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Large thermal transport phase lagging improves thermoelectric efficiency

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Abstract

A thermoelectric (TE) generator driven by fast pulse heating is theoretically analyzed using the hyperbolic transient heat conduction equation. Results show that heat leaking in the transient TE generator can be reduced due to the lagging behavior of non-Fourier heat conduction. The total energy conversion efficiency of the transient TE generator is found to exceed that of normal steady-state operation when the dimensionless non-Fourier thermal transport relaxation time, scaled by length squared over thermal diffusivity, is larger than one. These findings may emerge as a new way to improve TE efficiency.

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Acknowledgements

The authors gratefully acknowledge the financial support received from NSFC 50906064, DF of MOE 20100141110022, SYG 201132, and SRF for ROCS.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Power and Mechanical Engineering, MOE Key Laboratory of Hydrodynamic Transients, Wuhan University, 8 S Eastlake Road, Wuhan, HB, 430072, China

    Kang Liu, Man Li, Shuang Cui & Xuejiao Hu

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  1. Kang Liu
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  2. Man Li
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  3. Shuang Cui
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Correspondence to Xuejiao Hu.

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Liu, K., Li, M., Cui, S. et al. Large thermal transport phase lagging improves thermoelectric efficiency. Appl. Phys. A 111, 477–481 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00339-012-7498-x

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