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Study on the Fabrication and Characterization of LAST and LASTT Based Thermoelectric Generators

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 February 2011

Chun-I Wu
Affiliation:
wuchuni@msu.edu, Michigan State University, Electrical and Computer Engineering, 2120 Engineering Building, East Lansing, MI, 48824, United States, 5179803880
Edward J. Timm
Affiliation:
timm@egr.msu.edu, Michigan State University, Mechanical Engineering, East Lansing, MI, 48824, United States
Fei Ren
Affiliation:
renfei@egr.msu.edu, Michigan State University, Chemical Engineering and Material Science, East Lansing, MI, 48824, United States
Bradley D. Hall
Affiliation:
hallbra6@msu.edu, Michigan State University, Chemical Engineering and Material Science, East Lansing, MI, 48824, United States
Jennifer Ni
Affiliation:
nijennif@msu.edu, Michigan State University, Chemical Engineering and Material Science, East Lansing, MI, 48824, United States
Adam Downey
Affiliation:
downeyad@msu.edu, Michigan State University, Electrical and Computer Engineering, 2120 Engineering Building, East Lansing, MI, 48824, United States
Jonathan D'Angelo
Affiliation:
dangelo4@msu.edu, Michigan State University, Electrical and Computer Engineering, 2120 Engineering Building, East Lansing, MI, 48824, United States
Jarrod Short
Affiliation:
shortjar@msu.edu, Michigan State University, Electrical and Computer Engineering, 2120 Engineering Building, East Lansing, MI, 48824, United States
Harold Schock
Affiliation:
schock@msu.edu, Michigan State University, Mechanical Engineering, East Lansing, MI, 48824, United States
Eldon Case
Affiliation:
casee@egr.msu.edu, Michigan State University, Chemical Engineering and Material Science, East Lansing, MI, 48824, United States
Joe Sootsman
Affiliation:
j-sootsman@northwestern.edu, Northwestern University, Chemistry, Evanston, IL, 60208, United States
Mi-Kyoung Han
Affiliation:
mi-han@northwestern.edu, Northwestern University, Chemistry, Evanston, IL, 60208, United States
Mercouri Kanatzidis
Affiliation:
m-kanatzidis@northwestern.edu, Northwestern University, Chemistry, Evanston, IL, 60208, United States
Duck-young Chung
Affiliation:
dychung@anl.gov, Argonne National Laboratory, Materials Science Division, Argonne, IL, 60439, United States
Timothy P. Hogan
Affiliation:
hogant@msu.edu, Michigan State University, Electrical and Computer Engineering, 2120 Engineering Building, East Lansing, MI, 48824, United States
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Abstract

Thermoelectric modules are of great interest for power generation applications where temperature gradients of approximately 500K exist, and hot side temperatures near 800K. The fabrication of such modules requires optimization of the material compositions, low contact resistivities, and low thermal loss.

AgPbmSbTe2+m (LAST) and Ag(Pb1-xSnx)m SbTe2+m (LASTT) compounds are among the best known materials appropriate for this temperature range. Various measurement systems have been developed and used to characterize bulk samples in the LAST and LASTT systems within this operating temperature range. From the characterized data, modeling of modules based on these materials and segmented legs using LAST(T) with Bi2Te3 have been used to identify the optimal geometry for the individual legs, and the length of the Bi2Te3 segments. We have segmented LAST(T) with Bi2Te3 and achieved contact resistivities of less than 10 μΩ•cm2.

Here we give a detailed presentation on the procedures used in the fabrication of thermoelectric generators based on LAST, LASTT, and segmented with Bi2Te3 materials. We also present the output data on these generators.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2008

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