Hohyun Lee

Enhanced Thermoelectric Figure-of-Merit in Nanostructured p-type Silicon Germanium Bulk Alloys

A dimensionless thermoelectric figure-of-merit (ZT) of 0.95 in p-type nanostructured bulk silicon germanium (SiGe) alloys is achieved, which is about 90% higher than what is currently used in space flight missions, and 50% higher than the reported record in p-type SiGe alloys. These nanostructured bulk materials were made by using a direct current-induced hot press of mechanically alloyed nanopowders that were initially synthesized by ball milling of commercial grade Si and Ge chunks with boron powder. The enhancement of ZT is due to a large reduction of thermal conductivity caused by the increased phonon scattering at the grain boundaries of the nanostructures combined with an increased power factor at high temperatures.

Nanofluids containing multiwalled carbon nanotubes and their enhanced thermal conductivities

Multiwalled carbon nanotubes (CNTs) as produced are usually entangled and not ready to be dispersed into fluids. We treated CNTs by using a concentrated nitric acid to disentangle CNT aggregates for producing CNT nanofluids. Oxygen-containing functional groups have been introduced on the CNT surfaces and more hydrophilic surfaces have been formed during this treatment, which enabled to make stable and homogeneous CNT nanofluids. Treated CNTs were successfully dispersed into polar liquids like distilled water, ethylene glycol without the need of surfactant and into nonpolar fluid like decene with oleylamine as surfactant. We measured the thermal conductivities of these nanotube suspensions using a transient hot wire apparatus. Nanotube suspensions, containing a small amount of CNTs, have substantially higher thermal conductivities than the base fluids, with the enhancement increasing with the volume fraction of CNTs. For the suspensions with the same loading, the enhanced thermal conductivity ratios are re...

Enhanced thermoelectric figure of merit in nanostructured n-type silicon germanium bulk alloy

The dimensionless thermoelectric figure of merit (ZT) of the n-type silicon germanium (SiGe) bulk alloy at high temperature has remained at about one for a few decades. Here we report that by using a nanostructure approach, a peak ZT of about 1.3 at 900 °C in an n-type nanostructured SiGe bulk alloy has been achieved. The enhancement of ZT comes mainly from a significant reduction in the thermal conductivity caused by the enhanced phonon scattering off the increased density of nanograin boundaries. The enhanced ZT will make such materials attractive in many applications such as solar, thermal, and waste heat conversion into electricity.

Effects of nanoscale porosity on thermoelectric properties of SiGe

The recent achievement of the high thermoelectric figure of merit in nanograined materials is attributed to the successful optimization of the consolidation process. Despite a thermal conductivity reduction, it has been experimentally observed that the porous nanograined materials have lower thermoelectric figure of merit than their bulk counterpart due to significant reduction in the electrical conductivity. In this paper, nanoscale porosity effects on electron and phonon transport are modeled to predict and explain thermoelectric properties in porous nanograined materials. Electron scattering at the pores is treated quantum mechanically while phonon transport is treated using a classical picture. The modeling results show that the charge carriers are scattered more severely in nanograined materials than the macroscale porous materials, due to a higher number density of scattering sites. Porous nanograined materials have enhanced Seebeck coefficient due to energy filtering effect and low thermal conducti...

Influence of electrical current variance and thermal resistances on optimum working conditions and geometry for thermoelectric energy harvesting

Recent reports on enhanced thermoelectric figure of merits based on nanoscale effects have revived interest in potential applications of thermoelectric modules for waste heat recovery and distributed power generation. However, studies of optimized working conditions have not been thoroughly investigated. The majority of the previous studies on optimum load resistance for maximum power output or maximum efficiency assume temperatures at the ends of thermoelectric materials are known and constant. In reality, temperature should be determined by the energy conservation equations, which are functions of the load resistance, as well as the thermal resistances of the heat source, heat sink, and contact pads. This work exploits a numerical method to determine the actual temperature of thermoelectric materials, and optimum working conditions for thermoelectric energy harvesting are presented. The proposed model considers the effect of thermal resistances between a thermoelectric module and heat reservoirs, and th...

NANOCOMPOSITES TO ENHANCE ZT IN THERMOELECTRICS

The concept of using “self-assembled” and “force-engineered” nanostructures to enhance the thermoelectric figure of merit relative to bulk homogeneous and composite materials is presented in general terms. Specific application is made to the Si-Ge system for use in power generation at high temperature. The scientific advantages of the nanocomposite approach for the simultaneous increase in the power factor and decrease of the thermal conductivity are emphasized along with the practical advantages of having bulk samples for property measurements and a straightforward path to scale-up materials synthesis and integration of nanostructured materials into thermoelectric cooling and power generation devices.

Achieving Maximum Power in Thermoelectric Generation with Simple Power Electronics

A thermoelectric generator typically delivers a relatively low power output, and hence it is of great practical importance to determine a design and operating condition close to those which can provide the maximum attainable power. To maintain a favorable condition for the maximum power output, power electronics circuits are usually applied. One of the simplest methods is to control the operating voltage at half the open-circuit voltage, assuming that the typical impedance-matching condition, in which the load and internal resistances are matched, yields the maximum power output. However, recent investigations have shown that, when external thermal resistances exist between the thermoelectric modules and thermal reservoirs, the impedance-matching condition is not identical to the condition for the maximum power output. In this article, it is argued that, although the impedance-matching condition is not the condition for maximum power output, the maximum power is still achievable when the operating voltage is kept at half the open-circuit voltage. More precisely, it is shown that the typical V–I curve for thermoelectric generators must show approximately linear behavior, which justifies the use of a simple strategy in thermoelectric power generation applications. The conditions for the validity of the approximation are mathematically discussed, supported by a few examples. Experimental evidence at room temperature is also provided.

Experimental Investigation of Mechanical and Thermal Properties of Silica Nanoparticle-Reinforced Poly(acrylamide) Nanocomposite Hydrogels

Current studies investigating properties of nanoparticle-reinforced polymers have shown that nanocomposites often exhibit improved properties compared to neat polymers. However, over two decades of research, using both experimental studies and modeling analyses, has not fully elucidated the mechanistic underpinnings behind these enhancements. Moreover, few studies have focused on developing an understanding among two or more polymer properties affected by incorporation of nanomaterials. In our study, we investigated the elastic and thermal properties of poly(acrylamide) hydrogels containing silica nanoparticles. Both nanoparticle concentration and size affected hydrogel properties, with similar trends in enhancements observed for elastic modulus and thermal diffusivity. We also observed significantly lower swellability for hydrogel nanocomposites relative to neat hydrogels, consistent with previous work suggesting that nanoparticles can mediate pseudo crosslinking within polymer networks. Collectively, these results indicate the ability to develop next-generation composite materials with enhanced mechanical and thermal properties by increasing the average crosslinking density using nanoparticles.

Investigation of the Effect of Electrical Current Variance on Thermoelectric Energy Harvesting

The performance of thermoelectric modules for energy-harvesting applications is investigated, and a model is presented to predict module performance. Derived from energy conservation equations, the model predicts module performance by solving for the temperatures at both ends of the thermoelectric materials within a module. Unlike traditional methods, the model accounts for the effect of electrical current with respect to the load resistance by considering additional heat transfer by Joule heating and the Peltier effect. This establishes a nonlinear quadratic form of temperatures which can be solved by an iterative numerical solution. The model is extended to predict the performance of energy-harvesting systems, which may include connection of multiple thermoelectric modules in series to meet the necessary power requirements. However, a key issue with multiple module connection is the power reduction that arises when there are significant differences in module properties and/or the corresponding external conditions to which each individual module is exposed. Power reduction is thus investigated, as in some cases the overall power output for multiple modules can be less than the power output of a single module. For validation and comparison of the model, experimental support is provided for the case of two commercial thermoelectric modules connected in series. The model also provides optimum load resistances, and a system optimization of the number of modules for a designated heat sink to maximize power generation. The overarching goal of this work is to provide performance prediction and optimization considerations for actual thermoelectric energy-harvesting systems.

Optimized working conditions for a thermoelectric generator as a topping cycle for gas turbines

This paper presents a model for a theoretical maximum efficiency of a thermoelectric generator integrated with a Brayton-cycle engine. The thermoelectric cycle is presented in two configurations as a topping cycle and a preheating topping cycle. For the topping cycle configuration, the thermoelectric generator receives heat from a high-temperature heat source and produces electrical work before rejecting heat to a Brayton cycle. For the preheating topping cycle, the rejected heat from the thermoelectric generator partially heats the compressed working fluid of the Brayton cycle before a secondary heater delivers heat to the working fluid directly from the heat source. The thermoelectric topping cycle efficiency increases as the temperature difference between the hot- and cold-side increases; however, this limits the heat transfer possible to the Brayton cycle, which in turn reduces power generation from the Brayton cycle. This model identifies the optimum operating parameters of the thermoelectric and Bra...