基于光-热-电耦合利用的薄膜热电器件结构优化

热电器件由于对热源要求低,因此可以用来提高太阳能发电系统的效率。in-plane型热电薄膜器件目前引起了较多学者的关注,本文针对热电薄膜器件的结构进行了改进。通过在热电薄膜中插入电极,使得更多的热量可以通过热电薄膜传递。结果表明改进后的结构可以有效提高热电器件的效率。减小单段热电薄膜的长度是提高效率的有效途径。增加电极长度可以略微提高热电器件的效率。     

纳米流体强化冷端传热对热电发电效率的影响

热电发电系统效率除了与热电材料物性相关之外,提高热电器件两端温差也是提升转换效率的重要途径。因而,提高冷端的换热能力,降低冷端温度是提高热电发电系统效率的重要途径。纳米流体作为一种新型换热介质,能够显著地改善液体工质的传热性能,具有均匀、稳定、导热系数高等特点。本文研究了水冷却和纳米流体冷却两种情况下热电发电系统输出特性,发现纳米流体冷却大幅提高了系统的输出功率和转换效率,并研究了流速对热电发电系统输出特性的影响。     

平板集热太阳热电器件建模及结构优化

太阳能热电转换是光伏效应外另一种直接将太阳辐射转变为电能的途径, 近年来已经成为太阳能利用的热点之一. 本文以Bi₂Te₃材料为基础构建平板集热太阳热电器件模型, 采用有限元法分析AM1.5辐射条件下器件温度分布情况, 并结合基于温度的物性参数计算集热比、热臂截面积与长度变化等因素对器件的开路电压、 最大输出功率及转化效率的影响. 研究发现: 集热比与热臂长度的变化对器件性能有显著影响, 热臂截面积的变化对器件转化效率影响相对较弱; 在这一模型中, 平板集热太阳热电器件的转化效率达到1.56%.     

热电材料的热输运调控及其在微型器件中的应用

热电能量转换技术是一种利用材料实现热能和电能直接相互转换的清洁能源技术.热电材料的性能是决定热电转换效率的关键因素,而热电材料的性能优化涉及电输运和热输运性能的协同优化.文章介绍了近期热电材料中热输运的调控机制和方法,其中重点论述了基于原子分子层次调控热传导的宽频声子散射效应和横波阻尼效应,以及低维结构和复合材料中的基于纳米微米尺度的微结构调控.最后介绍了室温附近热传导的调控机制及其在高效微型热电器件研发中的应用和进展.     

Bi2Te3 合金低温热电性能及冷能发电研究

利用机械合金化和冷压烧结法制备得到n型和p型Bi₂Te₃基热电材料,在80—300 K温度范围测量了电导率、Seebeck系数,结果表明其具有良好的低温热电性能.采用Bi₂Te₃基热电材料制备出半导体热电器件,并配合附属设备搭建出一套半导体温差发电装置.利用液氮汽化时释放的冷能,对半导体热电器件的发电性能进行实验研究,得出这种半导体热电器件输出电压、输出功率与电流关系式,测得最大的输出功率达到1.33 W,从而证明了冷     

硒化亚铜薄膜热电性能研究进展

热电材料可以实现热能和电能的相互转换,它是一种环境友好的功能性材料.当前,热电材料的热电转换效率低,这严重制约了热电器件的大规模应用,因此寻找更加优异热电性能的新材料或提高传统热电材料的热电性能成为热电研究的主题.与块状材料相比,薄膜具有二维的宏观性质和一维的纳米结构特性,方便研究材料的物理机制与性能的关系,还适用于制备可穿戴电子设备.本文总结了Cu₂Se薄膜5种不同的制备方法,包括电化学沉积、热蒸发、旋涂、溅射以及脉冲激光沉积.另外,结合典型事例,总结了薄膜的表征手段,并从Cu₂Se的电导率、塞贝克系数和热导率等参数出发,讨论了各个参数对热电性能的影响机制.最后介绍了Cu₂Se薄膜热电的热门应用方向.     

光伏-热电耦合系统器件选择原理

耦合器件的性能决定了光伏-热电耦合系统的可行性与优越性,但耦合系统器件的选择原理尚未被研究。本文建立了光伏热电耦合系统的理论模型,提出了使得光伏-热电耦合系统效率优于纯光伏系统的最小热电优值作为耦合系统器件选择与可行性评估的标准。提供了一套计算最小热电优值的方法,给出了采用具有不同效率及温度特性的光伏电池的耦合系统的最小热电优值,并讨论了热电器件结构和冷却系统对最小热电优值的影响。     

多晶石墨烯纳米带热电性能的理论研究

热电材料能够将废热能直接转换成电能,近年来受到了科技工作者们的广泛关注.本文采用非平衡格林函数方法系统地研究了晶界对石墨烯纳米带热电性能的调控作用.研究结果表明:晶界能有效地提高石墨烯纳米带的塞贝克系数,同时可以极大地抑制其热导(包含电子和声子部分).基于这两个积极的效应,多晶石墨烯纳米带的热电转换性能得到了显著的增强.在室温下,多晶石墨烯纳米带的热电品质因子约为0.3,较完美石墨烯纳米带(约为0.05)提升了6倍左右.并且发现晶界的数量和系统的长度还能进一步提升多晶石墨烯纳米带的热电性能,但系统的宽度对其影响有限.这些结果表明,多晶结构可以显著提升石墨烯纳米带的热电转换效率.这将为设计和制备基于石墨烯纳米带的热电器件提供新的途径.     

热电器件综合性能表征系统及实验研究

基于直流瞬态Harman法测量热电器件优值系数原理,搭建热电器件综合性能表征实验系统,实现同时测量热电器件无量纲优值系数（ZT值）、Seebeck系数、电导率以及热导率,并通过Labview编程完成对实验系统的控制、数据采集、实时显示和处理。制作并改进具有夹层结构的热电器件,对此开展了性能测试评估。实验结果表明,室温下夹层结构热电器件ZT值小于常规Bi₂Te₃器件,但Seebeck系数比常规器件大;夹层结构器件电导率和热导率均大于常规器件值。     

一种基于虚拟技术的新型测量材料导热系数的方法

针对稳态平板法测量材料导热系数存在的缺点,介绍了一种新的测量方法——瞬时平面热带法,并用虚拟仪器采集数据、数据处理及数据显示。     

半导体温差发电过程的模型分析与数值仿真

本文提出一种新型的半导体温差发电模型,在温差发电过程的数值模拟中考虑了热电单元之间封闭腔体内空气传热的影响.同时进一步运用有限元的数值计算方法对不同电臂对数和不同型号温差发电模型的温度场、电压场进行了数值仿真计算,并对仿真结果进行分析.结果表明:采用127对热电单元模型计算的能量转换效率随冷热端温差增大而迅速提高,与采用1对热电单元模型计算的能量转换效率之差从冷热端温差为20℃的0.39%提高到冷热端温差为220℃时的5.16%,能量转换效率比1对热电单元平均高出3.02%.冷端温度恒定在30℃时,温差发电芯片的输出电压、功率以及能量转换效率均随着电偶臂的横截面积的增大而提高,且电偶臂冷热两端的温差越大提高幅度也越大,而温差发电芯片内阻则与电偶臂横截面积成反比关系,当温差为220℃时对应的输出功率最高达28.9 W.     

Performance of thermoelectric generator with graphene nanofluid cooling

Improvement of the heat transfer of the cold side is one of the approaches to enhance the performance of TEG systems.As a new type of heat transfer media, nanofluids can enhance the heat transfer performance of working liquid significantly.Based on a three-dimensional and steady-state numerical model,the heat transfer and thermoelectric conversion properties of TEG systems were studied. Graphene anoplatelet aqueous nanofluids were used as the coolants for the cold side of the TEG system to improve the heat transfer capacity of the cold side. The results showed that the heat absorbed by the hot side, voltage, output power, and conversion efficiency of the TEG system were increased greatly by the nanofluid coolants.The output power and the conversion efficiency using 0.1-wt% graphene nanoplatelet aqueous nanofluid as the coolant are enhanced by 26.39% and 14.74%, respectively.     

基于梯度翅片换热器的热电发电系统性能研究

本文建立了热电发电系统(TEG)多物理场数值模型,并充分考虑换热器流体影响,综合研究了具有不同热侧换热器翅片结构的TEG系统性能。在雷诺数为1000~10000范围内,分析了流体沿程温度分布特征、泵功及热电发电模块的能量转换特性.所研究的三种翅片结构包括:全流道等高度直翅片(Fin-1)、下游强化梯度翅片(Fin-2)以及上游强化梯度翅片(Fin-3).研究表明,通道长高比及热电材料覆盖率一定,热电发电功率及转换效率随流量呈二次曲线变化关系,存在最匹配流量使得系统发电性能最佳。等高度直翅片对流量的变化敏感,随流量增大,则压损增大,导致系统净输出功率及发电效率无收益.而梯度翅片可以在更大范围内产生正收益;下游强化梯度翅片具有最佳的流体沿程温度均匀性,但沿程局部热阻却最大.综合考虑沿程局部热阻分布及泵功消耗,上游强化梯度翅片TEG系统净转换效率最高,因此局部热阻分布及泵功综合因素应为TEG内的换热器合理设计的关键。     

Macro-performance of multilayered thermoelectric medium

The effective properties of thermoelectric composites are well known to depend on boundary conditions, which causes the macro performance of thermoelectric composite to be difficult to assess. The overall macro-performance of multilayered thermoelectric medium is discussed in this paper. The analytical solutions are obtained, including the heat flux, temperature,electric potential, and the overall energy conversion efficiency. The results show that there are unique relationships between the temperature/electric potential and the electric current/energy flux in the material, and whether the material is independent of or embedded in thermoelectric composites. Besides, the Peltier effect at the interface can significantly improve the overall energy conversion efficiency of thermoelectric composites. These results provide a powerful tool to analyze the effective behaviors of thermoelectric composites.     

Geometry Optimization of Thermoelectric Modules: Deviation of Optimum Power Output and Conversion Efficiency

Besides the material research in the field of thermoelectrics, the way from a material to a functional thermoelectric (TE) module comes alongside additional challenges. Thus, comprehension and optimization of the properties and the design of a TE module are important tasks. In this work, different geometry optimization strategies to reach maximum power output or maximum conversion efficiency are applied and the resulting performances of various modules and respective materials are analyzed. A Bi₂Te₃-based module, a half-Heusler-based module, and an oxide-based module are characterized via FEM simulations. By this, a deviation of optimum power output and optimum conversion efficiency in dependence of the diversity of thermoelectric materials is found. Additionally, for all modules, the respective fluxes of entropy and charge as well as the corresponding fluxes of thermal and electrical energy within the thermolegs are shown. The full understanding and enhancement of the performance of a TE module may be further improved.     

Linear and nonlinear mesoscopic thermoelectric transport with coupling with heat baths

Decades of research on thermoelectrics stimulated by the fact that nano- and meso-scale thermoelectric transport could yield higher energy conversion efficiency and output power has recently uncovered a new direction on inelastic thermoelectric effects. We introduce the history, motivation, and perspectives on mesoscopic inelastic thermoelectric effects.     

Recent advances on thermoelectric materials

By converting waste heat into electricity through the thermoelectric power of solids without producing greenhouse gas emissions, thermoelectric generators could be an important part of the solution to today’s energy challenge. There has been a resurgence in the search for new materials for advanced thermoelectric energy conversion applications. In this paper, we will review recent efforts on improving thermoelectric efficiency. Particularly, several novel proof-of-principle approaches such as phonon disorder in phonon-glass-electron crystals, low dimensionality in nanostructured materials and charge-spin-orbital degeneracy in strongly correlated systems on thermoelectric performance will be discussed.      

Strategies for discovery and optimization of thermoelectric materials: Role of real objects and local fields

Thermoelectric materials provide a renewable and eco-friendly solution to mitigate energy shortages and to reduce environmental pollution via direct heat-to-electricity conversion. Discovery of the novel thermoelectric materials and optimization of the state-of-the-art material systems lie at the core of the thermoelectric society, the basic concept behind these being comprehension and manipulation of the physical principles and transport properties regarding thermoelectric materials. In this mini-review, certain examples for designing high-performance bulk thermoelectric materials are presented from the perspectives of both real objects and local fields. The highlights of this topic involve the Rashba effect, Peierls distortion, local magnetic field, and local stress field, which cover several aspects in the field of thermoelectric research. We conclude with an overview of future developments in thermoelectricity.