Concepts for medium-high to high temperature thermoelectric heat-to-electricity conversion: a review of selected materials and basic considerations of module design

Abstract

Within the last decade, novel materials concepts and nanotechnology have resulted in a great increase of the conversion efficiency of thermoelectric materials. Despite this, a mass market for thermoelectric heat-to-electricity conversion is yet to be opened up. One reason for this is that the transfer of the lab records into fabrication techniques which enable thermoelectric generator modules is very challenging. By closing the gap between record lab values and modules, broad industrial applications may become feasible. In this review, we compare three classes of materials, all designed for medium-high to high temperature applications in the field of waste heat recovery: skutterudites, half-Heusler compounds, and silicon-based materials. Common to all three classes of thermoelectric materials is that they are built from elements which are neither scarce (e.g. tellurium) nor toxic (e.g. lead) and therefore may be the foundation of a sustainable technology. Further, these materials can provide both, n-type and p-type materials with similar performance and thermomechanical properties, such that the fabrication of thermoelectric generator modules has already been successfully demonstrated. The fabrication processes of the presented materials are scalable or have already been scaled up. The availability of thermoelectric materials is only one important aspect for the development of thermoelectric generator modules and heat conversion systems based on this technology. The design and configuration of the thermoelectric generator modules is similarly important. Hence, basic considerations of module configuration and different fundamental layouts of the thermoelectric heat-to-electricity conversion system are discussed within an additional chapter of this review.