/sup 19/ cm/sup -3/ for Sn. The change in the mobility with x can be explained qualitatively by taking account of conduction of both holes and electrons in doped CoSb/sub 3/. The electrical conductivity /spl sigma/ and Seebeck coefficient S of these samples were measured in the temperature range from 300 to 800 K. The p-type conduction is achieved in the whole temperature range by introducing Ge and Sn in CoSb/sub 3/. The values of the power factor S/sup 2//spl sigma/ for Co(Sn/sub x/Sb/sub 1-x/)/sub 3/ with x=1% are of the order of 10/sup -5/W/cmK/sup 2/ and 2/spl sim/10 times as high as those of the non-doped CoSb/sub 3/ in the wide temperature range.","PeriodicalId":447328,"journal":{"name":"Fifteenth International Conference on Thermoelectrics. Proceedings ICT '96","volume":"40 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1996-03-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"126209200","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Remarks on a possible physical sense of the value ZT = 1 for semiconductor thermoelectrics","authors":"M. Vedernikov, Y. Ravich","doi":"10.1109/ICT.1996.553291","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1109/ICT.1996.553291","url":null,"abstract":"The problem of the existence of an upper limit of thermoelectric figure of merit Z is of principal importance for thermoelectric energy conversion. It was discussed actively during the period of development of basic aspects of semiconductor thermoelectricity but was not solved. After a long time of silence it attracts attention again. C.B.Vining at ICT'92 considered the well known fact that the dimensionless parameter ZT/spl les/1 for all real thermoelectrics. He concluded that one doesn't know any physical reasons to consider this value as a specific one. Our paper indicates those rather general assumptions at which ZT/spl ap/1 for semiconductors at a qualitative evaluation. It is shown too that the dependence of ZT increase on decrease of lattice thermal conductivity is weaker for semiconductors with ZT>1 than for one with ZT<1.","PeriodicalId":447328,"journal":{"name":"Fifteenth International Conference on Thermoelectrics. Proceedings ICT '96","volume":"3 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1996-03-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"121586586","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
H. Anno, K. Matsubara, Y. Notohara, T. Sakakibara, K. Kishimoto, T. Koyanagi
{"title":"Thermoelectric properties of rf-sputtered CoSb3 films","authors":"H. Anno, K. Matsubara, Y. Notohara, T. Sakakibara, K. Kishimoto, T. Koyanagi","doi":"10.1109/ICT.1996.553522","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1109/ICT.1996.553522","url":null,"abstract":"Film growth and electronic transport properties of CoSb/sub 3/ with the cubic skutterudite structure were studied. The skutterudite CoSb/sub 3/ films were successfully grown on Si(100) and quartz substrates by using a magnetron rf-sputtering. A preferential orientation growth along [310] plane occurs when the pressure of sputtering gas decreases. Polycrystalline films with the skutterudite structure are also obtained by annealing sputtered films at low temperature. Electrical conductivity of the films changes with the film growth conditions. Electronic structure of the films was investigated by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Observed valence band structure agrees well with a recent band calculation. It is revealed that the valence band structure of CoSb, consists of the hybridized bands between Co d and Sb p states and a peak structure derived from localized Co d state.","PeriodicalId":447328,"journal":{"name":"Fifteenth International Conference on Thermoelectrics. Proceedings ICT '96","volume":"30 5 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1996-03-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"116552452","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Thermoelectric power generation systems recovering heat from combustible solid waste in Japan","authors":"T. Kajikawa","doi":"10.1109/ICT.1996.553504","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1109/ICT.1996.553504","url":null,"abstract":"The status and future prospects on the development of thermoelectric power generation systems utilizing heat from the municipal solid waste in Japan are reviewed in this paper. Two ongoing research and development programs related to this application in Japan are briefly introduced. The characteristics of heat from the solid waste processing system lead to the peculiar concept of thermoelectric power generation system. The theoretical and experimental studies including small scale onsite experiment are shown to discuss several technological problems and the guideline for the development of such systems.","PeriodicalId":447328,"journal":{"name":"Fifteenth International Conference on Thermoelectrics. Proceedings ICT '96","volume":"11 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1996-03-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"125247701","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Investigations of the properties of a thermoelectric IR-detector for low working temperature","authors":"R. Fettig, T. Henkel, E. Mueller","doi":"10.1109/ICT.1996.553502","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1109/ICT.1996.553502","url":null,"abstract":"Thermoelectric IR-detectors have been developed and built to work at a temperature of 170 K in the CIRS experiment as part of the CASSINI mission to Saturn. Thermoelectric legs of p and n-type are soldered to a metallized ceramic substrate, isolated one from another. Pyramidal legs are formed by electric discharge machining (EDM). A thin gold foil is welded to the pyramides and blackened for high absorption of radiation. Characterization measurements were carried out to correlate detector properties to the preparation process. Thermoelectric behavior is described by measuring the current-voltage characteristics from liquid nitrogen up to room temperature. Materials of the composition (Bi/sub 0.4/Sb/sub 0.6/)/sub 2/Te/sub 3/ (for p type) and Bi/sub 2/(Te/sub 0.95/Se/sub 0.95/)/sub 3/ (for n-type) have been used for detector preparation. The material was doped to have maximum figure of merit at temperatures below room temperature. It has been found that the EDM process changes the properties of the thermoelectric material and that electro etching can remove degraded layers. Electro etched detectors exhibit properties which are closer to the values expected from the original material.","PeriodicalId":447328,"journal":{"name":"Fifteenth International Conference on Thermoelectrics. Proceedings ICT '96","volume":"14 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1996-03-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"123873062","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}