Yaniv Gelbstein

Origin of the High Performance in GeTe-Based Thermoelectric Materials upon Bi2Te3 Doping

As a lead-free material, GeTe has drawn growing attention in thermoelectrics, and a figure of merit (ZT) close to unity was previously obtained via traditional doping/alloying, largely through hole carrier concentration tuning. In this report, we show that a remarkably high ZT of ∼1.9 can be achieved at 773 K in Ge0.87Pb0.13Te upon the introduction of 3 mol % Bi2Te3. Bismuth telluride promotes the solubility of PbTe in the GeTe matrix, thus leading to a significantly reduced thermal conductivity. At the same time, it enhances the thermopower by activating a much higher fraction of charge transport from the highly degenerate Σ valence band, as evidenced by density functional theory calculations. These mechanisms are incorporated and discussed in a three-band (L + Σ + C) model and are found to explain the experimental results well. Analysis of the detailed microstructure (including rhombohedral twin structures) in Ge0.87Pb0.13Te + 3 mol % Bi2Te3 was carried out using transmission electron microscopy and crystallographic group theory. The complex microstructure explains the reduced lattice thermal conductivity and electrical conductivity as well.

Physical, Mechanical, and Structural Properties of Highly Efficient Nanostructured n- and p-Silicides for Practical Thermoelectric Applications

Cost-effective highly efficient nanostructured n-type Mg2Si1−xSnx and p-type higher manganese silicide (HMS) compositions were prepared for the development of practical waste heat generators for automotive and marine thermoelectric applications, in the frame of the European Commission (EC)-funded PowerDriver project. The physical, mechanical, and structural properties were fully characterized as part of a database-generation exercise required for the thermoelectric converter design. A combination of high maximal ZT values of ∼0.6 and ∼1.1 for the HMS and Mg2Si1−xSnx compositions, respectively, and adequate mechanical properties was obtained.

Thermoelectric power and structural properties in two-phase Sn/SnTe alloys

The influence of the metallurgical states of solid solutions on the thermoelectric power (TEP) measurements, due to electron scattering by crystalline defect, has been well studied. Yet, second phase formation influence on TEP has been neglected and was mainly discussed theoretically. Here we show a correlation between measured TEP and the microstructure of two-phase Sn/Te alloys. The TEP values were fitted to a coupled model based on the Bergman–Levy and the general effective medium equations and shown to conform to the lower bound region, corresponds to a parallel addition configuration.

Highly textured Bi2Te3-based materials for thermoelectric energy conversion

This work is concerned with Bi2Te3-based compounds known as being highly effective materials for thermoelectric applications near room temperature. These compounds are characterized by a remarkable anisotropy linked to their R3¯m crystal structure. Two textured p-type Bi0.4Sb1.6Te3 samples were prepared using a powder metallurgy approach, with the c axis parallel to the pressing direction. One sample was undoped while the second was doped with Pb which acts as an acceptor. The electrical conductivity, Hall coefficient, and magnetoresistivity were measured from room temperature down to 6K. The Seebeck coefficient α and electrical conductivity σ were measured along and perpendicular to the c axis from 300 up to 550K, and the thermal conductivity κ was measured at 300K. Different values of Seebeck coefficient were observed along and perpendicular to the c axis at temperatures above Ti, the beginning of intrinsic region in which the influence of the minority carriers becomes significant. Below Ti, the Seebeck...

Silicon-Rich Higher Manganese Silicides for Thermoelectric Applications

Thermoelectrics are widely explored as a renewable and environmentally friendly method for converting waste heat to electrical power. Higher manganese silicides (HMS) have been identified as promising, nontoxic, inexpensive, p-type materials for thermoelectric applications. To mass-produce practical thermoelectric converters, an inexpensive, effective, and simple production method should be applied for these materials. In the frame of the current research, HMS have been synthesized using furnace melting followed by powdering and spark plasma sintering. Highly dense samples were obtained and measured for their thermoelectric properties. The samples were also characterized using x-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and Hall-effect measurements. Homogeneous samples were obtained with small inclusions of Si, reaching a figure of merit of about 0.6 at 450°C.

Hybrid photovoltaic-thermoelectric system for concentrated solar energy conversion: Experimental realization and modeling

An experimental demonstration of the combined photovoltaic (PV) and thermoelectric conversion of concentrated sunlight (with concentration factor, X, up to ∼300) into electricity is presented. The hybrid system is based on a multi-junction PV cell and a thermoelectric generator (TEG). The latter increases the electric power of the system and dissipates some of the excessive heat. For X ≤ 200, the systems maximal efficiency, ∼32%, was mostly due to the contribution from the PV cell. With increasing X and system temperature, the PV cells efficiency decreased while that of the TEG increased. Accordingly, the direct electrical contribution of the TEG started to dominate in the total system power, reaching ∼20% at X ≈ 290. Using a simple steady state finite element modeling, the cooling effect of the TEG on the hybrid systems efficiency was proved to be even more significant than its direct electrical contribution for high solar concentrations. As a result, the total efficiency contribution of the TEG reach...

Morphological effects on the thermoelectric properties of Ti0.3Zr0.35Hf0.35Ni1+δSn alloys following phase separation

Thermoelectrics are known as one of the emerging renewable power generation technologies. Half-Heusler based semiconducting intermetallic compounds show high potential as thermoelectric materials due to the abundance of their elements in nature, their high mechanical and chemical stability, and their favorable electronic properties. Their main limitation lies in their high lattice thermal conductivity, κl. In the current research, the potential of κl reduction due to generation of composites based on phase separation of off-stoichiometric Ti0.3Zr0.35Hf0.35Ni1+δSn alloys into half- and full-Heusler composites was investigated. Due to the strong metallic nature of the full-Heusler phase, its electronic effect on the thermoelectric transport properties under various morphological and compositional conditions was analyzed by the general effective media (GEM) approach. It was shown that although a major κl reduction of up to ∼37% was associated with phonon scattering by the embedded full Heusler phase, the electronic properties for the parallel-like alignment of this phase, following arc melting and spark plasma sintering, deteriorated with increase of the relative amount of this phase. Therefore a maximal ZT enhancement of ∼41%, compared to the uni-phase HH stoichiometric composition, was obtained for the minimal (δ = 0.01) deviation of the stoichiometry examined, corresponding to the minimal relative amount of the scattered FH phase inside the HH matrix.

The search for mechanically stable PbTe based thermoelectric materials

The search for alternative energy sources is nowadays at the forefront of applied research. In this context, thermoelectricity for direct energy conversion from thermal to electrical energy plays an important role, in particular, for the exploitation of waste heat [G. J. Snyder and E. S. Toberer, Nat. Mater. 7, 105 (2008); M. S. Dresselhaus et al., Adv. Mater. (Weinheim, Ger.) 19, 1043 (2007)]. Materials for such applications should exhibit thermoelectric potential as well as mechanical stability. PbTe based alloys have been considered for many years as state of the art thermoelectric materials for mid-temperature power generation (500–900 K), with efficiency values that are still being improved by both alloying [P. F. P. Poudeu et al., Chem., Int. Ed. 45, 1 (2006); J. R. Sootsman et al., Chem. Mater. 18, 4993 (2006); P. F. P. Poudeu et al., Chem. Soc. 126, 14347 (2006); J. Androulakis et al., Adv. Mater. (Weinheim, Ger.) 18, 1170 (2006); K. F. Hsu et al., Science 303, 818 (2004)] and doping [Y. Gelbstein...

Thermoelectric Properties of the Quasi-Binary MnSi1.73–FeSi2 System

The higher manganese silicides (HMS) are regarded as very attractive p-type thermoelectric materials for direct conversion of heat to electricity. To compete with other thermodynamic engines (e.g. the Stirling and Rankine cycles), however, the thermoelectric figure of merit of such silicides must be improved. HMS follow a complicated solidification reaction on cooling from the melt, which leads to formation of undesired secondary phases. Furthermore, the electronic carrier concentration of HMS is much higher than the optimum for thermoelectric applications and should be compensated by introduction of doping agents. In this research, the electronic donor action associated with substitution of HMS by FeSi2 was investigated. The effects of excess Si on phase distribution and thermoelectric properties are also discussed in detail.

Enhancement of the thermoelectric properties of n-type PbTe by Na and Cl co-doping

In an attempt to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels, associated with severe environmental effects, the current research is focused on the enhancement of the direct thermal to electrical thermoelectric efficiency of n-type PbTe by Na and Cl co-doping. We show that such co-doping is expected to enhance the thermoelectric efficiency by more than 17% compared to any of the previously reported lanthanum or iodine doped single-phase compositions, due to reduced lattice thermal conductivity values, originated by lattice disordering and mass/radii fluctuations in addition to improved carrier mobilities, originated by lower effective masses.