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Maximum performance in self-compatible thermoelectric elements

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 August 2011

W. Seifert ,
V. Pluschke ,
C. Goupil ,
K. Zabrocki ,
E. Müller  and
G.J. Snyder
W. Seifert*
Affiliation:
Institute of Physics, University Halle-Wittenberg, D-06099 Halle, Germany
V. Pluschke
Affiliation:
Institute of Mathematics, University Halle-Wittenberg, D-06099 Halle, Germany
C. Goupil
Affiliation:
Laboratoire CRISMAT, UMR 6508, Caen, France
K. Zabrocki
Affiliation:
Institute of Materials Research, German Aerospace Center (DLR), D-51170 Köln, Germany
E. Müller
Affiliation:
Institute of Materials Research, German Aerospace Center (DLR), D-51170 Köln, Germany
G.J. Snyder
Affiliation:
California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California 91125
*
a)Address all correspondence to this author. e-mail: wolfgang.seifert@physik.uni-halle.de
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Abstract

Within the framework of a new optimization strategy based on self-compatible thermoelectric elements, the ability to reach maximum performance is discussed. For the efficiency of a thermogenerator and the coefficient of performance of a Peltier cooler, the constraint z T = ko = const. turned out to provide a suitable criterion for judging maximum performance. In this paper ko is calculated as an average of the temperature dependent figure of merit z T.

Keywords

thermoelectricity
Type
Articles
Information
Journal of Materials Research , Volume 26 , Issue 15: Focus Issue: Advances in Thermoelectric Materials , 14 August 2011 , pp. 1933 - 1939
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2011

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References

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