ABSTRACT
Thermoelectric energy conversion is usually based on the longitudinal Seebeck and Peltier effects. These effects are manifest in so-called thermocouples, each consisting of a negative and a positive thermoelement. The transverse effects may be observed in any conductor in which the Seebeck coefficient is anisotropic though not for all orientations. The cooling power of a transverse Peltier refrigerator can be increased by changing the form factor without changing the electric current. Likewise, the voltage output of a transverse thermoelectric generator can be adjusted by changing the shape of the element. A transverse Peltier cooler with an infinite number of stages can be made by continually changing the cross-sectional area in the direction of heat flow. The transverse Seebeck and Peltier coefficients are unlikely to be very large in a conductor that has only one type of charge carrier.
