Abstract
Thermoelectric generators are a promising technology for waste heat recovery. As new materials and devices enter a market penetration stage, it is of interest to employ fast and efficient measurement methods to evaluate the long-term stability of thermoelectric materials in combination with metallization and coating (functionalized thermoelectric legs). We have investigated a method for measuring several thermoelectric legs simultaneously. The legs are put under a common temperature gradient, and the electrical characteristics of each leg are measured individually during thermal cycling. Using this method, one can test different types of metallization and coating applied to skutterudite thermoelectric legs and look at the relative changes over time. Postcharacterization of these initial tests with skutterudite legs using a potential Seebeck microprobe and an electron microscope showed that oxidation and interlayer diffusion are the main reasons for the gradual increase in internal resistance and the decrease in open-circuit voltage. Although we only tested skutterudite material in this work, the method is fully capable of testing all kinds of material, metallization, and coating. It is thus a promising method for studying the relationship between failure modes and mechanisms of functionalized thermoelectric legs.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
D.M. Rowe, Int. J. Innov. Energy Syst. Power 1, 13 (2006).
L.E. Bell, Science 321, 1457 (2008).
C. Uher, Thermoelectrics Handbook, Macro to Nano, ed. D.M. Rowe (Boca Raton: CRC Press, 2006), pp. 341–3417.
S. LeBlanc, S.K. Yee, M.L. Scullin, C. Dames, and K.E. Goodson, Renew. Sust. Energy Rev. 32, 313 (2014).
W. Liu, Q. Jie, H.S. Kim, and Z. Ren, Acta Mater. 87, 357 (2015).
M. Rull-Bravo, A. Moure, J.F. Fernandez, and M. Martin-Gonzalez, RSC Adv. 5, 41653 (2015).
T. Caillat, S. Firdosy, B. Li, V. Ravi, J.-A. Paik, G. Nakatsukasa, C.-K. Huang, D. Uhl, N. Keyawa, J. Chase, and J.-P. Fleurial, 11th International Energy Conversion Engineering Conference (American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, 2013).
J. Yang and T. Caillat, MRS Bull. 31, 224 (2006).
R. Hara, S. Inoue, H.T. Kaibe, and S. Sano, J. Alloys Compd. 349, 297 (2003).
E. Godlewska, K. Zawadzka, A. Adamczyk, M. Mitoraj, and K. Mars, Oxid. Met. 74, 113 (2010).
D. Zhao, C. Tian, S. Tang, Y. Liu, and L. Chen, J. Alloys Compd. 504, 552 (2010).
J. Leszczynski, K. Wojciechowski, and A. Malecki, J. Therm. Anal. Calorim. 105, 211 (2011).
H.H. Saber and M.S. El-Genk, Energy Convers. Manag. 48, 1383 (2007).
E. Godlewska, K. Zawadzka, R. Gajerski, M. Mitoraj, and K. Mars, Ceram. Mater. 62, 490 (2010).
H. Dong, X. Li, X. Huang, Y. Zhou, W. Jiang, and L. Chen, Ceram. Int. 39, 4551 (2013).
H. Dong, X. Li, Y. Tang, J. Zou, X. Huang, Y. Zhou, W. Jiang, G.-j. Zhang, and L. Chen, J. Alloys Compd. 527, 247 (2012).
H.H. Saber, M.S. El-Genk, and T. Caillat, Energy Convers. Manag. 48, 555 (2007).
T. Nemoto, T. Iida, J. Sato, H. Suda, and Y. Takanashi, J. Electron. Mater. 43, 1890 (2014).
H. Wang, R. McCarty, J.R. Salvador, A. Yamamoto, and J. König, J. Electron. Mater. 43, 2274 (2014).
A. Muto, J. Yang, B. Poudel, Z. Ren, and G. Chen, Adv. Energy Mater. 3, 245 (2013).
J.R. Salvador, J.Y. Cho, Z. Ye, J.E. Moczygemba, A.J. Thompson, J.W. Sharp, J.D. Koenig, R. Maloney, T. Thompson, J. Sakamoto, H. Wang, and A.A. Wereszczak, Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys. 16, 12510 (2014).
G. Skomedal, N.R. Kristiansen, M. Engvoll, and H. Middleton, J. Electron. Mater. 43, 1946 (2013).
K. Schröder and A. Giannuzzi, Phys. Status Solidi B 34, 133 (1969).
P. Ziolkowski, G. Karpinski, T. Dasgupta, and E. Müller, Phys. Status Solidi A 210, 89 (2013).
H.J. Goldsmid, Introduction to Thermoelectricity (Berlin: Springer, 2009).
K.-H. Park, S.-W. You, S.-C. Ur, I.-H. Kim, S.-M. Choi, and W.-S. Seo, J. Electron. Mater. 41, 1051 (2012).
C.A. Schneider, W.S. Rasband, and K.W. Eliceiri, Nat. Methods 9, 671 (2012).
G. Rogl, Z. Aabdin, E. Schafler, J. Horky, D. Setman, M. Zehetbauer, M. Kriegisch, O. Eibl, A. Grytsiv, E. Bauer, M. Reinecker, W. Schranz, and P. Rogl, J. Alloys Compd. 537, 183 (2012).
C. Gammer, H.P. Karnthaler, and C. Rentenberger, J. Alloys Compd. 633, 384 (2015).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Skomedal, G., Kristiansen, N.R., Sottong, R. et al. Evaluation of Thermoelectric Performance and Durability of Functionalized Skutterudite Legs. J. Electron. Mater. 46, 2438–2450 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11664-017-5309-z
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11664-017-5309-z