In this mode, a temperature differential applied across the module will generate a current. 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. Synthesis of the component ntype unfilled skutterudite cosb2. Sioc amorphous coatings for high temperature protection of. High temperature oxide thermoelectric modules with ptype ca3co4o9 and ntype al. Complicated geometry of thermoelectric module favors coatings that can be deposited in a simple way on an assembled module. Skutterudite thermoelectric generator for automotive waste.
It performs as a diffusion barrier suppressing chemical reactions to produce a secondary phase at the interface. However, the translation of material properties to device performance has limited success. A te module formed by nine ntype yb x co4sb12 and ptype ce x fe3cosb12 stateoftheart skutterudite. Tuley 1, milena salvo 2, valentina casalegno 2 and kevin simpson 1. 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 thermoelectric module can also be used for power generation. Electronic structure and bonding in thermoelectric. Skutterudites are materials that appear to have the potential to fulfill such criteria. Evident thermoelectrics today announced the launch of the worlds first thermoelectric product using skutterudite material technology the evident skutterudite test kit. High performance thermoelectric module through isotype bulk. Skutterudite thermoelectric modules with high volumepower. 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. Here we report the metallization layer of feni alloy seamlessly securing skutterudite materials and metallic. The diffusion barrier materials allow the electrode to coexist stably with the p n skutterudites in the modules working.
After three days, the seal was broken and the gelthermoelectric module assemblies were dried under ambient conditions 1 atmosphere pressure at 25 c. The module has a thermoelectric conversion efficiency of 7% under the condition that the module s hotcold side temperatures are 600. Thermoelectric skutterudite materials have been widely investigated for their potential application in midtemperature waste heat. Thermoelectric properties of cosb3based skutterudites author. Several attempts have been made to tackle this issue by fabricating complex tubularshaped tegs. High performance thermoelectric module through isotype. Neutron and xray powder diffraction study of skutterudite.
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. Development of skutterudite thermoelectric materials and modules. Recently, many novel thermoelectric materials have been reported with ultrahigh performance. 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. Chevy suburban 2011meisner advanced thermoelectric material and generator technology for automotive waste heat at gm. The skutterudite powders were processed by melt spinning, followed by ball milling and annealing. We demonstrate filled cosb 3 skutterudite materials with excellent thermoelectric te performance that results in one of the highest reported single stage module efficiency. For thermoelectric parameter optimization the skutterudite structure offers several options. 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. Such modules afford the maximum power output for the minimum use of material. Thermoelectric devices could be widely used in waste heat recovery, small scale power.
The physical properties of the synthesized skutterudites were determined, and the module power output, internal resistance, and thermocycling stability were evaluated in air. 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. 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. Excessively doped pbte with geinduced nanostructures. 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. The efficiency of the thermoelectric material is governed by the dimensionless figure of merit zt s 2. 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. Pdf nanostructured thermoelectric skutterudite co 1.
Highpowerdensity skutteruditebased thermoelectric modules. Energy conversion of high temperature skutterudite based thermoelectric modules james r. 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. A thermally stable diffusion barrier for bonding skutterudite based materials with metal contacts is disclosed. Conversion efficiency of skutterudite based thermoelectric modules james r. 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. In this work, we successfully bridge the two by developing highzt. Tutorial to simulate a thermoelectric module with heatsink in ansys few details can be found in the pictures attached. 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. Thermoelectric generator development for automotive waste. Highefficiency and stable thermoelectric module based on. 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.
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. 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. Keywords waste heat recovery, thermoelectric generator, filled skutterudites, fuel economy. Thermoelectric and optical properties of the filled skutterudite ybfe 4 sb 12. With the publication of new theories about how to increase. Skutteruditebased advanced thermoelectric technology for.
Us20120006376a1 electrical contacts for skutterudite. This issue is also well recognized in the case of antimonide skutterudites. Unfilled cosb3based skutterudites are disadvantaged by their inherently large thermal conductivity, which. 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. Thermoelectric performance of co4ge6te6 skutterudite. 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. 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. An example of module s power generation result is shown as follows.
Pdf thermoelectric and optical properties of the filled. Fabrication of thermoelectric module consisting of rareearth. 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. The module has a thermoelectric conversion efficiency of 7% under the condition that the modules hotcold side temperatures are 600. High nickel varieties are referred to as nickel skutterudite, previously chloanthite. Filled skutterudite compounds and evaluation of its power. Development of skutterudite thermoelectric materials and. The construction and evaluation of wholly skutterudite thermoelectric modules with a high volumepowerdensity is described. Skutterudite thermoelectric generator for automotive waste heat recovery author. There are 120 reasons to choose a standard thermoelectric module from supercool. Among all the stateoftheart thermoelectric materials, skutterudites have been found to be brilliant candidates for thermoelectric applications due to their remarkable electronic transport properties. Such modules afford the maximum power output for the minimum use of mate. Koenig 4, ryan maloney 5, travis thompson 5, jeffrey sakamoto 5, hsin wang 6, andrew a.
Conversion efficiency of skutteruditebased thermoelectric. 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. Thermoelectric generator development for automotive waste heat recovery author. The progress in these areas and an overview of the direction and scope of program will be presented.
Skutterudites, a most promising group of thermoelectric materials. Tutorial to simulate a thermoelectric module with heatsink in. Pdf conversion efficiency of skutteruditebased thermoelectric. Modelling a segmented skutteruditebased thermoelectric. Materials engineering of clathrates and skutterudites has involved. Skutterudite based advanced thermoelectric technology for potential integration into an enhanced mmrtg t. Materials free fulltext microstructure evolution and. A te module formed by nine ntype yb x co4sb12 and ptype ce x fe3cosb12 stateoftheart skutterudite material. The thermoelectric generator materials characteristics are particularly. Abandoned application number us12396,875 inventor jihui yang lidong chen wenqing zhang shengqiang. 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. The physical properties of the synthesized skutterudites were determined, and the module power output, internal resistance, and. Here, we successfully achieve both good stability and high efficiency in a thermoelectric module based on highperformance liquidlike materials through tuning the geometry.
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. Presentation given at the 16th directions in engineefficiency and emissions research \deer\ conference in detroit, mi, september 2730, 2010. Thermoelectric properties of dcsputtered filled skutterudite. Some references give the arsenic a variable formula subscript of 23. Skutterudite thermoelectric generator for automotive waste heat. A te module formed by nine ntype yb x co4sb12 and ptype ce x fe3cosb12 stateoftheart skutterudite material couples was fabricated. It is applied to an 8couple thermoelectric module that consists of ntype mm,sm y co 4 sb 12 zt max 0. Thermoelectric devices could be widely used in waste heat recovery, small scale power generation and refrigeration. Complete metallization and fabrication method studies. The construction and evaluation of wholly skutterudite thermoelectric. The material properties change with the material that is being used. Sioc amorphous coatings for high temperature protection. Sbbased filled skutterudite 1,2,3 alloys rtm 4 sb 12, r rare earth element, tm co, fe, etc.
Developing higher zt materials has recently gained much interest in the thermoelectric community 16,19,33,36. 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. Fabrication of skutteruditebased tubular thermoelectric. Skutterudite te modules were fabricated and assembled into prototype thermoelectric generators \tegs\, then installed on a standard gm production. General motors thermoelectric generator vehicle selection. Tegs with the planar substrate are not suitable for the curved heat sources. Skutterudites for space powerdeveloping flight capable. To grow the thermoelectric market, the module development must be at par with the advancements in the materials development. 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. 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. It has no moving parts and is environmental friendly. Thermoelectric generator teg modules generally have a low conversion efficiency.
Thermoelectric modules we established a thermoelectric module technology suitable for above skutterudite materials. We report a straightforward methodology for the fabrication of hightemperature thermoelectric te modules using commercially available solder alloys and metal barriers. 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. The conversion efficiency of the thermoelectric generator teg is adversely affected by the quality of thermal contact between the module and the heat source. 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. Meisnerskutterudite thermoelectric generator for automotive waste heat recovery meisner. 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. Conversion efficiency values on the order of 9% have been demonstrated for skdbased unsegmented couples when operating at a hot. Conversion efficiency of skutteruditebased thermoelectric modules article pdf available in physical chemistry chemical physics 1624 may 2014 with 184 reads how we measure reads.
The simplest way to protect against this process is the use of coatings. Skutterudites, a most promising group of thermoelectric. 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. 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. Prediction of the fuel economy potential for a skutterudite. 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. Thermoelectric performance of co4ge6te6 skutterudite derivatives. Evaluation of thermal to electrical energy conversion of. The diffusion barrier may be employed to inhibit solidstate diffusion between the metal contacts, e. Advanced thermoelectric materials and generator technology for automotive waste heat at gm. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed. The latter form the hot and cold thermoelectric cooler tec sides.
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