Highly-efficient thermoelectric devices are expected to provide clean energy technology-needs of the hour for US energy sustainability
A team of Clemson University physicists consisting of nanomaterial scientists Apparao Rao and Ramakrishna Podila and thermoelectricians Terry Tritt, Jian He and Pooja Puneet worked synergistically through the newly established Clemson Nanomaterials Center to develop a novel technique of tailoring thermoelectric properties of n-type bismuth telluride for high thermoelectric performance.
Their findings were published in journal Scientific Reports.
The current US energy economy and environment are increasingly threatened by fast-dwindling domestic reserves of fossil fuel coupled with severe environmental impact of fossil fuel combustion. Highly-efficient thermoelectric devices are expected to provide clean energy technology-needs of the hour for US energy sustainability. This research is a step towards optimizing the device performance since it outlines a methodology to overcome a challenge that has “frustrated” thermoelectric researchers to date.
Thermoelectric (TE) devices convert waste heat into electricity through a unique material’s property called the Seebeck effect. Basically, the Seebeck effect results in a voltage across the two ends of a TE material, akin to the voltage present across the two ends of a AA battery, when the TE material is properly exposed to the waste heat. In such devices, the efficiency of converting heat into electricity is governed by certain strongly coupled materials properties, viz., electrical resistivity, Seebeck coefficient, and thermal conductivity. A functional TE device consists of multiple legs made up of p-type and n-type materials, just as a diode comprises of a p-n junction.
Bismuth telluride (Bi2Te3) is a layered material and can be viewed as a deck of playing cards, wherein each card is only a few atoms thick. Bi2Te3 is currently regarded as the state-of-the-art TE material with high efficiency for converting waste heat into electricity, and is therefore attractive for energy harvesting processes.
Traditional nanosizing methods failed to improve the performance of n-type Bi2Te3 since they simply downgrade all materials properties simultaneously. Therefore, Clemson researchers and colleagues developed a novel nanosizing method in which we first peel n-type Bi2Te3 into atomically thin-sheets (akin to graphene which is one atom thick sheet of carbon atoms) and reassemble them using a spark plasma sintering process.
The researchers found that that the above described two-step process of first separating the deck of cards into individual cards and then re-assembling them into a deck via spark plasma sintering does enable us to suitably tailor the materials properties of n-type Bi2Te3for high TE performance. In this approach, the so-called ‘interfacial charged defects’ are generated in the sintered n-type Bi2Te3 which not only improves its structural properties but also its thermoelectric efficiency over a wide temperature window, thus making it extremely compatible with p-type Bi2Te3 for manufacturing efficient TE devices.
The improved compatibility factor (demonstrated in this paper) is expected to open new possibilities for highly efficient TE devices. The fascinating and noteworthy element of this research is that defects, which often connote impurity and are associated with low performance or efficiency, can indeed be used to tune the properties of materials to our advantage.
The Latest Google Headlines on:
Thermoelectric devices
[google_news title=”” keyword=”Thermoelectric devices” num_posts=”10″ blurb_length=”0″ show_thumb=”left”]
The Latest Bing News on:
Thermoelectric devices
- Global Solid State Cooling Market Report 2024-2029: Thermoelectric Cooling Technology to Capture Largest Share of Solid State Cooling Market in 2029on April 15, 2024 at 12:42 am
Thermoelectric Cooling Technology to Capture Largest Share of Solid State Cooling Market in 2029 Healthcare Vertical to Account for Largest Market Share in 2029 Asia-Pacific Accounted for Largest ...
- Torras Unveils A Comprehensive Guide: How Neck Air Conditioners Workon April 14, 2024 at 1:58 am
Neck air conditioners are a revolutionary innovation designed to provide personal cooling in various environments. These portable devices are gaining popularity due to their ability to offer on-the-go ...
- Optimizing Thermoelectric Properties with Bayesian Optimizationon April 9, 2024 at 10:14 am
This study harnesses Bayesian optimization (BO) to enhance the thermoelectric properties of multicomponent III–V materials. Through iterative cycles of thin-film deposition, property measurements, and ...
- Researchers develop a thermoelectric material with optimal cost, efficiency and flexibilityon March 28, 2024 at 5:00 pm
Despite ongoing research and development on various types of bulk and thin-film thermoelectric materials and devices, owing to the advantages of thermoelectric technology, the chronic issue of ...
- In-situ observation of nanoscale heat propagationon March 25, 2024 at 5:38 pm
This change has inspired scientists to develop next-generation materials/devices capable of controlling and utilizing heat with a high degree of precision, including thermoelectric devices able to ...
- Hybridizing thermoelectric generators with photovoltaic ground-source heat pumpson March 19, 2024 at 5:00 pm
The devices are commonly used for industrial ... “Indeed, the ongoing technological advancements in thermoelectric materials are anticipated to yield greater energy recovery potential.
- Nanostructuring and moreon March 1, 2024 at 10:27 am
In thermoelectric materials, the application of a temperature gradient generates a voltage, and vice versa. By exploiting this coupling between thermal and electrical properties, devices can be ...
- Thermoelectric technologies can help power a zero-carbon futureon February 22, 2024 at 9:35 am
This is but a small example; thermoelectric devices could do much more. Human societies make excessive amounts of heat through numerous processes from cooking, industrial activity to even air ...
- Thermoelectric Fan Harvests Wood Stove Heat Junkyard Styleon April 27, 2018 at 6:17 am
So something like this heat-powered stove-top fan can come in handy. Such fans, which use Peltier devices to power a small electric motor, are readily available commercially. [bongodrummer ...
The Latest Google Headlines on:
Energy harvesting
[google_news title=”” keyword=”energy harvesting” num_posts=”10″ blurb_length=”0″ show_thumb=”left”]
The Latest Bing News on:
Energy harvesting
- Our nation devalues essential immigrant labor | Price of Existenceon April 18, 2024 at 9:01 pm
Ahead of the 2024 presidential election, immigration has risen to the forefront of many Americans’ minds, ranking above and sometimes alongside the economy and inflation as the country’s “most ...
- Power Technologies clinches prestigious IoT - Energy win at SBR Technology Excellence Awards 2024on April 18, 2024 at 8:56 pm
This spotlights their innovative predictive Energy Harvesting (EH) thermal monitoring solutions.
- Stardew Valley Update 1.6.4 Adds New Content, Fixes Bugson April 18, 2024 at 4:19 pm
Stardew Valley creator Eric "ConcernedApe" Barone reveals the patch notes for the latest Update 1.6.4, including new content and bug fixes.
- Purple Planets, Not Green Ones, May Be Key To The Search For Alien Lifeon April 18, 2024 at 4:00 pm
The search for alien life has gotten a bit more interesting thanks to new research on the possible existence of purple bacteria on exoplanets.
- Scientists Make Atomically Thin Gold With Century-Old Japanese Knife Making Techniqueon April 18, 2024 at 10:36 am
Researchers have managed to create a 2D version of gold they call "goldene," which could have a host of applications in chemistry.
- Harvesting vibrational energy from 'colored noise'on April 18, 2024 at 8:35 am
The energy demands of today's ubiquitous small electronic devices—including sensors, data transmitters, medical implants and 'wearable' consumer products such as Fitbits—can no longer be met by ...
- Staggering quantities of energy transition metals are winding up in the garbage binon April 18, 2024 at 1:45 am
To build all of the solar panels, wind turbines, electric vehicle batteries, and other technologies necessary to fight climate change, we’re going to need a lot more metals. Mining those metals from ...
- Researchers Develop Simple Way To Harvest More “Blue Energy” From Waveson April 12, 2024 at 4:46 am
As any surfer will tell you, waves pack a powerful punch. We're now making strides toward harnessing the ocean's relentless movements for energy, thanks to advancements in "blue energy" technology. In ...
- A simple way to harvest more ‘blue energy’ from waveson April 3, 2024 at 7:59 am
We may be a step closer to harnessing the power of crashing ocean waves for sustainable and renewable power by modifying a conventional energy harvesting device, say researchers in ACS Energy Letters.
- Researchers Improve Energy Harvesting Efficiency with New Metasurfaceon April 3, 2024 at 7:31 am
Energy harvesting, an environmentally beneficial technique, goes beyond solar and wind power to create electricity from unused or discarded energy in everyday life, such as vibrations caused by ...