Seebeck effect tagged posts

A thermoelectric metal oxide film with a thermoelectric figure of merit of ~0.55 at 600°C has been discovered, opening new avenues towards the widespread use of thermoelectric converters.

Waste heat is a very promising source of energy conservation and reuse, by means of converting this heat into electricity — a process called thermoelectric conversion.

Commercially available thermoelectric conversion devices are synthesized using rare metals. While these are quite efficient, they are expensive and, in the majority of cases, utilize toxic materials...

Redistribution of electronic clouds causes a lattice instability and freezes the flow of heat in highly efficient tin selenide. The crystal lattice adopts a distorted state in which the chemical bonds are stretched into an accordion-like configuration, and makes an excellent thermoelectric because heat propagation is thwarted. Credit: Oak Ridge National Laboratory, U.S. Dept. of Energy

Engines, laptops and power plants generate waste heat. Thermoelectric materials, which convert temperature gradients to electricity and vice versa, can recover some of that heat and improve energy efficiency. Scientists have explored the fundamental physics of the world’s best thermoelectric material — tin selenide – using neutron scattering and computer simulations...