ABSTRACT
The need to develop high-temperature thermoelectric materials has increased with the demonstration of viable application examples, such as the utilization of high-temperature waste heat in thermal power plants [1,2], steelworks, factories, and incinerators, and also the conversion of concentrated solar power [3]. Topping cycles to enhance output in thermal power plants may have an especially large impact considering the amounts of energy involved. For example, in the United States, there are times when over 50% of the electricity consumed is generated by midscale coal-red power plants [1,2]. Yazawa and Shakouri have performed calculations showing a 6% increase in the overall efciency of a 520 MW class Rankine cycle power plant enabled by a topping cycle of high-temperature thermoelectric material with ZT ~0.7 [2].
