Fabrication and evaluation of a skutterudite-based thermoelectric module for high-temperature applications

García-Cañadas, J., Powell, A. V., Kaltzoglou, A., Vaqueiro, P. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7545-6262 and Min, G. (2012) Fabrication and evaluation of a skutterudite-based thermoelectric module for high-temperature applications. Journal of Electronic Materials, 42 (7). pp. 1369-1374. ISSN 0361-5235 doi: 10.1007/s11664-012-2241-0

Abstract/Summary

We report a straightforward methodology for the fabrication of high-temperature thermoelectric (TE) modules using commercially available solder alloys and metal barriers. This methodology employs standard and accessible facilities that are simple to implement in any laboratory. A TE module formed by nine n-type Yb x Co4Sb12 and p-type Ce x Fe3CoSb12 state-of-the-art skutterudite material couples was fabricated. The physical properties of the synthesized skutterudites were determined, and the module power output, internal resistance, and thermocycling stability were evaluated in air. At a temperature difference of 365 K, the module provides more than 1.5 W cm−3 volume power density. However, thermocycling showed an increase of the internal module resistance and degradation in performance with the number of cycles when the device is operated at a hot-side temperature higher than 573 K. This may be attributed to oxidation of the skutterudite thermoelements.

Item Type	Article
URI	https://reading-clone.eprints-hosting.org/id/eprint/40402
Item Type	Article
Refereed	Yes
Divisions	No Reading authors. Back catalogue items
Publisher	Springer
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