Effective power factor and thermoelectric figure of merit
Abstract
The work reviews and calculates effective values for the figure of merit and the power factor of a thermoelectric (TE) element which are obtained in the optimizing process of the performance parameter (power output and efficiency) of the element. Especially the difference to the classical Ioffe theory [1] is highlighted if a temperature and/or spatial dependence of the TE material coefficients (Seebeck coefficient, electrical and thermal conductivity) are taken into account.
- Publication:
-
9th European Conference on Thermoelectrics: ECT2011
- Pub Date:
- June 2012
- DOI:
- 10.1063/1.4731587
- Bibcode:
- 2012AIPC.1449..427Z
- Keywords:
-
- antimony compounds;
- bismuth compounds;
- electrical conductivity;
- Seebeck effect;
- semiconductor materials;
- thermal conductivity;
- thermoelectric power;
- 66.70.Df;
- 72.20.Pa;
- 72.80.Jc;
- Metals alloys and semiconductors;
- Thermoelectric and thermomagnetic effects;
- Other crystalline inorganic semiconductors