Dr. Takao Mori

Abstract:

Development of thermoelectric (TE) materials & devices is important, for energy saving via waste heat power generation and IoT power sources [1]. There are a variety of device forms which can be envisioned to be useful. I will present several high-performance materials systems we have been developing such as Mg₃Sb₂-type materials, skutterudites, Heusler alloys, magnetic chalcogenides, etc., and mainly on the development of various TE modules. An initial realistic 8 pair bulk module of our doped Mg-Sb materials exhibited an efficiency of 7.3%@320^oC, with estimated efficiency from the actual materials being ~11%, and a variant exhibited high performance room temperature power generation and cooling [2]. Recently, a modified single element device of Mg₃Sb₂ was able to achieve a TE efficiency ~12% [3]. Design and construction of two different design thin film TEG devices [4] and hybrid flexible TEGs will also be presented. It is also critical to have accurate evaluation of TEGs and we have recently laid out some best practices thereof [5].