There are 120 reasons to choose a standard thermoelectric module from supercool. Complicated geometry of thermoelectric module favors coatings that can be deposited in a simple way on an assembled module. High nickel varieties are referred to as nickel skutterudite, previously chloanthite. Here, we successfully achieve both good stability and high efficiency in a thermoelectric module based on highperformance liquidlike materials through tuning the geometry. Evaluation of thermal to electrical energy conversion of. The seven thermoelectric power materials bottom right are of particular interest as they are fairly abundant materials and less expensive compared to te telluride based semiconductors and have equal or greater seebeck effect traits. Conversion efficiency of skutterudite based thermoelectric modules james r. Fabrication of skutteruditebased tubular thermoelectric. This thermoelectric material, which was originally developed by nasa to power deep space probes, operates in the mid to hightemperature range, a range not currently offered by other commercially available thermoelectric. Pdf thermoelectric and optical properties of the filled. Prediction of the fuel economy potential for a skutterudite.
Conversion efficiency of skutterudite based thermoelectric modules article pdf available in physical chemistry chemical physics 1624 may 2014 with 184 reads how we measure reads. A thermoelectric generator teg can convert a proportion of the otherwise wasted thermal energy of the exhaust gas to electricity directly for use. A read is counted each time someone views a publication summary such as the title, abstract, and list of authors, clicks on a figure, or views or downloads the fulltext. Koenig 4, ryan maloney 5, travis thompson 5, jeffrey sakamoto 5, hsin wang 6, andrew a. Modelling a segmented skutteruditebased thermoelectric.
The diffusion barrier materials allow the electrode to coexist stably with the p n skutterudites in the modules working. Skutterudite thermoelectric modules with high volumepower. With the publication of new theories about how to increase. Tegs with the planar substrate are not suitable for the curved heat sources. Thermoelectric and optical properties of the filled skutterudite ybfe 4 sb 12. A thermally stable diffusion barrier for bonding skutterudite based materials with metal contacts is disclosed. Meisnerskutterudite thermoelectric generator for automotive waste heat recovery meisner. The diffusion barrier materials allow the electrode to coexist stably with the pn skutterudites in the modules working temperature range of room temperature to 600c. Skutterudites for space powerdeveloping flight capable. Developing higher zt materials has recently gained much interest in the thermoelectric community 16,19,33,36. The conversion efficiency of the thermoelectric generator teg is adversely affected by the quality of thermal contact between the module and the heat source. Thermoelectric properties of dcsputtered filled skutterudite thin film gaosheng fu,1 lei zuo,1,2,a jie chen,2 ming lu,3 and liangyao yu4 1department of mechanical engineering, stony brook university, stony brook, new york 11794, usa. The choice of thermoelectric materials as the topic of this ph.
Thermoelectric generator development for automotive waste. Pdf nanostructured thermoelectric skutterudite co 1. Development of skutterudite thermoelectric materials and modules. It is applied to an 8couple thermoelectric module that consists of ntype mm,sm y co 4 sb 12 zt max 0. Most reported thermoelectric modules suffer from considerable power loss due to high electrical and thermal resistivity arising at the interface between thermoelectric legs and metallic contacts. The module has a thermoelectric conversion efficiency of 7% under the condition that the modules hotcold side temperatures are 600. Materials free fulltext microstructure evolution and.
Thermoelectric properties of dcsputtered filled skutterudite. Here we report the metallization layer of feni alloy seamlessly securing skutterudite materials and metallic. Sbbased filled skutterudite 1,2,3 alloys rtm 4 sb 12, r rare earth element, tm co, fe, etc. Thermoelectric modules we established a thermoelectric module technology suitable for above skutterudite materials. Energy conversion of high temperature skutterudite based thermoelectric modules james r. Named after the city of skotterud, norway, skutterudite is a cobalt arsenide mineral containing variable amounts of nickel and iron substituting for cobalt with a general formula. This methodology employs standard and accessible facilities that are simple to implement in any laboratory. High performance thermoelectric module through isotype bulk.
Thermoelectric skutterudite materials have been widely investigated for their potential application in midtemperature waste heat recovery that has not been efficiently utilized a large amount of research has focused on developing materials with a high thermoelectric figure of merit zt. For thermoelectric parameter optimization the skutterudite structure offers several options. The module has a thermoelectric conversion efficiency of 7% under the condition that the module s hotcold side temperatures are 600. Development of skutterudite thermoelectric materials and. The progress in these areas and an overview of the direction and scope of program will be presented. Among the most promising materials for a widespread thermoelectric application in a waste heat gradient from room temperature to about 900 k are filled skutterudites with the general structuralchemical formula ep y t 4 x 12, where the filler atom ep is usually an electropositive element species enclosed by an icosahedral cage structure formed by tilted pnictogen octahedra eight per. Jul 01, 2012 read microstructure contact studies for skutterudite thermoelectric devices, international journal of applied ceramic technology on deepdyve, the largest online rental service for scholarly research with thousands of academic publications available at your fingertips. But one is enough range includes modules of every conceivable size from the tiniest miniature modules to highpower density tems delivering cooling power up to 340 w.
Keywords waste heat recovery, thermoelectric generator, filled skutterudites, fuel economy. High performance thermoelectric module through isotype. However, the translation of material properties to device performance has limited success. In this work, we successfully bridge the two by developing highzt. For thermoelectric modules based on skutterudite materials efficiencies between 7 8 % were reported at a temperature difference from 460 c to 550 c 184, 185. Thermoelectric devices could be widely used in waste heat recovery, small scale power generation and refrigeration. Thermoelectric module construction a te module is a device composed of thermoelectric couples n and ptype semiconductor legs that are connected electrically in series, in parallel thermally and, fixed by soldering, sandwiched between two ceramic plates. A class of thermoelectric materials has been synthesized with a thermoelectric figure of merit zt where t is temperature and z is a function of thermopower, electrical resistivity, and thermal conductivity near 1 at 800 kelvin. A te module formed by nine ntype yb x co4sb12 and ptype ce x fe3cosb12 stateoftheart skutterudite material.
Unfilled cosb3based skutterudites are disadvantaged by their inherently large thermal conductivity, which. A practical thermoelectric module generally consists of two or more elements of n and ptype doped semiconductor material that are connected electrically in series and thermally in parallel. Electronic structure and bonding in thermoelectric. Skutterudites, a most promising group of thermoelectric materials. This issue is also well recognized in the case of antimonide skutterudites. Some references give the arsenic a variable formula subscript of 23. Conversion efficiency of skutteruditebased thermoelectric.
The versatility of applications utilizing thermoelectric materials is illustrated in figure 2, which shows a diagram of a thermoelectric module composed of an ntype negative thermopower and electron carriers and a ptype positive thermopower and hole carriers semiconductor material connected through metallic electrical contact pads. N and ptype filled skutterudite materials prepared for thermoelectric power generation modules were analyzed by neutron diffraction at the powgen beam line of the spallation neutron source sns and xray diffraction xrd. Thermoelectric performance of co4ge6te6 skutterudite derivatives. Us20120006376a1 electrical contacts for skutterudite. Fabrication of thermoelectric module consisting of rareearth.
Routine skutterudite production of hot pressed legs underway techniques for fabricating hot pressed lastlastt still being developed module production methods are still under development material strength and thermoelectric properties must meet life cycle performance criteria. Filled skutterudite compounds and evaluation of its power. The versatility of applications utilizing thermoelectric materials is illustrated in figure 2, which shows a diagram of a thermoelectric module composed of an ntype negative thermopower and electron carriers and a ptype positive thermopower and hole carriers semiconductor material connected through metallic electrical contact pads thermoelectric energy conversion can be obtained when a. Thermoelectric properties of dcsputtered filled skutterudite thin film gaosheng fu,1 lei zuo,1,2,a jie chen,2 ming lu,3 and liangyao yu4 1department of mechanical engineering, stony brook university, stony brook, new york 11794, usa 2department of mechanical engineering, virginia tech, blacksburg, virginia 24061, usa 3center for functional nanomaterials, brookhaven national laboratory, upton. Such modules afford the maximum power output for the minimum use of mate. A fundamental investigation with potential for thermoelectric applications by kaya wei a thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of master of science in applied physics department of physics college of arts and sciences university of south florida major professor. Highpowerdensity skutteruditebased thermoelectric modules. It performs as a diffusion barrier suppressing chemical reactions to produce a secondary phase at the interface. The construction and evaluation of wholly skutterudite thermoelectric modules with a high volumepowerdensity is described.
Skutterudite thermoelectric generator for automotive waste heat recovery author. A thermoelectric module technology suitable for these skutterudites including diffusion barrier and electrode materials has been established. Skutterudite thermoelectric generator for automotive waste heat. Thermoelectric devices could be widely used in waste heat recovery, small scale power.
Thermoelectric generator development for automotive waste heat recovery author. The skutterudite powders were processed by melt spinning, followed by ball milling and annealing. Materials engineering of clathrates and skutterudites has involved. The simplest way to protect against this process is the use of coatings. The physical properties of the synthesized skutterudites were determined, and the module power output, internal resistance, and. Tutorial to simulate a thermoelectric module with heatsink in. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed. The physical properties of the synthesized skutterudites were determined, and the module power output, internal resistance, and thermocycling stability were evaluated in air. An example of module s power generation result is shown as follows.
The thermoelectric generator materials characteristics are particularly. Conversion efficiency of skutteruditebased thermoelectric modules article pdf available in physical chemistry chemical physics 1624 may 2014 with 184 reads how we measure reads. We demonstrate filled cosb 3 skutterudite materials with excellent thermoelectric te performance that results in one of the highest reported single stage module efficiency. Skutterudite te modules were fabricated and assembled into prototype thermoelectric generators \tegs\, then installed on a standard gm production vehicle and tested for performance keywords. Presentation given at the 16th directions in engineefficiency and emissions research \deer\ conference in detroit, mi, september 2730, 2010. Sioc amorphous coatings for high temperature protection. Thermoelectric performance of co4ge6te6 skutterudite. Pdf presently, the only commercially available power generating thermoelectric te modules are based on bismuth telluride bi2te3 alloys and are.
Fraunhofer ipm offers customtailored tem for specific requirements. Such modules afford the maximum power output for the minimum use of material. Skutterudite thermoelectric generator for automotive waste. Skutterudites are materials that appear to have the potential to fulfill such criteria. Chevy suburban 2011meisner advanced thermoelectric material and generator technology for automotive waste heat at gm. General motors thermoelectric generator vehicle selection. Thermoelectric skutterudite materials have been widely investigated for their potential application in midtemperature waste heat. The improvement in te material performance was obtained by creating isotype nn bulk heterojunction structure through assembly of novel skutterudite nanocrystals. A te module formed by nine ntype yb x co4sb12 and ptype ce x fe3cosb12 stateoftheart skutterudite material couples was fabricated. Sioc amorphous coatings for high temperature protection of. Thermoelectric applications thermoelectric generators.
Complete metallization and fabrication method studies. Thermoelectric skutterudite materials have been widely investigated for their potential application in midtemperature waste heat recovery that has not been e ciently utilized a large amount of research has focused on developing materials with a high thermoelectric. The improvement in te material performance was obtained by creating isotype nn bulk heterojunction structure through assembly of novel skutterudite nanocrystals with different ybdoping content. A te module formed by nine ntype yb x co4sb12 and ptype ce x fe3cosb12 stateoftheart skutterudite. High temperature oxide thermoelectric modules with ptype ca3co4o9 and ntype al.
To grow the thermoelectric market, the module development must be at par with the advancements in the materials development. Skutteruditebased advanced thermoelectric technology for. Neutron and xray powder diffraction study of skutterudite. Recently, many novel thermoelectric materials have been reported with ultrahigh performance. A thermoelectric module can also be used for power generation. Several attempts have been made to tackle this issue by fabricating complex tubularshaped tegs. Synthesis of the component ntype unfilled skutterudite cosb2. Cubic skutterudite materials of the form co,ni,fep,sb,as3, have a potential for high zt values due to their high electron mobility and high seebeck coefficient.
The best thermoelectric material should possess thermal properties similar to that of a glass and electrical properties similar to that of a perfect singlecrystal material, i. One promising interconnect technology for hightemperature microelectronic packaging is solidliquid interdiffusion slid bonding 14, also called transient liquidphase bonding tlpb 15, and diffusion brazing 16. Solid state cooling and power generation based on thermoelectric principles are regarded as one of the technologies with the potential of solving the current energy crisis. The material properties change with the material that is being used. In this mode, a temperature differential applied across the module will generate a current. Tutorial to simulate a thermoelectric module with heatsink in ansys few details can be found in the pictures attached. A te module formed by nine ntype yb x co 4 sb 12 and ptype ce x fe 3 cosb 12 stateoftheart skutterudite material couples was fabricated. Skutterudites, a most promising group of thermoelectric. Skutterudite based advanced thermoelectric technology for potential integration into an enhanced mmrtg t. Evident thermoelectrics today announced the launch of the worlds first thermoelectric product using skutterudite material technology the evident skutterudite test kit. Despite increasing complaints on this critical problem, it has been scarcely tackled. Excessively doped pbte with geinduced nanostructures.
Pdf conversion efficiency of skutteruditebased thermoelectric. The construction and evaluation of wholly skutterudite thermoelectric. Thermoelectric generator teg modules generally have a low conversion efficiency. Tuley 1, milena salvo 2, valentina casalegno 2 and kevin simpson 1. It has no moving parts and is environmental friendly. We report a straightforward methodology for the fabrication of hightemperature thermoelectric te modules using commercially available solder alloys and metal barriers. Among all the stateoftheart thermoelectric materials, skutterudites have been found to be brilliant candidates for thermoelectric applications due to their remarkable electronic transport properties. The latter form the hot and cold thermoelectric cooler tec sides.
Advanced thermoelectric materials and generator technology for automotive waste heat at gm. Abandoned application number us12396,875 inventor jihui yang lidong chen wenqing zhang shengqiang. Skutterudite te modules were fabricated and assembled into prototype thermoelectric generators \tegs\, then installed on a standard gm production. Thermoelectric properties of cosb3based skutterudites author. Design and optimization of effective segmented thermoelectric. After three days, the seal was broken and the gelthermoelectric module assemblies were dried under ambient conditions 1 atmosphere pressure at 25 c. Here, we successfully achieve both good stability and high efficiency in a thermoelectric module based on highperformance liquidlike materials through tuning the geometry of the legs to ensure the. An example of modules power generation result is shown as follows. The efficiency of the thermoelectric material is governed by the dimensionless figure of merit zt s 2. Highefficiency and stable thermoelectric module based on. The diffusion barrier materials allow the electrode to coexist stably with the pn skutterudites in the module s working temperature range of room temperature to 600c.
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