Thermodynamics of the thermoelectric potential

Abstract

We derive the principal contributions to energy flux and entropy flux in a thermoelectric material using a force-flux description. Using the reduced current u=−J∕κ∇T of the coupled thermal and electrical flows, we introduce the so-called thermoelectric potential Tα+1∕u. We show that this approach gives a simple description of the thermodynamics of the thermoelectric process, including the heat and entropy production terms. The thermoelectric potential gives a precise estimate of the thermodynamical best working conditions leading to a direct measurement of the irreversible contribution for practical applications where the optimal thermoelectric potential value cannot be maintained.