Search Results (926)

The integration of renewable energy and power-to-gas (P2G) technology into park-level integrated energy systems (PIES) offers a sustainable pathway for low-carbon development. This paper presents a low-carbon economic dispatch model for PIES that incorporates uncertainties in renewable energy generation and load demand. A novel two-stage P2G, replacing traditional devices with electrolysers (EL), methane reactors (MR), and hydrogen fuel cells (HFC), enhances energy efficiency and facilitates the utilisation of captured carbon. Furthermore, adjustable thermoelectric ratios in combined heat and power (CHP) and HFC improve both economic and environmental performance. A ladder-type carbon trading and green certificate trading mechanism is introduced to effectively manage carbon emissions. To address the uncertainties in supply and demand, the study applies information gap decision theory (IGDT) and develops a robust risk-averse model. The results from various operating scenarios reveal the following key findings: (1) the integration of CCT with the two-stage P2G system increases renewable energy consumption and reduces carbon emissions by 5.8%; (2) adjustable thermoelectric ratios in CHP and HFC allow for flexible adjustment of output power in response to load requirements, thereby reducing costs while simultaneously lowering carbon emissions; (3) the incorporation of ladder-type carbon trading and green certificate trading reduces the total cost by 7.8%; (4) in the IGDT-based robust model, there is a positive correlation between total cost, uncertainty degree, and the cost deviation coefficient. The appropriate selection of the cost deviation coefficient is crucial for balancing system economics with the associated risk of uncertainty. Full article

With the rapid advancement of electronic devices, Internet of Things (IoT) technology has become increasingly integrated into everyday life. However, its broader development has been restricted by challenges related to long-term maintenance and the frequent need for power source replacements. Among the available power supply solutions, thermoelectric power generation has garnered significant interest due to its high reliability. Nevertheless, the widespread application of thermoelectric generators (TEGs) in IoT remains limited due to their relatively low conversion efficiency and structural fragility. This review systematically summarizes recent strategies aimed at enhancing the output performance and durability of TEGs through improvements in manufacturing processes and performance optimization techniques. It highlights several fabrication methods capable of endowing devices with superior flexibility and reliability, including screen printing, chemical vapor deposition (CVD), and electrospray deposition. Additionally, we discuss two key approaches for improving power generation performance: advanced material selection and multi-mechanism hybridization. Finally, the article explores the applications of TEGs in thermal energy harvesting from wearable devices, ambient environments, and aerospace fields, demonstrating their substantial potential to provide sustainable energy for IoT devices. Full article

Skutterudite (CoSb₃)-based thermoelectric materials are regarded as one of the most promising candidates for mid-temperature commercial thermoelectric applications, thanks to their excellent electrical performance and alloy-based attributes. By utilizing techniques such as doping, microstructure design, and high-temperature solid-state reactions, synthesis of Brass_x/Co₄Sb_11.5Te_0.5 (x = 0.1, 0.3, 0.5, 0.7, representing wt%) in composite form can be rapidly achieved. XRD analysis indicates that the prepared Brass_x/Co₄Sb_11.5Te_0.5 samples primarily exhibit the CoSb₃ crystal structure, with the formation of minor impurity phases such as Cu₁₃Te₇ and ZnTe. SEM and EDS analyses reveal that the sample is composed of nanoscale equiaxed grains, some of which are micrometer in size, with a large number of microporous structures distributed uniformly, forming abundant grain boundaries. By co-doping with brass and tellurium (Te), the carrier concentration can be effectively regulated, thereby enhancing the power factor of CoSb₃-based thermoelectric materials. Meanwhile, the introduction of nanostructures, grain boundaries, and defects optimizes the microstructure of the samples, leading to a reduction in the lattice thermal conductivity of the CoSb₃-based thermoelectric materials. At a testing temperature of 781 K, Brass_0.1/Co₄Sb_11.5Te_0.5 achieved a maximum power factor of 1.86 mW·m⁻¹·K⁻², a minimum lattice thermal conductivity of 1.02 W/(mK), and a maximum thermoelectric figure of merit ZT of 0.81. Full article

Bismuth (Bi)-doped indium oxide (In₂O₃) has emerged as a promising thermoelectric material due to its tunable electrical and thermal properties. This study investigates the effects of Bi-doping on the thermoelectric performance of In₂O₃, focusing on its electrical conductivity, band structure, carrier concentration, mobility, Seebeck coefficient, power factor, thermal conductivity, and overall thermoelectric figure of merit (ZT). The incorporation of Bi into the In₂O₃ lattice significantly enhances the material’s electrical conductivity, attributed to the increased carrier concentration resulting from Bi acting as an effective dopant. However, this doping also leads to a broadening of the bandgap, which influences the electronic transport properties. The Seebeck coefficient (absolute value) is observed to decrease with Bi-doping, a consequence of the elevated carrier concentration. Despite this reduction, the overall power factor improves due to the substantial increase in electrical conductivity. Furthermore, Bi-doping effectively reduces both the total thermal conductivity and the lattice thermal conductivity of In₂O₃. This reduction is primarily due to enhanced phonon scattering caused by the introduction of Bi atoms, which disrupt the lattice periodicity and introduce point defects. The combined improvement in electrical conductivity and reduction in thermal conductivity results in a significant enhancement of the thermoelectric figure of merit (ZT) with highest ZT value increased from 0.055 to 0.402 at 973 K. The optimized Bi-doped In₂O₃ samples demonstrate a ZT value that surpasses that of undoped In₂O₃, highlighting the potential of Bi-doping for advancing thermoelectric applications. This work provides a comprehensive understanding of the underlying mechanisms governing the thermoelectric properties of Bi-doped In₂O₃ and offers valuable insights into the design of high-performance thermoelectric materials for energy conversion technologies. Full article

Mechanical alloying (MA) has been proven to be an energy-efficient synthetic route for the development of high-performance thermoelectric (TE) materials. Higher Manganese Silicide (HMS) phases of the general formula Mn(Si_1−xAl_x)_1.75 (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.05) were prepared by MA implementing a short-time ball-milling process. Powder XRD and SEM analysis were carried out to validate the HMS phases, while small amounts of the secondary phase, MnSi, were also identified, especially for the Al-doped products. Electrical transport properties measurements showed that Al substitution causes an effective hole doping. A remarkable increase in electrical conductivity is observed for the Al-doped phases, while the corresponding reduction in the Seebeck coefficient is indicative of the increase in carrier density. Despite the small percentages of MnSi detected in Al-doped phases, an improvement in TE efficiency is achieved in the series Mn(Si_1−xAl_x)_1.75 (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.05). The 2.5% Al-doped phase exhibits a maximum figure-of-merit (ZT) of 0.43 at 773 K. Moreover, in an effort to utilize recycled silicon byproducts from photovoltaic (PV) manufacturing, Al-doped phases are developed by MA using two types of Si kerf. The two kerf-based products exhibit lower TE efficiencies, due to the increased amounts of the metallic MnSi phase. Full article

Hybrid thermoelectric generators (HTEGs) play a pivotal role in sustainable energy conversion by harnessing waste heat through the Seebeck effect, contributing to global efforts in energy efficiency and environmental sustainability. In practical sustainable energy systems, HTEG output performance is significantly influenced by uncertainties in the operational parameters (such as temperature differences and load resistance), material properties (including Seebeck coefficient and resistance), and structural configurations (like the number of series/parallel thermoelectric components), which impact both efficiency and system stability. This study employs the Sobol-sequence-sampling method to characterize these parameter uncertainties, analyzing their effects on HTEG output power and conversion efficiency using mean values and standard deviations as evaluation metrics. The results show that higher temperature differences enhance output performance but reduce stability, a larger load resistance decreases performance while improving stability, thermoelectric materials with high Seebeck coefficients and low resistance boost efficiency at the expense of stability, increasing series-connected components elevates performance but reduces stability, parallel configurations enhance power output yet decrease efficiency and stability, and greater contact thermal resistances diminish performance while enhancing system robustness. This research provides theoretical guidance for optimizing HTEGs in sustainable energy applications, enabling the development of more reliable, efficient, and eco-friendly thermoelectric systems that balance performance with environmental resilience for long-term sustainable operation. Full article

Optimizing thermoelectric (TE) performance in two-dimensional materials has emerged as a pivotal strategy for sustainable energy conversion. This study systematically investigates the regulatory mechanisms of uniaxial strain (−2% to +2%), temperature (300–800 K), and out-of-plane electric fields (0–1.20 eV/Å) on the thermoelectric properties of monolayer MoS₂ via first-principles calculations combined with Boltzmann transport theory. Key findings reveal that uniaxial strain modulates the bandgap (1.56–1.86 eV) and carrier transport, balancing the trade-off between the Seebeck coefficient and electrical conductivity. Temperature elevation enhances carrier thermal excitation, boosting the power factor to 28 × 10¹⁰ W·m⁻¹·K⁻²·s⁻¹ for p-type behavior and 27 × 10¹⁰ W·m⁻¹·K⁻²·s⁻¹ for n-type behavior at 800 K. The breakthrough lies in the exceptional suppression of lattice thermal conductivity (κ₁) by out-of-plane electric fields—at 1.13 eV/Å, κ₁ is reduced to single-digit values (W·m⁻¹·K⁻¹), driving ZT to ~4 for n-type MoS₂ at 300 K. This work demonstrates that synergistic engineering of strain, temperature, and electric fields effectively decouples the traditional trade-off among the Seebeck coefficient, conductivity, and thermal conductivity, providing a core optimization pathway for 2D thermoelectric materials via electric field-mediated κ₁ regulation. Full article

Thermocouples can be combined into thermopiles to sense heat differences or achieve localized heating and cooling. However, integrating them into textiles using yarns is not straightforward, and chemical methods face challenges like complex processing, poor scalability, and voltage non-uniformity. This study employs conventional weaving to fabricate textile-based thermocouples and thermopiles for wearable sensing and potential cooling applications, with a focus on protective clothing. Using stainless steel and nickel-coated carbon yarns, we demonstrate a more stable thermocouple than those made with chemical or welded methods, with minimal fabric damage. Four conductive yarns, stainless steel, carbon fiber (CF), and nickel-coated carbon fiber (NiFC), were woven and laser-cut to form thermocouples using three different binding types to connect them. Inox1–NiFC was the most efficient thermocouple, achieving the highest Seebeck coefficient of 21.87 µV/K with Binding 3. Binding 3 also reduced contact resistance by 66% across all configurations. Slightly lower but comparable performance was seen with Inox1–NiFC/Binding 2 (21.83 µV/K) and Inox2–NiFC/Binding 1 (15.79 µV/K). In contrast, FC-based thermocouples showed significantly lower Seebeck values: 5.67 µV/K (Inox2–FC/Binding 2), 5.43 µV/K (Inox1–FC/Binding 3), and 5.06 µV/K (Inox2–FC/Binding 1). A woven thermopile with three junctions made with the optimal binding and thermocouple combination generated an average of 55.54 µV/K and about 500 µV at small temperature differences (4–5 °C), with a linear voltage response suitable for sensing. While thermal sensing proved effective, Peltier cooling needs further optimization. This method offers a stable, low-cost, and scalable platform for textile-integrated thermoelectric systems, with strong potential for use in uniforms and other protective garments. Full article

The structural features of Sb–doped (Ti,Zr)NiSn and (Ti,Zr,Hf)NiSn half-Heusler (HH) thermoelectrics have been identified down to the atomic scale using a combination of transmission electron microscopy (TEM) techniques. TEM sheds light on the morphology, phases present, size distributions and elemental variations between the two samples. Both materials consist of the HH phase, at both micro- and nanoscale levels, and comprise particles with two size ranges, 115 and 223 nm, on average, for large HH particles and 4–17 nm for nanoparticles for both materials. Hf incorporation in the HH lattice brought upon significant elemental fluctuations, manifested in chemical profiles and lattice parameter variations measured by post-experimental image analysis. The increased elemental variations induced by Hf substitution significantly contributed to the low thermal conductivity values and high power factor, leading to an enhanced figure of merit of 0.76 at 762 K for (Ti,Zr,Hf)NiSn, demonstrating the capability of TEM to confirm the structural features that are responsible for improved TE performance. Full article

A hot microclimate is one of the hazards that glassworkers may be exposed to. In particular, high ambient temperatures contribute to thermal load. New measures are needed to monitor this parameter in the work environment and to protect workers from related health issues. Within this research study, a new system for monitoring and prevention of thermal load in glassworks is outlined, in alignment with the Industry 5.0 vision, which is focused on humans. It consists of a monitoring part that evaluates thermal load, an actuator part that provides workers with individual cooling through electronically controlled thermoelectric modules, and a communication part for wireless communication between the monitoring and actuator parts. The functionality of the system was evaluated in a controlled environment using a microclimate chamber, a thermal manikin, and a professional wet bulb and globe temperature meter. The tests performed have proven that the system properly reacts to a potential high thermal load by activating the cooling function in the dedicated clothing with integrated thermoelectric modules. The heat flux density from the relevant thermal manikin segment reaches a maximum of 44 W/m². Full article

Ag₂Se has attracted significant attention as a promising alternative to Bi₂Te₃ for near-room-temperature thermoelectric (TE) applications. In this study, flexible Ag₂Se thin films were fabricated via magnetron sputtering under different sputtering power settings, followed by post-deposition annealing to optimize their TE properties. Structural and compositional analyses confirmed the successful synthesis of Ag₂Se films with high crystallinity. Additionally, tuning the sputtering power and annealing temperatures can effectively enhance the electrical conductivity, Seebeck coefficient, and overall power factor. A significant power factor of ~17.4 µW·cm⁻¹·K⁻² at 100 °C was achieved in the 30 W sputtering power and 300 °C annealing sample, pointing out the huge potential of Ag₂Se thin films as self-powered flexible devices. Full article

Famatinite (Cu₃SbS₄) is an earth-abundant, nontoxic material with potential for thermoelectric energy generation applications. Herein, rapid, energy-efficient, and facile one-pot modified polyol synthesis was utilized to produce gram-scale quantities of phase-pure famatinite (Cu_2.7M_0.3SbS₄, M = Cu, Zn, Mn) nanoparticles (diameter 20–30 nm) with controllable and stoichiometric incorporation of transition metal dopants on the Cu-site. To produce pellets for thermoelectric characterization, the densification process by spark plasma sintering was optimized for individual samples based on thermal stability determined using differential scanning calorimetry and thermogravimetric analysis. Electronic transport properties of undoped and doped famatinite nanoparticles were studied from 225–575 K, and the thermoelectric power factor was calculated. This is the first time electronic transport properties of famatinite doped with Zn or Mn have been studied. All famatinite samples had similar resistivities (>0.8 mΩ·m) in the measured temperature range. However, the Mn-doped famatinite nanomaterials exhibited a thermoelectric power factor of 10.3 mW·m⁻¹·K⁻¹ at 575 K, which represented a significant increase relative to the undoped nanomaterials and Zn-doped nanomaterials engendered by an elevated Seebeck coefficient of ~220 µV·K⁻¹ at 575 K. Future investigations into optimizing the thermoelectric properties of Mn-doped famatinite nanomaterials are promising avenues of research for producing low-cost, environmentally friendly, high-performing thermoelectric materials. Full article

The interface between high-performance thermoelectric materials and electrodes critically governs the conversion efficiency and long-term reliability of thermoelectric generators under high-temperature operation. Here, we propose Al_xCoCrFeNi high-entropy alloys (HEA) as barrier layers to bond Cu-W electrodes with p-type skutterudite (p-SKD) thermoelectric materials. The HEA/p-SKD interface exhibited excellent chemical bonding with a stable and controllable reaction layer, forming a dense, defect-free (Fe,Ni,Co,Cr)Sb phase (thickness of ~2.5 μm) at the skutterudites side. The interfacial resistivity achieved a low value of 0.26 μΩ·cm² and remained at 7.15 μΩ·cm² after aging at 773 K for 16 days. Moreover, the interface demonstrated remarkable mechanical stability, with an initial shear strength of 88 MPa. After long-term aging for 16 days at 773 K, the shear strength retained 74 MPa (only 16% degradation), ranking among the highest reported for thermoelectric materials/metal joints. Remarkably, the joint maintained a shear strength of 29 MPa even after 100 continuous thermal cycles (623–773 K), highlighting its outstanding thermo-mechanical stability. These results validate the Al_xCoCrFeNi high-entropy alloys as an ideal interfacial material for thermoelectric generators, enabling simultaneous optimization of electrical and mechanical performance in harsh environments. Full article

As a promising n-type semiconductor thermoelectric material, ZnO has great potential in the high-temperature working temperature range due to its advantages of abundant sources, low cost, high thermal stability, and good chemical stability, as well as being pollution-free. Sr-doped ZnO-based thermoelectric materials were prepared using the methods of room-temperature powder synthesis and high-temperature block synthesis. The phase composition, crystal structure, and thermoelectric performances of ZnO samples with different Sr doping levels were analyzed using XRD, material simulation software and thermoelectric testing devices, and the optimal doping concentrations were obtained. The results show that Sr doping could cause the Zn-O bond to become shorter; in addition, the hybridization between Zn and O atoms would become stronger, and the Sr atom would modify the density of states near the Fermi level, which could significantly increase the carrier concentration, electrical conductivity, and corresponding power factor. Sr doping could cause lattice distortion, enhance the phonon scattering effect, and decrease the lattice thermal conductivity and thermal conductivity. Sr doping can achieve the effect of improving electrical transport performance and decreasing thermal transport performance. The ZT value increased to ~0.418 at 873 K, which is ~4.2 times the highest ZT of the undoped ZnO sample. The Vickers hardness was increased to ~351.1 HV, which is 45% higher than the pristine ZnO. Full article

This study investigates the influence of rotation on wave propagation in a semiconducting nanostructure thermoelastic solid subjected to a ramp-type heat source within a two-temperature model. The thermoelastic interactions are modeled using the two-temperature theory, which distinguishes between conductive and thermodynamic temperatures, providing a more accurate description of thermal and mechanical responses in semiconductor materials. The effects of rotation, ramp-type heating, and semiconductor properties on elastic wave propagation are analyzed theoretically. Governing equations are formulated and solved analytically, with numerical simulations illustrating the variations in thermal and elastic wave behavior. The key findings highlight the significant impact of rotation, nonlocal parameters $e_{0}a$, and time derivative fractional order (FO) $\alpha$ on physical quantities, offering insights into the thermoelastic performance of semiconductor nanostructures under dynamic thermal loads. A comparison is made with the previous results to show the impact of the external parameters on the propagation phenomenon. The numerical results show that increasing the rotation rate $\mathsf{\Omega }=5$ causes a phase lag of approximately 22% in thermal and elastic wave peaks. When the thermoelectric coupling parameter ${\mathsf{\epsilon }}_3$ is increased from $-0.8\times {10}^{-42}$ to $1.2\times {10}^{-42}$. The temperature amplitude rises by 17%, while the carrier density peak increases by over 25%. For nonlocal parameter values $\mathsf{\epsilon }=0.3\to 0.6$, high-frequency stress oscillations are damped by more than 35%. The results contribute to the understanding of wave propagation in advanced semiconductor materials, with potential applications in microelectronics, optoelectronics, and nanoscale thermal management. Full article