Thermoelectric efficiency at maximum power in low-dimensional systems
Nakpathomkun, Natthapon ; Xu, Hongqi LU and Linke, Heiner LU
(2010)
In Physical Review B (Condensed Matter and Materials Physics)
82(23).
- Abstract
- Low-dimensional electronic systems in thermoelectrics have the potential to achieve high thermal-to-electric energy conversion efficiency. A key measure of performance is the efficiency when the device is operated under maximum power conditions. Here we study the efficiency at maximum power, in the absence of phonon-mediated heat flow, of three low-dimensional, thermoelectric systems: a zero-dimensional quantum dot with a Lorentzian transmission resonance of finite width, a one-dimensional (1D) ballistic conductor, and a thermionic (TI) power generator formed by a two-dimensional energy barrier. In all three systems, the efficiency at maximum power is independent of temperature, and in each case a careful tuning of relevant energies is... (More)
- Low-dimensional electronic systems in thermoelectrics have the potential to achieve high thermal-to-electric energy conversion efficiency. A key measure of performance is the efficiency when the device is operated under maximum power conditions. Here we study the efficiency at maximum power, in the absence of phonon-mediated heat flow, of three low-dimensional, thermoelectric systems: a zero-dimensional quantum dot with a Lorentzian transmission resonance of finite width, a one-dimensional (1D) ballistic conductor, and a thermionic (TI) power generator formed by a two-dimensional energy barrier. In all three systems, the efficiency at maximum power is independent of temperature, and in each case a careful tuning of relevant energies is required to achieve maximal performance. We find that quantum dots perform relatively poorly under maximum power conditions, with relatively low efficiency and small power throughput. Ideal one-dimensional conductors offer the highest efficiency at maximum power (36% of the Carnot efficiency). Whether 1D or TI systems achieve the larger maximum power output depends on temperature and area filling factor. These results are also discussed in the context of the traditional figure of merit ZT. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
https://lup.lub.lu.se/record/1859762
- author
- Nakpathomkun, Natthapon
; Xu, Hongqi
LU
and Linke, Heiner
LU
- organization
- publishing date
- 2010
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- in
- Physical Review B (Condensed Matter and Materials Physics)
- volume
- 82
- issue
- 23
- article number
- 235428
- publisher
- American Physical Society
- external identifiers
-
- wos:000286769600005
- scopus:78650886208
- ISSN
- 1098-0121
- DOI
- 10.1103/PhysRevB.82.235428
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- 929f3547-d3ad-431c-989c-bd49bb2ab06e (old id 1859762)
- date added to LUP
- 2016-04-01 13:57:32
- date last changed
- 2022-03-21 21:26:51
@article{929f3547-d3ad-431c-989c-bd49bb2ab06e,
abstract = {{Low-dimensional electronic systems in thermoelectrics have the potential to achieve high thermal-to-electric energy conversion efficiency. A key measure of performance is the efficiency when the device is operated under maximum power conditions. Here we study the efficiency at maximum power, in the absence of phonon-mediated heat flow, of three low-dimensional, thermoelectric systems: a zero-dimensional quantum dot with a Lorentzian transmission resonance of finite width, a one-dimensional (1D) ballistic conductor, and a thermionic (TI) power generator formed by a two-dimensional energy barrier. In all three systems, the efficiency at maximum power is independent of temperature, and in each case a careful tuning of relevant energies is required to achieve maximal performance. We find that quantum dots perform relatively poorly under maximum power conditions, with relatively low efficiency and small power throughput. Ideal one-dimensional conductors offer the highest efficiency at maximum power (36% of the Carnot efficiency). Whether 1D or TI systems achieve the larger maximum power output depends on temperature and area filling factor. These results are also discussed in the context of the traditional figure of merit ZT.}},
author = {{Nakpathomkun, Natthapon and Xu, Hongqi and Linke, Heiner}},
issn = {{1098-0121}},
language = {{eng}},
number = {{23}},
publisher = {{American Physical Society}},
series = {{Physical Review B (Condensed Matter and Materials Physics)}},
title = {{Thermoelectric efficiency at maximum power in low-dimensional systems}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.82.235428}},
doi = {{10.1103/PhysRevB.82.235428}},
volume = {{82}},
year = {{2010}},
}