Modern Theory Of Thermoelectricity

This text describes the theory of thermoelectric effects, both from a practical and a fundamental perspective, and presents many examples of applications of the theory to real materials.

Ten years ago, D.M. Rowe introduced the bestselling CRC Handbook of Thermoelectrics to wide acclaim. Since then, increasing environmental concerns, desire for long-life electrical power sources, and continued progress in miniaturization of electronics has led to a substantial increase in research activity involving thermoelectrics. Reflecting the latest trends and developments, the Thermoelectrics Handbook: Macro to Nano is an extension of the earlier work and covers the entire range of thermoelectrics disciplines. Serving as a convenient reference as well as a thorough introduction to thermoelectrics, this book includes contributions from 99 leading authorities from around the world. Its coverage spans from general principles and theoretical concepts to material preparation and measurements; thermoelectric materials; thermoelements, modules, and devices; and thermoelectric systems and applications. Reflecting the enormous impact of nanotechnology on the field-as the thermoelectric properties of nanostructured materials far surpass the performance of conventional materials-each section progresses systematically from macro-scale to micro/nano-scale topics. In addition, the book contains an appendix listing major manufacturers and suppliers of thermoelectric modules. There is no longer any need to spend hours plodding through the journal literature for information. The Thermoelectrics Handbook: Macro to Nano offers a timely, comprehensive treatment of all areas of thermoelectrics in a single, unified reference.

The field of thermoelectricity has continued to develop rapidly in recent years and remains one of the most exciting areas of research for a materials physicist. The need for sustainable energy has added a technological momentum to the challenge of devising materials with exceptional properties such as low thermal conductivity, high electrical conductivity and a large Seebeck coefficient, and has triggered a global, interdisciplinary effort. More recently, research on thermoelectric materials has promoted and motivated a major research endeavor to clarify the factors affecting thermal conductivity in nanostructures as part of a more general effort to apply nanotechnology to enhance the performance of thermoelectric materials for use in thermoelectric generators and coolers. This book contains the lectures presented as Course 207 of the International School of Physics Enrico Fermi, Advances in Thermoelectricity: Foundational Issues, Materials, and Nanotechnology, held in Varenna, Italy from 15 – 20 July 2019. This comprehensive course aimed to provide students with a modern vision of the physics of thermoelectric phenomena, starting from the thermodynamics of thermoelectricity and from the physics of transport processes and demonstrating how material structure and nanostructure, together with defects, have been used to tailor the physical properties of advanced thermoelectrics. Special attention was also given to areas of current research – from spin-caloritronics to charge transport in polymers – and to a selected number of applications for heat recovery. Encompassing the full complexity of modern thermoelectricity and covering the most cogent themes relevant to current research, the book will be of interest to all those working in the field.

This introductory treatment provides an understanding of the fundamental concepts and principles involved in the study of thermoelectricity in solids and of conduction in general. Aimed at graduate-level students and those interested in basic theory, it will be especially valuable to experimental physicists working in fields connected with electron transport and to theoreticians seeking a survey of thermoelectricity and related questions. Chronicling the early history of thermoelectricity from its discovery to modern times, this text features a considerable amount of experimental data and discusses these findings at length wherever they bear a particular relevance to theory. The author, a well-known authority in this field, draws heavily from his own work on thermoelectrical phenomena as they are observed in the study of metals. Numerous illustrative figures appear throughout the text.

This book provides a comprehensive overview on fully thermal and hybrid solar generators based on thermoelectric devices. The book fills a gap in the literature on solar conversion and thermoelectrics, because despite the growing number of papers dealing with the use of thermoelectrics in solar power conversion, no book exists for PV specialists or thermoelectricity experts to enter this field. The book is intended as a primer for scientists or engineers willing to complement their expertise in one of the two fields, and to get an updated, critical review of the state of the art in thermoelectric solar harvesting.

Thermoelectricity and Advanced Thermoelectric Materials reviews emerging thermoelectric materials, including skutterudites, clathrates, and half-Heusler alloys. In addition, the book discusses a number of oxides and silicides that have promising thermoelectric properties. Because 2D materials with high figures of merit have emerged as promising candidates for thermoelectric applications, this book presents an updated introduction to the field of thermoelectric materials, including recent advances in materials synthesis, device modeling, and design. Finally, the book addresses the theoretical difficulties and methodologies of computing the thermoelectric properties of materials that can be used to understand and predict highly efficient thermoelectric materials. This book is a key reference for materials scientists, physicists, and engineers in energy. Reviews the most relevant, emerging thermoelectric materials, including 2D materials, skutterudites, clathrates and half-Heusler alloys Focuses on how electronic structure engineering can lead to improved materials performance for thermoelectric energy conversion applications Includes the latest advances in the synthesis, modeling and design of advanced thermoelectric materials