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.
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
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/
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