ABSTRACT
A direct conversion between electrical and thermal energy can be
accomplished using the thermoelectric (TE) cogenerators. Among
advantages of the TE convertors is the absence of mechanical
components and undesirable chemical residue. In particular, a TE
device contains no moving parts nor does it emit undesirable
chemicals, like chlorofluorocarbons, etc. (DiSalvo 1999, Bell 2008).
Implementing a TE device, the heat can be converted to electricity
and vice versa. The TE coolers are consuming the electrical power
which is supplied to a TE device and which causes the Peltier effect.
Depending on the sign of electric current, the Peltier effect results
either in cooling or in the heating of attached objects. A reciprocal
phenomenon is the Seebeck effect, which can be implemented for
converting the heat into usable electrical power. A serious setback
on the path of a wide implementation of the TE devices is their low
efficiency. Typical efficiencies of the most available TE cogenerators
are far below than can be achieved using many other approaches,
for example, a traditional internal combustion engine. It strongly
motivates the searching of systems, mechanisms, and materials
whichmight considerably improve the TE. A basic ingredient of such
activity is a better understanding of fundamental issues related to
the heat transport and the TE phenomena on the nanoscale (Dubi
and Di Ventra 2011).
