Innovative design of bismuth-telluride-based thermoelectric micro-generators with high output power. Issue 10 (7th September 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: El Oualid, Soufiane; Kosior, Francis; Dauscher, Anne; Candolfi, Christophe; Span, Gerhard; Mehmedovic, Ervin; Paris, Janina; Lenoir, Bertrand
• Is Part Of: Energy & environmental science. Volume 13:Issue 10(2020)
• Page Start: 3579
• Page End: 3591
• Publication Date: 2020-09-07
• Subjects: Energy conversion -- Periodicals; Fuel switching -- Periodicals; Environmental sciences -- Periodicals; Environmental chemistry -- Periodicals; 333.79
• DOI: 10.1039/d0ee02579h
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1754-5692

Abstract

Abstract : An innovative design of a thermoelectric micro-generator with integrated wavy-shaped Bi2 Te3 -based materials yields the highest output power achieved so far for an in-plane device. Abstract : The ever-increasing number of connected objects requires novel ways to power them and make them fully autonomous. In this context, photovoltaic, piezoelectric or thermoelectric energy-harvesting technologies show great promises as they make possible the conversion of solar radiation, motion or thermal energy into useful electricity for charging micro-batteries for instance. Thermoelectric micro-generators (μ-TEGs) exhibit several key benefits, making them prime candidates for harvesting any temperature difference between their two exchange surfaces. However, their output power critically depends on the design of the μ-TEG, the minimization of the detrimental influence of the contact resistances and on the coupling of the μ-TEG with the heat source and heat sink. Here, we theoretically and experimentally demonstrate how these inherent difficulties can be mitigated using an innovative flexible μ-TEG design based on bismuth telluride thin films. Our experimental results show that an output power of 5.5 μW per thermocouple can be generated under a temperature difference of only 5 K, in excellent agreement with predictions based on three-dimensional finite element analyses. These remarkable results rank our μ-TEG among the best micro-generators currently available.