DOI: 10.1126/science.285.5428.703. Thermoelectric Cooling and Power Generation

Thermoelectric Cooling and Power Generation

10.1126/science.285.5428.703

Crossref journal-article

American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)

Science (221)

Abstract

In a typical thermoelectric device, a junction is formed from two different conducting materials, one containing positive charge carriers (holes) and the other negative charge carriers (electrons). When an electric current is passed in the appropriate direction through the junction, both types of charge carriers move away from the junction and convey heat away, thus cooling the junction. Similarly, a heat source at the junction causes carriers to flow away from the junction, making an electrical generator. Such devices have the advantage of containing no moving parts, but low efficiencies have limited their use to specialty applications, such as cooling laser diodes. The principles of thermoelectric devices are reviewed and strategies for increasing the efficiency of novel materials are explored. Improved materials would not only help to cool advanced electronics but could also provide energy benefits in refrigeration and when using waste heat to generate electrical power.

Bibliography

DiSalvo, F. J. (1999). Thermoelectric Cooling and Power Generation. Science, 285(5428), 703â706.

Authors 1

Francis J. DiSalvo (first)

References 18 Referenced 2,882

Sematech The National Semiconductor Roadmap (Sematech and Semiconductor Industry Association Austin TX 1994).
Chasmar R. P., Stratton R., J. Electron. Control 7, 52 (1959). (10.1080/00207215908937186) / J. Electron. Control by Chasmar R. P. (1959)
R. M. Dreizler and E. K. U. Gross Density Functional Theory (Springer-Verlag Berlin 1990). (10.1007/978-3-642-86105-5)
For example see the entire issue on Trends in Materials Data: Regularities and Predictions J. P. Rodgers and P. Villars Eds. Mater. Res. Soc. Bull. 18 (no. 2) (1993). (10.1557/S0883769400043608)
Mahan G. D., Solid State Phys. 51, 82 (1998). / Solid State Phys. by Mahan G. D. (1998)
Sales B., Mater. Res. Soc. Bull. 23, 15 (1998). (10.1557/S0883769400031419) / Mater. Res. Soc. Bull. by Sales B. (1998)
G. Mahan B. Sales J. Sharp Phys. Today 50 (no. 1) 42 (1997). (10.1063/1.881632)
G. A. Slack in CRC Handbook of Thermoelectrics D. M. Rowe Ed. (CRC Press Boca Raton FL 1995) p. 407.
10.1126/science.283.5403.804
See K. A. Gschneider and L. Eyring Eds. Handb. Phys. Chem. Rare Earths 2 797 (1985); ibid. 16 105 (1993); ibid. 19 177 (1994).
Jones C. D. W., Regan K. A., DiSalvo F. J., Phys. Rev. B 58, 16057 (1998). (10.1103/PhysRevB.58.16057) / Phys. Rev. B by Jones C. D. W. (1998)
J. F. Meng et al. unpublished results.
Hicks L. D., et al., Phys. Rev. B 53, 10493 (1996). (10.1103/PhysRevB.53.R10493) / Phys. Rev. B by Hicks L. D. (1996)
Dresselhaus M. S., et al., Mater. Res. Soc. Symp. Proc. 478, 55 (1997). (10.1557/PROC-478-55) / Mater. Res. Soc. Symp. Proc. by Dresselhaus M. S. (1997)
Balandin A., Wang K. L., J. Appl. Phys. 84, 6149 (1998). (10.1063/1.368928) / J. Appl. Phys. by Balandin A. (1998)
Chen G., Phys. Rev. B 57, 14958 (1998). (10.1103/PhysRevB.57.14958) / Phys. Rev. B by Chen G. (1998)
R. Venkatasubramanian private communication.
I chose a subset of topics in TE research that interests me; omission of some topics does not imply that they have no promise. I am grateful to many people for input and constructive criticism. These include students and colleagues at Cornell: T. Braun B. Carpenter S. Lee K. Poduska K. Proctor and Y. Wang. Others include J. Badding (Pennsylvania State University) G. Mahan (Oak Ridge National Laboratories) J. Pazik (U.S. Office of Naval Research) and J. Sharp (Marlow Industries).

Dates

Type	When
Created	23 years, 1 month ago (July 27, 2002, 5:49 a.m.)
Deposited	1 year, 7 months ago (Jan. 13, 2024, 4:16 a.m.)
Indexed	19 hours, 59 minutes ago (Aug. 30, 2025, 12:31 p.m.)
Issued	26 years, 1 month ago (July 30, 1999)
Published	26 years, 1 month ago (July 30, 1999)
Published Print	26 years, 1 month ago (July 30, 1999)

Funders 0

None

BibTeX

@article{DiSalvo_1999, title={Thermoelectric Cooling and Power Generation}, volume={285}, ISSN={1095-9203}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/science.285.5428.703}, DOI={10.1126/science.285.5428.703}, number={5428}, journal={Science}, publisher={American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)}, author={DiSalvo, Francis J.}, year={1999}, month=jul, pages={703–706} }

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