SlideShare a Scribd company logo
linearized Boltzmann transport equation in combination with the  relaxation time approximation
linearized Boltzmann transport equation in combination with the
relaxation time approximation.
Thermoelectric effect
the temperature gradient can also induce an electrical current.
Boltzmann
equation
Relaxation time
approximation
See Mizutani
This is the linearized Boltzmann transport equation.
is included as an extra electric field, since it represents an effective
field associated with a change in the chemical potential induced by
the temperature gradient
ζ
∇
B=0
The number of electrons per unit volume
The
current
density
linearized Boltzmann transport equation in combination with the  relaxation time approximation
The second term indicates that the
temperature gradient can also induce an
electrical current.
This is the thermoelectric effect.
Let us assume that a metal is in a temperature gradient but is
electrically open  J = 0
The coefficient Q is called the absolute
thermoelectric power or the Seebeck coefficient.
an electric field is generated due to a
temperature gradient across a specimen
an electric field is generated due to a
temperature gradient across a specimen
the voltage
generated in the
circuit is obtained
by integrating the
difference in the
thermoelectric
power of the two
metals between
the temperatures
T1 and T2 at the
two junctions.
from
Mizutani
LEE represents the electrical conductivity
The thermoelectric power can be calculated, once the energy
dependence of the conductivity is given.
( )dT
T
Q
T
T
∫
=
0
σ
where s is the
electronic
entropy density.
from Mizutani
Let us apply the free-electron model to the electrical
conductivity formula
Note that the thermoelectric power for ordinary metals is fairly small
in magnitude, since T/TF is only 0.001–0.005 at room temperature.
As a typical example, the thermoelectric power for a well-annealed strain-free
pure Al metal(99.999%), together with the free-electron behavior , Fermi
temperature TF=1.35x105 K
the experimental data deviate substantially from the free-electron model and
exhibit a minimum at about 70 K. The formation of the minimum
has been attributed to the phonon drag effect unique to a crystal metal, where
the phonon mean free path is long.
from Mizutani
Peltier Effect
Two different metals A and B are joined and connected to a battery,
An electrical current density J is fed through the circuit
while the circuit is maintained at a uniform temperature.
from Mizutani
an electrical current fed to the circuit generates
thermal currents UA=ΠAJ and UB=ΠΒJ in the metals A and
B, respectively.
from Mizutani
Phonon drag effect
a voltage is generated between the two ends of a sample
across which a temperature gradient ∇T exists.
•there exists no current flow due to conduction electrons because of an open circuit.
•phonons at the high-temperature end are driven to the colder end under a finite
temperature gradient.
•If the mean free path of the phonon is very long, then the collision of one phonon with
other phonons is so scarce that its energy cannot be released to the lattice system.
•Instead, phonons can exchange their energy with electrons, since the relaxation time
for the phonon–electron interaction is much shorter than that for the phonon–phonon
interaction.
•the extra local energy carried by a phonon is fed back to the electron system,
resulting in a new extra electric field because of J=0.
•The generation of the electric field in the electron system due to the flow of the non-
equilibrium phonon is called the phonon drag effect
•electrons are carried along by the flow of phonons caused by the temperature
gradient.
thermal current density of the phonon at the “hot” end:
thermal current density of the phonon at the “cold” end:
The difference in thermal energy in the region over 2Λ:
from Mizutani
Not valid at
the mean free path of the phonon becomes so short that the phonon drag
effect is known to become unimportant at such high temperatures.
much larger than the measured value!
D
T Θ
<
The lattice specific heat decreases as T3 below about 20 K
the phonon drag effect becomes ineffective again at low temperatures.
it is most significant in the intermediate temperature
range around 2
.
0
≈
ΘD
T
is responsible for the formation of a deep valley
The valley becomes shallower in alloys
because of the shortening of the
mean free path of phonons due to the
disruption of the periodic lattice.
The phonon drag effect is essentially absent in amorphous alloys because of
the lack of lattice periodicity.
Hence, the temperature dependence of the thermoelectric power in
amorphous alloys is attributed to other effects like the inelastic electron–phonon
interaction and the energy dependence of the relaxation time.
Thermoelectric power in metals and semiconductors
The interpretation of the measured thermoelectric power is not
straightforward even in simple metals
e.g. the sign of the thermoelectric
power Q in the alkali metals cannot
be correctly predicted from the free
electron model.
positive for Li but
is negative
for Na and K,
though all these
metals possess
a single-electron
Fermi surface.
the energy dependence
of the relaxation time and
inelastic electron–phonon
interaction
from Mizutani
•positive thermoelectric power has
been observed in monovalent noble
metals
Contact of the Fermi surface with
the {111} zone planes has been
suggested to play an important
role in its behavior.
to synthesize thermoelectric device materials to convert efficiently
heat to electricity or vice versa.
Ordinary metals possess the Fermi temperature of 104–105K and, thus,
the resulting thermoelectric power is, at most, 10–20 µV/K.
the heat–current conversion efficiency for a thermoelectric material.
Figure of merit
Intrinsic semiconductors are not important for
practical thermo-electric devices since the
contributions of electrons and holes are of
opposite signs and tend to cancel.
A large value of Q should be achievable, not in metals,
but in heavily doped semiconductors.
•The thermoelectric power Q is expected to reach a value as high as 500–600
µV/K for a carrier concentration of 1017–1018 cm3.
•Bi2Te3 and FeSi2 exhibit a thermoelectric power of a few hundreds µV/K and
are considered as the most efficient thermoelectric device materials available
at present.
Further increase in Q beyond several hundreds µV/K, while
suppressing the electrical resistivity and thermal conductivity to be as low as
possible, is of urgent need from the viewpoint of practical applications.
THERMOELECTRIC THERMOMETERS
T
S
E ∇
=
If a thermal gradient is generated in a
metallic conductor, a voltage between
the warm and cold end occurs, termed the
Seebeck effect.
A precise measurement of the thermoelectric voltage using a single piece of
conducting material is very difficult because the contacts to a voltmeter
through the electrical leads are at different temperatures and therefore can
influence the measurement. To avoid these complications, the difference
between the thermoelectric voltage of two different conductors is usually
measured.
Schematic illustration of the classical setup to determine the temperature
with a thermoelectric element
from Enss
A disadvantage is, however, that the thermoelectric power vanishes for T → 0.
the thermoelectric power of this system is generally too small for
thermometry below about 10 K.
NIST-
data
base
Some special materials, certain metals with magnetic impurities, show
thermoelectric powers that are sufficiently large at low temperatures. They
can be used for thermometry down to about 1 K.
reproduced from
Enss
Thermoelectric Applications
•Power Generation
• Waste Heat Recovery
•Active Cooling/Warming
• At the hot junction the Fermi level is higher than at the cold
junction. Electrons will move from the hot junction to the cold
junction in an attempt to equalize the Fermi level, thereby
creating an electric field which can be measured in terms of the
open circuit voltage V
Resistivity and Thermopower
I+
VR+
VR-
∆T
IHeater
VTEP +
VTEP -
Sample
Cu block
Cu block
Heater
I-
Heater Power,
P = I2R, creates ΔT
for Thermopower
Measurement
4-probe Resistivity
Measurement:
Current Reversed to
Subtract Thermoelectric
Contribution
( )
2
TEP TEP
R
IR V I R V
V
+ − − −
=
If a heat source is provided, the thermoelectric device may function as a power
generator. The heat source will drive electrons in the n-type element toward the
cooler region, thus creating a current through the circuit. Holes in the p-type
element will then flow in the direction of the current. The current can then be
used to power a load, thus converting the thermal energy into electrical energy.
http://sellprojects.in/thermal-heating-and-cooling-of-water-using-peltier-effect/
TE Effects
Peltier Effect
Difference in
εF between
Materials A and B
Material
A
Material
B
Heat
Absorbed
or
Expelled
Electric Current
Peltier Effect
П <0 ; Negative Peltier coefficient
High energy electrons move from
right to left.
Thermal current and electric current
flow in opposite directions.
(electronic)
http://www.pathways.cu.edu.eg/ec/text-pdf/part%20c-17.pdf
Peltier Cooling
П >0 ; Positive Peltier coefficient
High energy holes move from left to
right.
Thermal current and electric current
flow in same direction.
q=П*j, where q is thermal current density and j is electrical current
density.
П= S*T (Volts) S ~ 2.5 kB/e for typical TE materials
T is the Absolute Temperature http://www.pathways.cu.edu.eg/ec/text-pdf/part%20c-17.pdf
the evolution or absorption of heat when electric current passes through a
circuit composed of a single material that has a temperature difference along
its length. This transfer of heat is superimposed on the common production of
heat associated with the electrical resistance to currents in conductors. If a
copper wire carrying a steady electric current is subjected to external heating
at a short section while the rest remains cooler, heat is absorbed from the
copper as the conventional current approaches the hot point, and heat is
transferred to the copper just beyond the hot point. This effect was discovered
(1854) by the British physicist William Thomson (Lord Kelvin).
Thomson effect
http://www.daviddarling.info/encyclopedia/T/Thomson_effect.html
linearized Boltzmann transport equation in combination with the  relaxation time approximation
Thermoelectric Refrigeration
http://espressomilkcooler.com/education/
Charge flows through the n-type element, crosses a
metallic interconnect, and passes into the p-type element.
If a power source is provided, the thermoelectric device
may act as a cooler. This is the Peltier effect. Electrons in
the n-type element will move opposite the direction of
current, and holes in the p-type element will move in the
direction of current, both removing heat from one side of
the device.
TE Couple and Module
P N P N
PowerGenerationMode CoolingMode
HeatSink HeatRejection
ActiveCooling
I I
HeatSource
Operating Modes of a
Thermoelectric Couple
Modules
T. M. Tritt, Science 31, 1276 (1996) www.marlow.com
linearized Boltzmann transport equation in combination with the  relaxation time approximation

More Related Content

PPTX
Peltier’s effect
PPTX
K11915shivam
PDF
04(t) thermal and chemical effects of electric current
PDF
Getting of Electric Power for Pyroelectricity
PPTX
Thermoelectric effect
PPT
Peltier (1)
PDF
Lecture 9 Physics of welding-1.pdf
PPTX
The thermo electric effect
Peltier’s effect
K11915shivam
04(t) thermal and chemical effects of electric current
Getting of Electric Power for Pyroelectricity
Thermoelectric effect
Peltier (1)
Lecture 9 Physics of welding-1.pdf
The thermo electric effect

Similar to linearized Boltzmann transport equation in combination with the relaxation time approximation (20)

PPT
Thermoelectric conversion_finalized.ppt
PPTX
Direct energy systems
PPTX
lecture-2 Sensors for automatic control systems.pptx
PPTX
Seebeck effect & peltier effect
PPTX
thermocouple,peltier effect,seabeck effect
PDF
THERMAL SIZE EFFECTS IN CONTACT METAL SEMICONDUCTOR
PPTX
Basic Electronics (EC20201 course) presentation (IIT KGP)
PDF
Electricity One Shot.pdf
PPTX
superconductivity
PDF
Superconductivity and new superconductors
DOCX
Thermocouple temperature measurement principle and common faults
PPTX
Thermionic and thermoelectric Energy conversion
PPTX
Direct energy conservation system
PDF
An Overview of Superconductivity with Special Attention on Thermodynamic Aspe...
PPTX
Dielectric Material, Properties & Applications
PPT
Atomic Structure from A level chemistry.
PDF
Dielectric Materials types & properties, adavantages, lossess
PPTX
k11180 Sourabh rac ppt
PPTX
Electricity(ppt)
PPTX
Thermocouple by Engr. Imran Tanvir
Thermoelectric conversion_finalized.ppt
Direct energy systems
lecture-2 Sensors for automatic control systems.pptx
Seebeck effect & peltier effect
thermocouple,peltier effect,seabeck effect
THERMAL SIZE EFFECTS IN CONTACT METAL SEMICONDUCTOR
Basic Electronics (EC20201 course) presentation (IIT KGP)
Electricity One Shot.pdf
superconductivity
Superconductivity and new superconductors
Thermocouple temperature measurement principle and common faults
Thermionic and thermoelectric Energy conversion
Direct energy conservation system
An Overview of Superconductivity with Special Attention on Thermodynamic Aspe...
Dielectric Material, Properties & Applications
Atomic Structure from A level chemistry.
Dielectric Materials types & properties, adavantages, lossess
k11180 Sourabh rac ppt
Electricity(ppt)
Thermocouple by Engr. Imran Tanvir
Ad

More from KikiRezkiLestari1 (14)

PDF
X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy: XAS, XAFS, EXAFS and XANES.
PDF
EXAFS for Structural Characterization, Extended X-ray Absorption Fine Structure
PDF
X-ray powder diffraction, structure determination
PPTX
konsep dasar multivibrator, rangkaian elektronik terpadu
PPTX
Prinsip dasar osilator menggunakan metode feedback
PPT
Jaringan-Syaraf-Tiruan.ppt
PPT
Mekflu.ppt
PPTX
Sesi 3 (1).pptx
PPTX
Sesi 9.pptx
PPTX
backpropagation
PPTX
Kecerdasan Buatan
PDF
rietveld_method.pdf
PPT
Behavior of Waves.ppt
PPT
1. Konsep Dasar Rangkaian.ppt
X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy: XAS, XAFS, EXAFS and XANES.
EXAFS for Structural Characterization, Extended X-ray Absorption Fine Structure
X-ray powder diffraction, structure determination
konsep dasar multivibrator, rangkaian elektronik terpadu
Prinsip dasar osilator menggunakan metode feedback
Jaringan-Syaraf-Tiruan.ppt
Mekflu.ppt
Sesi 3 (1).pptx
Sesi 9.pptx
backpropagation
Kecerdasan Buatan
rietveld_method.pdf
Behavior of Waves.ppt
1. Konsep Dasar Rangkaian.ppt
Ad

Recently uploaded (20)

PPTX
tack Data Structure with Array and Linked List Implementation, Push and Pop O...
PDF
III.4.1.2_The_Space_Environment.p pdffdf
PPTX
6ME3A-Unit-II-Sensors and Actuators_Handouts.pptx
PPTX
introduction to high performance computing
PDF
Influence of Green Infrastructure on Residents’ Endorsement of the New Ecolog...
PDF
737-MAX_SRG.pdf student reference guides
PPT
Total quality management ppt for engineering students
PPTX
Information Storage and Retrieval Techniques Unit III
PPTX
Feature types and data preprocessing steps
PDF
null (2) bgfbg bfgb bfgb fbfg bfbgf b.pdf
PDF
PREDICTION OF DIABETES FROM ELECTRONIC HEALTH RECORDS
PDF
BIO-INSPIRED ARCHITECTURE FOR PARSIMONIOUS CONVERSATIONAL INTELLIGENCE : THE ...
PDF
August 2025 - Top 10 Read Articles in Network Security & Its Applications
PDF
A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW OF APPLICATIONS IN FRAUD DETECTION
PPTX
"Array and Linked List in Data Structures with Types, Operations, Implementat...
PPTX
communication and presentation skills 01
PDF
Level 2 – IBM Data and AI Fundamentals (1)_v1.1.PDF
PDF
Exploratory_Data_Analysis_Fundamentals.pdf
PDF
Soil Improvement Techniques Note - Rabbi
PPTX
CURRICULAM DESIGN engineering FOR CSE 2025.pptx
tack Data Structure with Array and Linked List Implementation, Push and Pop O...
III.4.1.2_The_Space_Environment.p pdffdf
6ME3A-Unit-II-Sensors and Actuators_Handouts.pptx
introduction to high performance computing
Influence of Green Infrastructure on Residents’ Endorsement of the New Ecolog...
737-MAX_SRG.pdf student reference guides
Total quality management ppt for engineering students
Information Storage and Retrieval Techniques Unit III
Feature types and data preprocessing steps
null (2) bgfbg bfgb bfgb fbfg bfbgf b.pdf
PREDICTION OF DIABETES FROM ELECTRONIC HEALTH RECORDS
BIO-INSPIRED ARCHITECTURE FOR PARSIMONIOUS CONVERSATIONAL INTELLIGENCE : THE ...
August 2025 - Top 10 Read Articles in Network Security & Its Applications
A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW OF APPLICATIONS IN FRAUD DETECTION
"Array and Linked List in Data Structures with Types, Operations, Implementat...
communication and presentation skills 01
Level 2 – IBM Data and AI Fundamentals (1)_v1.1.PDF
Exploratory_Data_Analysis_Fundamentals.pdf
Soil Improvement Techniques Note - Rabbi
CURRICULAM DESIGN engineering FOR CSE 2025.pptx

linearized Boltzmann transport equation in combination with the relaxation time approximation

  • 2. linearized Boltzmann transport equation in combination with the relaxation time approximation. Thermoelectric effect the temperature gradient can also induce an electrical current. Boltzmann equation Relaxation time approximation See Mizutani
  • 3. This is the linearized Boltzmann transport equation. is included as an extra electric field, since it represents an effective field associated with a change in the chemical potential induced by the temperature gradient ζ ∇ B=0 The number of electrons per unit volume The current density
  • 5. The second term indicates that the temperature gradient can also induce an electrical current. This is the thermoelectric effect.
  • 6. Let us assume that a metal is in a temperature gradient but is electrically open  J = 0 The coefficient Q is called the absolute thermoelectric power or the Seebeck coefficient. an electric field is generated due to a temperature gradient across a specimen
  • 7. an electric field is generated due to a temperature gradient across a specimen the voltage generated in the circuit is obtained by integrating the difference in the thermoelectric power of the two metals between the temperatures T1 and T2 at the two junctions.
  • 9. LEE represents the electrical conductivity The thermoelectric power can be calculated, once the energy dependence of the conductivity is given.
  • 10. ( )dT T Q T T ∫ = 0 σ where s is the electronic entropy density. from Mizutani
  • 11. Let us apply the free-electron model to the electrical conductivity formula Note that the thermoelectric power for ordinary metals is fairly small in magnitude, since T/TF is only 0.001–0.005 at room temperature.
  • 12. As a typical example, the thermoelectric power for a well-annealed strain-free pure Al metal(99.999%), together with the free-electron behavior , Fermi temperature TF=1.35x105 K the experimental data deviate substantially from the free-electron model and exhibit a minimum at about 70 K. The formation of the minimum has been attributed to the phonon drag effect unique to a crystal metal, where the phonon mean free path is long. from Mizutani
  • 13. Peltier Effect Two different metals A and B are joined and connected to a battery, An electrical current density J is fed through the circuit while the circuit is maintained at a uniform temperature. from Mizutani
  • 14. an electrical current fed to the circuit generates thermal currents UA=ΠAJ and UB=ΠΒJ in the metals A and B, respectively. from Mizutani
  • 15. Phonon drag effect a voltage is generated between the two ends of a sample across which a temperature gradient ∇T exists. •there exists no current flow due to conduction electrons because of an open circuit. •phonons at the high-temperature end are driven to the colder end under a finite temperature gradient. •If the mean free path of the phonon is very long, then the collision of one phonon with other phonons is so scarce that its energy cannot be released to the lattice system. •Instead, phonons can exchange their energy with electrons, since the relaxation time for the phonon–electron interaction is much shorter than that for the phonon–phonon interaction. •the extra local energy carried by a phonon is fed back to the electron system, resulting in a new extra electric field because of J=0. •The generation of the electric field in the electron system due to the flow of the non- equilibrium phonon is called the phonon drag effect •electrons are carried along by the flow of phonons caused by the temperature gradient.
  • 16. thermal current density of the phonon at the “hot” end: thermal current density of the phonon at the “cold” end: The difference in thermal energy in the region over 2Λ:
  • 18. Not valid at the mean free path of the phonon becomes so short that the phonon drag effect is known to become unimportant at such high temperatures. much larger than the measured value!
  • 19. D T Θ < The lattice specific heat decreases as T3 below about 20 K the phonon drag effect becomes ineffective again at low temperatures. it is most significant in the intermediate temperature range around 2 . 0 ≈ ΘD T is responsible for the formation of a deep valley
  • 20. The valley becomes shallower in alloys because of the shortening of the mean free path of phonons due to the disruption of the periodic lattice. The phonon drag effect is essentially absent in amorphous alloys because of the lack of lattice periodicity. Hence, the temperature dependence of the thermoelectric power in amorphous alloys is attributed to other effects like the inelastic electron–phonon interaction and the energy dependence of the relaxation time.
  • 21. Thermoelectric power in metals and semiconductors The interpretation of the measured thermoelectric power is not straightforward even in simple metals e.g. the sign of the thermoelectric power Q in the alkali metals cannot be correctly predicted from the free electron model. positive for Li but is negative for Na and K, though all these metals possess a single-electron Fermi surface. the energy dependence of the relaxation time and inelastic electron–phonon interaction from Mizutani
  • 22. •positive thermoelectric power has been observed in monovalent noble metals Contact of the Fermi surface with the {111} zone planes has been suggested to play an important role in its behavior. to synthesize thermoelectric device materials to convert efficiently heat to electricity or vice versa. Ordinary metals possess the Fermi temperature of 104–105K and, thus, the resulting thermoelectric power is, at most, 10–20 µV/K. the heat–current conversion efficiency for a thermoelectric material. Figure of merit
  • 23. Intrinsic semiconductors are not important for practical thermo-electric devices since the contributions of electrons and holes are of opposite signs and tend to cancel.
  • 24. A large value of Q should be achievable, not in metals, but in heavily doped semiconductors.
  • 25. •The thermoelectric power Q is expected to reach a value as high as 500–600 µV/K for a carrier concentration of 1017–1018 cm3. •Bi2Te3 and FeSi2 exhibit a thermoelectric power of a few hundreds µV/K and are considered as the most efficient thermoelectric device materials available at present. Further increase in Q beyond several hundreds µV/K, while suppressing the electrical resistivity and thermal conductivity to be as low as possible, is of urgent need from the viewpoint of practical applications.
  • 26. THERMOELECTRIC THERMOMETERS T S E ∇ = If a thermal gradient is generated in a metallic conductor, a voltage between the warm and cold end occurs, termed the Seebeck effect.
  • 27. A precise measurement of the thermoelectric voltage using a single piece of conducting material is very difficult because the contacts to a voltmeter through the electrical leads are at different temperatures and therefore can influence the measurement. To avoid these complications, the difference between the thermoelectric voltage of two different conductors is usually measured. Schematic illustration of the classical setup to determine the temperature with a thermoelectric element from Enss
  • 28. A disadvantage is, however, that the thermoelectric power vanishes for T → 0. the thermoelectric power of this system is generally too small for thermometry below about 10 K. NIST- data base
  • 29. Some special materials, certain metals with magnetic impurities, show thermoelectric powers that are sufficiently large at low temperatures. They can be used for thermometry down to about 1 K. reproduced from Enss
  • 30. Thermoelectric Applications •Power Generation • Waste Heat Recovery •Active Cooling/Warming
  • 31. • At the hot junction the Fermi level is higher than at the cold junction. Electrons will move from the hot junction to the cold junction in an attempt to equalize the Fermi level, thereby creating an electric field which can be measured in terms of the open circuit voltage V
  • 32. Resistivity and Thermopower I+ VR+ VR- ∆T IHeater VTEP + VTEP - Sample Cu block Cu block Heater I- Heater Power, P = I2R, creates ΔT for Thermopower Measurement 4-probe Resistivity Measurement: Current Reversed to Subtract Thermoelectric Contribution ( ) 2 TEP TEP R IR V I R V V + − − − =
  • 33. If a heat source is provided, the thermoelectric device may function as a power generator. The heat source will drive electrons in the n-type element toward the cooler region, thus creating a current through the circuit. Holes in the p-type element will then flow in the direction of the current. The current can then be used to power a load, thus converting the thermal energy into electrical energy. http://sellprojects.in/thermal-heating-and-cooling-of-water-using-peltier-effect/
  • 34. TE Effects Peltier Effect Difference in εF between Materials A and B Material A Material B Heat Absorbed or Expelled Electric Current
  • 35. Peltier Effect П <0 ; Negative Peltier coefficient High energy electrons move from right to left. Thermal current and electric current flow in opposite directions. (electronic) http://www.pathways.cu.edu.eg/ec/text-pdf/part%20c-17.pdf
  • 36. Peltier Cooling П >0 ; Positive Peltier coefficient High energy holes move from left to right. Thermal current and electric current flow in same direction. q=П*j, where q is thermal current density and j is electrical current density. П= S*T (Volts) S ~ 2.5 kB/e for typical TE materials T is the Absolute Temperature http://www.pathways.cu.edu.eg/ec/text-pdf/part%20c-17.pdf
  • 37. the evolution or absorption of heat when electric current passes through a circuit composed of a single material that has a temperature difference along its length. This transfer of heat is superimposed on the common production of heat associated with the electrical resistance to currents in conductors. If a copper wire carrying a steady electric current is subjected to external heating at a short section while the rest remains cooler, heat is absorbed from the copper as the conventional current approaches the hot point, and heat is transferred to the copper just beyond the hot point. This effect was discovered (1854) by the British physicist William Thomson (Lord Kelvin). Thomson effect
  • 41. Charge flows through the n-type element, crosses a metallic interconnect, and passes into the p-type element. If a power source is provided, the thermoelectric device may act as a cooler. This is the Peltier effect. Electrons in the n-type element will move opposite the direction of current, and holes in the p-type element will move in the direction of current, both removing heat from one side of the device.
  • 42. TE Couple and Module P N P N PowerGenerationMode CoolingMode HeatSink HeatRejection ActiveCooling I I HeatSource Operating Modes of a Thermoelectric Couple Modules T. M. Tritt, Science 31, 1276 (1996) www.marlow.com