4

Chapter II

Review of Related Literature and Studies

This chapter of the study contains the related studies and written works. Readers

will come to know about new studies which they can use for further studies. This review

is undertaken to aid the researcher in dealing with the topic.

Related Literature

An article online stated that thermoelectric materials produce electricity while in

a temperature gradient. Materials should have special affiliation of both high electrical

conductivity and low thermal conductivity. In order for a thermoelectric to produce large

voltage while in a temperature gradient, thermal conductivity must be low. It ensures that

if one side is hot the other side should be cold. Bismuth telluride (Bi2Te3), Lead telluride

(PbTe), and Silicon germanium (SiGe) are known to have both low thermal conductivity

and high power factor.

Bailey A. (2014) describes the generation of a temperature-dependent

electromotive force (emf) at the junction of two dissimilar metals. This phenomenon of

the Seebeck effect which means that the physical basis for the thermocouple. He

discovered that near a closed circuit composed of two linear conductors of two different

metals a magnetic needle would be deflected if the two junctions were at two different

temperature.
 5

Stewart (2014) describes in an article about the discovery of the Pelteir effect by

J. C. A. Pelteir. He found out that at the junction of two dissimilar metals carrying a small

current the temperature rises or fall, which depends on the direction of the current.

Different pairs of metals were experimented; bismuth and copper were among the first.

In view of the experiments of Quintus Icilius (1853), which established that the rate of

intake or output of heat proportional to the magnitude of the current, it can be shown

that an electromotive force resides at a Cu-Bi junction, directed from Bi to Cu.

Stewart (2014) describes that a phenomenon which has been discovered by

William Thompson in 1854 which is the Thompson effect. He discovered that there occurs

a reversible transverse heat flow into or out of a conductor of a particular metal, the

direction depends upon whether longitudinal electric current flows from colder to

warmer or vice versa.

Bass (2014) claimed that the direct progress of heat into electrical energy in solid

or liquid state of a conductor by means of their interrelated phenomenon – the seebeck

effect tackles the electromotive force generated in a circuit composed of two different

conductors whose junction are maintained at different temperatures. The Pelteir effect

refers to the reversible heat generated at the junction between two different conductors

when a current passes through the junction, while according to the Thompson effect

involves the reversible generation of heat in a single current carrying conductor along

which a temperature gradient is maintained.

 6

Approximately 90 percent of the world’s electricity is generated by heat energy

but, only 30 to 40 percent electricity generation system operates.

In an online article it has been mentioned that a new efficient thermoelectric

material is developed to use the excess unused heat energy which is about 50-60 percent

of the 90 percent electricity produced. With this newly developed thermoelectric

material, we can manage to utilize the excess heat energy produced.

Davis (2015) describes the “conversion of a vehicle’s waste heat directly into

electricity using a thermoelectric generator is a noise-free process with no mechanically

moving parts and very stable long term operation.” It is said that we can utilize the waste

energy produced by vehicles through the use of thermoelectric energy where the

thermoelectric generator works quietly and has no mechanically moving parts.

Solar thermal power generation is an attractive electricity generation technology

as it is environment friendly. Solar concentration is achieved by utilizing a focusing lens to

concentrate solar input onto the membrane of the STEG. A thermal model is developed

based on e energy balance and heat transfer equation using lumped thermal conductors.

Based on solar simulator measurements, a maximum TEG voltage of 803 mV was achieved

by using a 50.8 mm diameter plane convex lens to focus solar input to a TEG with a length

of 1000µm, width of 15µm, membrane diameter of 3mm, and 114 thermocouples. It

results to a temperature difference of 18°C across the thermoelements and an output

power under maintained load conditions of 431 1nW. By utilizing solar concentrator focus
 7

solar radiation into the heat junction of a TEG, the temperature difference across the

device is increased; improving the TEG’s efficiency using materials that are compatible

with standard CMOS and MEMS process.

The present invention provides a thermoelectric device consisting of a primary

electrode. The first electrolyte composition is capable of moving cations. Transporting

anions on a connector comprising mobile cations and anions is the function of the second

electrolyte composition, where first electrolyte composition is connected to the first by

being in ionic contact and the second electrolyte composition is connected to said second

electrolyte by being in ionic contact and said connector is in ionic contact with the first

and second electrolyte composition. Applied different temperature over said electrolyte

composition facilitate the transporting of ions to and/or form said electrodes. Provided

as well are methods for generating electric current temperature difference.

Related Studies

A study entitled Petroleum-based Thermoelectric Energy Conversion System

conducted by Nicholas, Nagurny, Natalie, Levings, and Greer (2010) stated that “a system

for generating energy based on a temperature differential between petroleum products

extracted from geothermal reservoir and water from a region of a body of water is

disclosed. Some embodiments comprise a submerged pump and a submerged OTEC

system, wherein the OTEC system provides locally generated electrical energy to the

pump.”
 8

In the study Enhanced Thermoelectric Performance of Hybrid Nanoparticle-Single-

Molecule Junctions administered by Elinor Zerah-Harush and Yonatan Dubi said that

molecular junctions would be excellent elements for efficient and high-power

thermoelectrics energy conversion devices. Experimental measurements of

thermoelectrics conversion in molecular junctions indicate rather poor-efficiency. Hybrid

single-molecule-nanoparticle junctions can serve as efficient thermoelectric converters.

Inroduction of semi conducting nanoparticle introduces new tuning capabilities absent in

conventional metal-molecule-metal junctions. A generic model is used for the molecule

and nanoparticle with realistic parameters. Researchers demonstrate that the

thermopower can be of the order of hundreds of microvolts per degree kelvin.

Performance persists over a wide range of experimentally relevant parameters and is

robust against disorder and against electron decoherence at the nanoparticle-molecule

interface.

An Experimental study and performance analysis of a thermoelectric cooling and

heating system driven by a photovoltaic/thermal system in summer and winter operation

modes has been conducted by Wei He (2014) said that the winter operation mode is listed

in a closed environment which has a controlled temperature which is 18°C. The result tells

the average coefficient of performance (COP) of the thermoelectric module of this system

can reach about 1.7, the electric efficiency of the PV/T panel can reach 16.7%, and the

thermal efficiency of this system can reach 23.5%. The energetic efficiency system of the

system in summer operation mode is higher than that of winter operation mode but, the
 9

exergetic efficiency in summer operation mode is lower than that of winter operation

mode, on the contrary.

Petronilo (2005) proposed an automobile air conditioning system employing

thermoelectric devices study that a car air conditioning system is enclosed in the engine

exhaust that provides heat source for the operation of Seebeck generator used to provide

electricity to a Pelteir unit in the passenger seat for removing heat from the latter.

The study of Ortiz & Lopez which is the Thermoelectric Roofing Apparatus and

Method for Generating Electricity states that a thermoelectric coating can be applied on

a heat exchanger material for example are roofing materials. Using a thermoelectric

process in order to get waste heat from a heat source and generate electrical energy.

Strano, Choi, Abrahamson, and Han (2012) conducted an experiment titled

Nanoscale thermoelectric wave generators wherein the present invention provides

nanosized system for generating electrical energy based on the use of a chemically

reactive composition to generate a thermoelectric wave. A chemically reactive

composition is dispersed along at least a portion of the nanostructure, e.g., along its axial

direction, so as to provide thermal coupling with the nanostructure. The chemical

composition can undergo an exothermic chemical reaction to generate heat. The system

can further include an ignition mechanism adapted to activate the chemical composition

so as to generate a thermal wave that propagates along the axial direction of the
 10

nanostructure, where the thermal wave is accompanied by an electrical energy wave

propagating along the axial direction.

Go, Mudlong, and Navoa conducted a research on the ‘Characterization of

Thermoelectric Generator (TEG) Transducer Array Configuration for Harnessing Optimum

Electrical Power From An Automobile Engine System.

Mudlong & Navoa stated that the thermoelectric generator (TEG) is a multi-couple

semiconductor transducer device which follows the concept of the Seebeck effect. These

devices are usually constructed as plates. Energy is generated through introduction of

heat; the amount of energy generated depends on the temperature difference between

the cold side and the hot side of the said transducer. It aims to characterize TEG modules

which include various electrical configurations, and mechanical attachments to the

automobile engine exhaust system for generation of optimal power. A TEG-Based Heat-

to-Power Conversion System was developed to aid and monitor the said

experimentations. Extensive procedures were performed to determine the location on

where to implement the TEG array configurations to the actual automobile engine

exhaust system. The temperature at different ‘hotspots’ were profiled to monitor and

determine the heat it generates ad idle, and at various running speeds.