Physical problems of thermoelectricity

Joffe, A F; Stil'bans, L.S.

doi:10.1088/0034-4885/22/1/306

Cited by 81 publications

(56 citation statements)

References 8 publications

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“…It immediately follows from Eqs. (14)(15)(16) that the conductances, thermopower and Peltier coefficients can all be expressed in terms of the integrals I n :…”

Section: Linear-response For Two-terminal Systemsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Finally, we assume that the time spent in the adiabatic strokes of the Carnot cycle is negligible compared to the times of the isothermal strokes, so that the total time of the cycle is approximately given by t = t H + t C . Such an assumption is justified if the relaxation time for the working fluid is short enough that one can operate the adiabatic transformations as fast as one wishes 16 . The output power reads…”

Section: Endoreversible Cyclic Enginesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…High efficiency requires high ZT , see Table 1. More than 50 years after Ioffe's discovery that doped semiconductors exhibit relatively large thermoelectric effects [15,16], and in spite of recent achievements, the most efficient actual devices still operate at ZT around 1. This corresponds to heat to work conversion with an efficiency which is about a sixth of Carnot efficiency (see Table 1).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Fundamental aspects of steady-state conversion of heat to work at the nanoscale

et al. 2017

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In recent years, the study of heat to work conversion has been re-invigorated by nanotechnology. Steady-state devices do this conversion without any macroscopic moving parts, through steady-state flows of microscopic particles such as electrons, photons, phonons, etc. This review aims to introduce some of the theories used to describe these steady-state flows in a variety of mesoscopic or nanoscale systems. These theories are introduced in the context of idealized machines which convert heat into electrical power (heat-engines) or convert electrical power into a heat flow (refrigerators). In this sense, the machines could be categorized as thermoelectrics, although this should be understood to include photovoltaics when the heat source is the sun. As quantum mechanics is important for most such machines, they fall into the field of quantum thermodynamics. In many cases, the machines we consider have few degrees of freedom, however the reservoirs of heat and work that they interact with are assumed to be macroscopic. This review discusses different theories which can take into account different aspects of mesoscopic and nanoscale physics, such as coherent quantum transport, magnetic-field induced effects (including topological ones such as the quantum Hall effect), and single electron charging effects. It discusses the efficiency of thermoelectric conversion, and the thermoelectric figure of merit. More specifically, the theories presented are (i) linear response theory with or without magnetic fields, (ii) Landauer scattering theory in the linear response regime and far from equilibrium, (iii) Green-Kubo formula for strongly interacting systems within the linear response regime, (iv) rate equation analysis for small quantum machines with or without interaction effects, (v) stochastic thermodynamic for fluctuating small systems. In all cases, we place particular emphasis on the fundamental questions about the bounds on ideal machines. Can magnetic-fields change the bounds on power or efficiency? What is the relationship between quantum theories of transport and the laws of thermodynamics? Does quantum mechanics place fundamental bounds on heat to work conversion which are absent in the thermodynamics of classical systems?

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“…It immediately follows from Eqs. (14)(15)(16) that the conductances, thermopower and Peltier coefficients can all be expressed in terms of the integrals I n :…”

Section: Linear-response For Two-terminal Systemsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Endoreversible Cyclic Enginesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Fundamental aspects of steady-state conversion of heat to work at the nanoscale

et al. 2017

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“…Ioffe introduced the figure of merit as a primary parameter which gathers the different transport coefficients, leading to an efficient classification of the various TE materials. His publications can be seen as outstanding works of literature in the field of thermoelectrics even today, see, e.g., [25,[27][28][29].…”

Section: Historical Notesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Thermodynamics of Thermoelectric Phenomena and Applications

Goupil

Seifert

Zabrocki

et al. 2011

Entropy

275

252

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Abstract:Fifty years ago, the optimization of thermoelectric devices was analyzed by considering the relation between optimal performances and local entropy production. Entropy is produced by the irreversible processes in thermoelectric devices. If these processes could be eliminated, entropy production would be reduced to zero, and the limiting Carnot efficiency or coefficient of performance would be obtained. In the present review, we start with some fundamental thermodynamic considerations relevant for thermoelectrics. Based on a historical overview, we reconsider the interrelation between optimal performances and local entropy production by using the compatibility approach together with the thermodynamic arguments. Using the relative current density and the thermoelectric potential, we show that minimum entropy production can be obtained when the thermoelectric potential is a specific, optimal value.

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“…Generally S 2 decreases and σ increases with the carrier concentration in a semiconductor. However the decrease in S 2 is much smaller than the increase in σ. Consequently, the power factor peaks for a certain value of carrier concentration, typically in the range 10 25 − 10 26 m −3 . The maximum value of P F in a doped bulk semiconductor is limited by the operating temperature and some fixed, intrinsic properties related to its electronic band structure (see discussions in Refs [14,22]).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Tuning phonon properties in thermoelectric materials

Srivastava

2015

Rep. Prog. Phys.

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Abstract.This review article presents a discussion of theoretical progress made over the past several decades towards our understanding of thermoelectric properties of materials. Particular emphasis is paid towards describing recent progress in 'tuning' phonon properties of nano-composite materials for gaining enhancement of the thermoelectric figure of merit. Tuning phonon properties in thermoelectric materials2

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Physical problems of thermoelectricity

Cited by 81 publications

References 8 publications

Fundamental aspects of steady-state conversion of heat to work at the nanoscale

Fundamental aspects of steady-state conversion of heat to work at the nanoscale

Thermodynamics of Thermoelectric Phenomena and Applications

Tuning phonon properties in thermoelectric materials

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