Four-leg Ca0.95Sm0.05MnO3 unileg thermoelectric device

Abstract

A prototype of oxide thermoelectric module only composed of n-legs Ca0.95Sm0.05MnO3, so-called unileg device, has been fabricated. The electrical and thermal measurements have been investigated at high temperature in air. In this non conventional configuration, the pellets are thermally connected in parallel, electrically in series, and linked by silver strips. The system has been characterized under large temperature difference (ΔT=360K) using a homemade system, allowing to record simultaneously the electrical and thermal parameters of the working device. An open circuit voltage of 260mV was obtained for a four-leg “unileg” module. The module exhibits an internal resistance of 1.09Ω. The maximum power output for this four-leg device reached 16mW in these working conditions. The manufacturing quality is discussed, according to the electric contact resistance values, and the reliability of the thermoelectric device is reported.

High temperature thermoelectric properties and energy transfer devices of Ca3Co4−xAgxO9 and Ca1−ySmyMnO3

“…8(b) shows the temperature dependence of R in mea , R in ideal , and R contact for Co349/Ag 0.2 -Mn113/Sm 0.02 device. To be clear, the internal resistance R in mea of the device corresponding to the slope of current-voltage lines were obtained directly by the measured system [48,49], and the R in ideal was calculated by the electrical resistivity of p-and n-type materials in different temperature gradient. In this case, R contact can be obtained by the formula R contact = R in mea − R in ideal .…”

Thermoelectric oxide modules tested in a solar cavity-receiver

“…The MQFs of all TOMs are in the range of 0.3 , MQF , 0.6, which is comparable to other published TOMs. 26 The slight scattering of the opencircuit voltages is most probably due to inconsistencies of the thermal contacts between the Al 2 O 3 plates and the cooler and heater, respectively. TE module failures are caused by degradation due to either changes in the TE material properties (sublimation of material, oxygen loss, crack formation due to thermal stress) or an increase in the electrical contact resistance, especially at high temperatures, mainly caused by compositional and structural changes in the vicinity of junctions.…”

Characteristics of a Pin–Fin Structure Thermoelectric Uni-Leg Device Using a Commercial n-Type Mg2Si Source

“…Compared with the conventional p-structure TE module, which comprises both p-and n-type TE elements, the uni-leg structure reduces the problems associated with thermal expansion differences between p-and n-type TE elements at high temperature. 15 …”