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A thermoelectric generator based on an n‐type clathrate and a p‐type skutterudite unicouple
Author(s) -
Alleno E.,
Lamquembe N.,
CardosoGil R.,
Ikeda M.,
Widder F.,
Rouleau O.,
Godart C.,
Grin Yu.,
Paschen S.
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
physica status solidi (a)
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.532
H-Index - 104
eISSN - 1862-6319
pISSN - 1862-6300
DOI - 10.1002/pssa.201300218
Subject(s) - skutterudite , thermoelectric effect , materials science , thermoelectric generator , intermetallic , clathrate hydrate , atmospheric temperature range , thermoelectric materials , electrical resistivity and conductivity , analytical chemistry (journal) , metallurgy , thermal conductivity , composite material , chemistry , electrical engineering , thermodynamics , alloy , physics , organic chemistry , hydrate , engineering , chromatography
The type I clathrates A 8 Ga 16 X 30 (A = Sr, Ba, Eu; X = Si, Ge, Sn) and filled skutterudites A y (Fe 1− x M x ) 4 Sb 12 (A = rare‐earth, M = Co, Ni,) are intermetallic compounds with good thermoelectric performance in the temperature range 400–800 K. Here we report on the first mixed clathrate–skutterudite unicouple thermoelectric generator and address important technical issues such as upscaling, contacting, and electrode material selection. At 600 K, the materials Eu 8 Ga 16 Ge 30 , Ba 8 Ga 16 Ge 30 , and Mm 0.7 Fe 3.5 Ni 0.5 Sb 12 synthesized for this purpose have figures of merit ZT = 0.32, 0.15, and 0.46, respectively. The clathrate and skutterudite legs were brazed to a hot side nickel electrode. An average contact resistivity of 16 µΩ cm 2 was obtained with Pb–Ag (hot side) and In–Sn (cold side) brazings combined with and intermediate Ni layer. For a temperature difference Δ T = 250 K (hot side temperature = 573 K), this generator produced an open circuit voltage U open = 54 mV and an electrical specific power P = 178 mW cm −2 as our best result with the couple Mm 0.7 Fe 3.5 Ni 0.5 Sb 12 and Eu 8 Ga 16 Ge 30 .