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Compatibility factor for the power output of a thermogenerator
Author(s) -
Seifert W.,
Müller E.,
Snyder G. J.,
Walczak S.
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
physica status solidi (rrl) – rapid research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.786
H-Index - 68
eISSN - 1862-6270
pISSN - 1862-6254
DOI - 10.1002/pssr.200701181
Subject(s) - compatibility (geochemistry) , thermoelectric effect , tec , maximization , seebeck coefficient , thermoelectric generator , computer science , mathematics , materials science , thermodynamics , physics , mathematical optimization , composite material , ionosphere , astronomy
The compatibility approach introduced by Snyder and Ursell enables the description of both thermoelectric generator (TEG) and Peltier cooler (TEC) within the framework of a unified 1D model. Both TEG's efficiency η and TEC's coefficient of performance (C.O.P.) can be formulated in terms of the reduced current density u , which has been introduced as a new, intensive state variable of a thermoelectric system. For η and C.O.P., integral expressions are formed from additive contributions of all length segments of a thermoelectric ele‐ment, enabling exact calculation of these quantities even for arbitrarily graded elements. Maximization of these global performance parameters can thus be deduced to local maximization. Here the maximum power from a TEG with fixed length but variable heat supply is considered, which leads to the new concept of power‐related compatibility and to the introduction of a new, different compatibility factor. (© 2007 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)