• Journal of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.119-128
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• 2022

Recent advancement of Internet of Things (IoT) and energy harvesting technology enable realization of flexible thermoelectric energy harvester (f-TEH), with technological prowess for use in biomedical monitoring system integrated applications. To expand a flexible thermoelectric energy harvesting platform, the f-TEH must be required for optimized flexible thermoelectric materials and device structure. In response to these demands related to thermoelectric energy harvesting, many research groups have investigated various f-TEHs applied as a power source for wearable electronics. As a key member of the f-TEH, film-based f-TEHs possess significant applicability in research to realize self-powered wearable electronics, owing to their excellent flexibility, low thermal conductivity, and convenient fabrication process. Thus, based on the rapid growth of thermoelectric film technology, this review aims to overview comprehensively the f-TEH made of various inorganic/organic thermoelectric materials including developed fabrication methods, high thermoelectric performance, and wide-range applications.

• Journal of Powder Materials
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.130-139
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• 2023

Thermoelectric materials and devices are energy-harvesting devices that can effectively recycle waste heat into electricity. Thermoelectric power generation is widely used in factories, engines, and even in human bodies as they continuously generate heat. However, thermoelectric elements exhibit poor performance and low energy efficiency; research is being conducted to find new materials or improve the thermoelectric performance of existing materials, that is, by ensuring a high figure-of-merit (zT) value. For increasing zT, higher σ (electrical conductivity) and S (Seebeck coefficient) and a lower κ (thermal conductivity) are required. Here, interface engineering by atomic layer deposition (ALD) is used to increase zT of n-type BiTeSe (BTS) thermoelectric powders. ALD of the BTS powders is performed in a rotary-type ALD reactor, and 40 to 100 ALD cycles of ZnO thin films are conducted at 100℃. The physical and chemical properties and thermoelectric performance of the ALD-coated BTS powders and pellets are characterized. It is revealed that electrical conductivity and thermal conductivity are decoupled, and thus, zT of ALD-coated BTS pellets is increased by more than 60% compared to that of the uncoated BTS pellets. This result can be utilized in a novel method for improving the thermoelectric efficiency in materials processing.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.55 no.8
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• pp.3080-3087
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• 2023

Thermoelectric (TE) materials working in radioisotope thermoelectric generators are irradiated by neutrons throughout its service; thus, investigating the neutron irradiation stability of TE devices is necessary. Herein, the influence of neutron irradiation with fluences of 4.56 × 10¹⁰ and 1 × 10¹³ n/cm² by pulsed neutron reactor on the electrical and thermal transport properties of n-type Bi₂Te_2.7Se_0.3 and p-type Bi_0.5Sb_1.5Te₃ thermoelectric alloys prepared by cold-pressing and molding is investigated. After neutron irradiation, the properties of thermoelectric materials fluctuate, which is related to the material type and irradiation fluence. Different from p-type thermoelectric materials, neutron irradiation has a positive effect on n-type Bi₂Te_2.7Se_0.3 materials. This result might be due to the increase of carrier mobility and the optimization of electrical conductivity. Afterward, the effects of p-type and n-type TE devices with different treatments on the output performance of TE devices are further discussed. The positive and negative effects caused by irradiation can cancel each other to a certain extent. For TE devices paired with p-type Bi_0.5Sb_1.5Te₃ and n-type Bi₂Te_2.7Se_0.3 thermoelectric legs, the generated power and conversion efficiency are stable after neutron irradiation.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers B
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.383-390
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• 2010

In this study, a thermoelectric power generation system was constructed for a waste-heat recovery. Thermoelectric modules were attached to a stainless steel duct, and a hot air blower was set such that it faced the duct inlet. We found that to achieve the maximum power out of the system, the temperature in the hot side of the thermoelectric module should be uniform. The optimum compressive pressure exerted on the module was observed. Further, the thermoelectric power performance was evaluated using the heat sink attached to the cold side of the thermoelectric module. In particular, when using a natural-convection heat sink, the power output difference is approximately five times.

• Korean Journal of Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Engineering
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.66-72
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• 2006

This article presents the optimal operation of an air conditioner using thermoelectric modules. A prototype of air conditioner using four thermoelectric modules has been designed and built. The system performance with evaporative cooling for hot side of the module are studied in detail for several operating parameters, such as input power to the thermoelectric module, fans and pump. It is found that the optimal input voltage to the thermoelectric module and pump is selected for the best system performance based on the cooling capacity and the COP at a given operating condition. It is also found that both the cooling capacity and COP of a system is increased with an increase in the input power to fans. The cooling performance could be improved when the ambient temperature is increased and the relative humidity is decreased since the evaporative cooling at the hot side has been increased.

• Korean Journal of Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Engineering
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.214-220
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• 2002

A small air conditioner using thermoelectric module has been designed and built. Three types of cooling methods, such as air cooling, closed-loop water cooling, and evaporative cooling, for hot side of thermoelectric module have been investigated. Among three types of cooling method, the evaporative cooling method is seen to be the most effective to achieve the steady state operation of a thermoelectric air conditioner The system performance with evaporative cooling method are also studied in detail for several oprating parameters, such as input power to the thermoelectric module, water or air flow rate at the hot side, and air flow rate at the cold side. The results obtained indicate that the cooling capacity of a system is increased with an increase in the input power to the thermoelectric module while the system COP is decreased. It is also found that the optimal air flow rate as well as water flow rate at the hot side is needed for the best system performance at a liven operating condition. Both the system COP and cooling capacity are increased as the air flow rate at cold side is increased.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.16 no.5
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• pp.292-296
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• 2006

Effects of rapid thermal annealing of bismuth telluride thin films on their thermoelectric properties were investigated. Films with four different compositions were elaborated by co-sputtering of Bi and Te targets. Rapid thermal treatments in range of $300{\sim}400^{\circ}C$ were carried out during 10 minutes under the reducing atmosphere (Ar with 10% $H_2$). As the temperature of thermal treatment increased, carrier concentrations of films decreased while their mobilities increased. These changes were clearly observed for the films close to the stoichiometric composition. Rapid thermal treatment was found to be effective in improving the thermoelectric properties of $Bi_2Te_3$ films. Recrystallization of $Bi_2Te_3$ phase has caused the enhancement of thermoelectric properties, along with the decrease of the carrier concentration. Maximum values of Seebeck coefficient and power factor were obtained for the films treated at $400^{\circ}C$ (about $-128{\mu}V/K$ and $9{\times}10^{-4}\;W/K^2m$, respectively). With further higher temperature ($500^{\circ}C$), thermoelectric properties deteriorated due to the evaporation of Te element and subsequent disruption of film's structure.

• Journal of Powder Materials
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.336-341
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• 2010

The present study focused on the synthesis of Bi-Sb-Te-based thermoelectric powder by an oxidereduction process. The phase structure, particle size of the synthesized powders were analyzed using XRD and SEM. The synthesized powder was sintered by the spark plasma sintering method. The thermoelectric property of the sintered body was evaluated by measuring the Seebeck coefficient and specific electric resistivity. The $Bi_{0.5}Sb_{1.5}Te_3$ powder had been synthesized by a combination of mechanical milling, calcination and reduction processes using mixture of $Bi_2O_3$, $Sb_2O_3$ and $TeO_2$ powders. The sintered body of the $Bi_{0.5}Sb_{1.5}Te_3$ powder synthesized by an oxide-reduction process showed p-type thermoelectric characteristics, even though it had lower thermoelectric properties than the sintered body of the $Bi_{0.5}Sb_{1.5}Te_3$ thermoelectric powder synthesized by the conventional melting-crushing method.

• Journal of Powder Materials
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.136-141
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• 2010

Bismuth-telluride based $(Bi_{0.2}Sb_{0.8})_2Te_3$ thermoelectric powders were fabricated by two-step planetary milling process which produces bimodal size distribution ranging $400\;nm\;{\sim}\;2\;{\mu}m$. The powders were reduced in hydrogen atmosphere to minimize oxygen contents which cause degradation of thermoelectric performance by decreasing electrical conductivity. Oxygen contents were decreased from 0.48% to 0.25% by the reduction process. In this study, both the as-synthesized and the reduced powders were consolidated by the spark plasma sintering process at $350^{\circ}C$ for 10 min at the heating rate of $100^{\circ}C/min$ and then their thermoelectric properties were investigated. The sintered samples using the reduced p-type thermoelectric powders show 15% lower specific electrical resistivity ($0.8\;m{\Omega}{\cdot}cm$) than those of the as-synthesized powders while Seebeck coefficient and thermal conductivity do not change a lot. The results confirmed that ZT value of thermoelectric performance at room temperature was improved by 15% due to high electric conductivity caused by the controlled oxygen contents present at bismuth telluride materials.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Surface Engineering Conference
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• 2018.06a
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• pp.53-53
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• 2018

Thermoelectric materials can convert directly waste heat to electricity and vice versa. The improvement of the thermoelectric efficiency strongly depends on the dimensionless figure of merit, $ZT=S^2{\sigma}T/{\kappa}$, where S is the Seebeck coefficient, ${\sigma}$ is the electrical conductivity, T is the absolute temperature, and ${\kappa}$ is the thermal conductivity. The thermal conductivity consists of the electronic contribution (${\kappa}_e$) and phonon contribution (${\kappa}_{ph}$). It is very challenge to increase the power factor, $S^2{\sigma}$ and to reduce the thermal conductivity simultaneously because the power factor and electronic thermal conductivity are coupled. One strategy is to decrease the phonon thermal conductivity. The phonon thermal conductivity can be decreased by controlling the grain size and structural defects such as dislocations and twinning. In order to achieve enhancements in thermoelectric efficiency, microstructures that can form numerous interfaces have been investigated intensively for controlling the transport of charge carriers and heat carrying phonons. In this presentation, we report the heterogeneous microstructure of $Mg_2Si_{0.6}Sn_{0.4}$ thermoelectric materials and investigation of its influence on thermoelectric properties.