Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-ndw9j Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-11T07:19:21.805Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Enhancement of Thermal to Electrical Energy Conversion with Thermal Diodes

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 March 2011

P. L. Hagelstein  and
Y. Kucherov
P. L. Hagelstein
Affiliation:
Research Laboratory of Electronics, Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA
Y. Kucherov
Affiliation:
ENECO, Inc., 391-B Chipeta Way, Salt Lake City, UT 84108
Get access

Abstract

Experiments demonstrating thermal to electrical energy conversion using thermal diodes have shown an enhancement of the open circuit voltage over the thermoelectric open circuit voltage. Two different physical mechanisms are proposed to be responsible for the effects seen: (1) Thermionic injection from the emitter can occur when a temperature gradient is present, which induces an increased ohmic return current under zero-current conditions. (2) Blockage of the ohmic return current leads to a voltage increase for both thermoelectric and thermionic forward currents. Both effects increase the efficiency of energy conversion. Experiments show enhancements of the figure of merit in the range of 5-8 over the thermoelectric values. The best results are consistent with a single-side conversion efficiency in excess of 30% of the Carnot limit.

Type
Research Article
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 691: Symposium G – Thermoelectric Materials 2001--Research and Applications , 2001 , G8.37
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2002

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

1. Venkatasubramanian, R., Silvola, E., Colpitts, T., and O'Quinn, B., Nature 413 597 (2001).Google Scholar
2. Shakouri, A. and Bowers, J. E., Apply. Phys. Lett. 71,1234 (1997).Google Scholar
3. Mahan, G. D., Phys. Rev. Lett. 80, 4016 (1998).Google Scholar
4. Mahan, G. D., Solo, J. O. and Bartkowiak, M., J. Appl. Phys. 83, 4683 (1998).Google Scholar
5. Hagelstein, P. L., to be submitted to J. Appl. Phys. A preliminary account of this work is documented in an internal report: “Progress report on the high open circuit voltages observed at ENECO,” Oct. 2001.Google Scholar
6. Margalit, S. and Nemirovsky, Y., J. Electrochem. Soc. 127, 1406 (1980).Google Scholar
7. Hagelstein, P.L. and Kucherov, Y., Enhancement of the Thermally-Induced Open Circuit Voltage of Thermal Diodes, submitted to Phys. Rev. Letters.Google Scholar
8. Hagelstein, P.L. and Kucherov, Y., Enhanced Figure of Merit in Thermal to Electrical Energy Conversion with Thermal Diodes, submitted to Appl. Phys. Letters.Google Scholar