Enhanced Thermoelectric Performance of Yb-Single-Filled Skutterudite by Ultralow Thermal Conductivity

Li, Wenjie; Wang, Jue; Xie, Yizhu; Gray, Jennifer L.; Heremans, J. J.; Kang, Han Byul; Poudel, Bed; Huxtable, Scott T.; Priya, Shashank

doi:10.1021/acs.chemmater.8b03994

Cited by 63 publications

(57 citation statements)

References 105 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…No impurity phase was detected, indicating that the total filler content is within the filling-fraction-limitation (FFL). The lattice parameters obtained from Rietveld refinement are 9.0511 Å and 9.1173 Å for n-SKD and p-SKD, respectively, which matches prior results available in the literature [15,16,20,27,44]. The lattice parameter of n-SKD increases with increasing Yb content.…”

Section: Materials Phase and Structure Analysissupporting

confidence: 84%

“…Yb-filled n-type skutterudites (n-SKD) show remarkable TE properties with maximum zT (zT max ) above 850 K [15][16][17][18][19][20], which is too high to maximize its performance for the mid-temperature region (473-773 K) under vacuum or 400-623 K in air [2,21]. In order to make it practical in real applications, it is essential to lower the zT max temperature for enhancement of zT ave .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

High-Efficiency Skutterudite Modules at a Low Temperature Gradient

Stokes

Poudel

et al. 2019

Energies

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Thermoelectric skutterudite materials have been widely investigated for their potential application in mid-temperature waste heat recovery that has not been efficiently utilized A large amount of research has focused on developing materials with a high thermoelectric figure of merit (zT). However, the translation of material properties to device performance has limited success. Here, we demonstrate single-filling n-type Yb0.25Fe0.25Co3.75Sb12 and multi-filling La0.7Ti0.1Ga0.1Fe2.7Co1.3Sb12 skutterudites with a maximum zT of ~1.3 at 740 K and ~0.97 at 760 K. The peak zT of skutterudites usually occurs above 800 K, but, as shown here, the shift in peak zT to lower temperatures is beneficial for enhancing conversion efficiency at a lower hot-side temperature. In this work, we have demonstrated that the Fe-substitution significantly reduces the thermal conductivity of n-type skutterudite, closer to p-type skutterudite thermal conductivity, resulting in a module that is more compatible to operate at elevated temperatures. A uni-couple skutterudite module was fabricated using a molybdenum electrode and Ga–Sn liquid metal as the thermal interface material. A conversion efficiency of 7.27% at a low temperature gradient of 366 K was achieved, which is among the highest efficiencies reported in the literature at this temperature gradient. These results highlight that peak zT shift and optimized module design can improve conversion efficiency of thermoelectric modules at a low temperature gradient.

show abstract

Section: Materials Phase and Structure Analysissupporting

confidence: 84%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

High-Efficiency Skutterudite Modules at a Low Temperature Gradient

Stokes

Poudel

et al. 2019

Energies

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…There have been tremendous efforts on the enhancement of materials' zT covering various thermoelectric (TE) materials, such as bismuth telluride (BiTe), [5][6][7] skutterudite (SKD), [8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15] lead telluride (PbTe), [16][17] half-Heusler (hH), [18][19][20][21][22][23][24] oxides, [25][26][27][28][29][30][31][32] and other alloys. [33][34][35][36][37][38][39][40] Both electron and phonon transports are dependent on temperature and thus each material system has an optimum range where high zT avg is obtained.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Bismuth Telluride/Half‐Heusler Segmented Thermoelectric Unicouple Modules Provide 12% Conversion Efficiency

Poudel

Nozariasbmarz

et al. 2020

Advanced Energy Materials

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The rapid enhancement of the thermoelectric (TE) figure‐of‐merit (zT) in the past decade has opened opportunities for developing and transitioning solid state waste heat recovery systems. Here, a segmented TE device architecture is demonstrated in conjunction with heterogeneous material integration that results in high unicouple‐level conversion efficiency of 12% under a temperature difference of 584 K. This breakthrough is the result of success in fabricating bismuth telluride/half‐Heusler segmented TE unicouple modules using a “hot‐to‐cold” fabrication technique that provides significantly reduced electrical and thermal contact resistance. Extensive analytical and finite element modeling is conducted to provide an understanding of the nature of thermal transport and contributions arising from various thermal and physical parameters. Bismuth telluride/half‐Heusler based segmented thermoelectric generators (TEGs) can provide higher practical temperature difference with optimum average zT across the whole operating range. These results will have immediate impact on the design and development of TEGs and in the general design of devices based upon heterostructures that take advantage of gradients in the figure of merit.

show abstract

“…(A) Miscellaneous Skutterudites with its lowest κ t value at divergent temperature range. (B) Miscellaneous optimization techniques for the enhancement of ZT values of high performance skutterudites …”

Section: High Performance Inorganic Te Materialsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Inorganic thermoelectric materials: A review

et al. 2020

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Summary Thermoelectric generator, which converts heat into electrical energy, has great potential to power portable devices. Nevertheless, the efficiency of a thermoelectric generator suffers due to inefficient thermoelectric material performance. In the last two decades, the performance of inorganic thermoelectric materials has been significantly advanced through rigorous efforts and novel techniques. In this review, major issues and recent advancements that are associated with the efficiency of inorganic thermoelectric materials are encapsulated. In addition, miscellaneous optimization strategies, such as band engineering, energy filtering, modulation doping, and low dimensional materials to improve the performance of inorganic thermoelectric materials are reported. The methodological reviews and analyses showed that all these techniques have significantly enhanced the Seebeck coefficient, electrical conductivity, and reduced the thermal conductivity, consequently, improved ZT value to 2.42, 2.6, and 1.85 for near‐room, medium, and high temperature inorganic thermoelectric material, respectively. Moreover, this review also focuses on the performance of silicon nanowires and their common fabrication techniques, which have the potential for thermoelectric power generation. Finally, the key outcomes along with future directions from this review are discussed at the end of this article.

show abstract

Enhanced Thermoelectric Performance of Yb-Single-Filled Skutterudite by Ultralow Thermal Conductivity

Cited by 63 publications

References 105 publications

High-Efficiency Skutterudite Modules at a Low Temperature Gradient

High-Efficiency Skutterudite Modules at a Low Temperature Gradient

Bismuth Telluride/Half‐Heusler Segmented Thermoelectric Unicouple Modules Provide 12% Conversion Efficiency

Inorganic thermoelectric materials: A review

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About