Download The Importance Of thermoelectricity

Gino Rumhein
Abdulrahman Fakhroo
Me 304
12/12/12
What is Thermoelectricity?
The direct conversion of temperature
differences to electric voltage and vice
versa
Encompasses three separately identified
effects: The Seebeck effect, the Peltier
effect and the Thomson effect.
Why Turn to thermoelectricity?
Approximately 90% of the world’s energy is generated
by heat energy
Most of it is wasted
15 terawatts
of power are
lost annually
to the
environment
Why isn’t it being used?
Difficult to achieve high temperature
gradient
Metals that conduct heat usually also
conduct electricity
Thermoelectric materials not as efficient as
could be
The Seebeck Effect
V=
ò
T1
T2
SB (T ) - SA (T )
Linear Relationship between Seebeck coefficient and temperature:
V = S ´(T2 -T1 )
Bismuth Telluride
A gray powder that is a compound of
Bismuth and Tellurium
Used Frequently for thermodynamic
applications
Seebeck Coefficient=
2x10^4
Our Experiment
Wrap a truck’s exhaust pipe with a
thermoelectric generator
Average temperature of a truck’s exhaust
pipe is 260 C (530 K)
Average exhaust pipe
radius was found to
be 0.0508 m
Conclusion
Potential to generate significant amount of
voltage (180 V)
IMPORTANT: IDEAL CASE ASSUMPTION
Thermoelectricity could potentially
revolutionize energy consumption
Questions?
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