¹Tokyo National College of Technology, Hachioji, Tokyo, 1220-1, Japan
²Shonan Institute of Technology, Tusjido, Nishikaigan, Kanagawa, 1-1-25, Japan

A thermoelectric (TE) power conditioner with maximum power point tracking control (MPPT) using impedance matching method has developed. This power conditioner comprises a high-frequency Buck/Boost switching converter circuit and a microcontroller; a synchronized switching circuit is introduced to achieve high conversion efficiency. Further, it is equipped with a battery charge control program and has maximum conversion efficiency of 96.7 %. The impedance matching method developed fo

Institute of Thermoelectricity, 1, Nauky Str., Chernivtsi, 58029, Ukraine

Error analysis of measuring thermoelectric material properties by Harman’s method is made. New measurement procedure is proposed, research of errors is made and methods for their instrumental determination are developed. Examples of precise measurement of thermoelectric material properties are given. Precise measurement of thermoelectric material parameters becomes an increasingly relevant task. Among known methods, particularly attractive is Harman’s method that enables determination of material characteristics on small-size samples, with fast performance and over a wide temperature range. Results of research on the errors in measu

Institute of Thermoelectricity, 1, Nauky Str., Chernivtsi, 58029, Ukraine

Results of computer simulation of thermoelectric generators (TEG) using the exhaust heat of internal combustion engines are presented. Sectionalized generator schematics whereby maximum efficiency is achieved for cases of real temperature dependences of the most suitable thermoelectric materials are considered. A model optimized for minimum cost is considered as well. Results of experimental research on generator that employs exhaust heat from heat and electricity cogeneration plant with a diesel engine are presented. Computer simulation is verified by the test resu

A.I. Herzen Russian State Pedagogical University, 48, Moika Embankment, Saint-Petersburg, 191186, Russia

Methods of thermal sputtering in vacuum are elaborated to prepare bismuth films of order hundreds nanometers thick having a nanoblock structure with a large concentration of block boundaries with highly perfect crystal structure of blocks proper. The electrical, galvanomagnetic and thermoelectric effects in the obtained films are studied versus thickness, magnetic field to 0.6 T and temperature in the range of 77 – 300 K. It is established that thermoelectric power increase in bismuth films obtained by the new method as compared to films obtained by standard met

Orel State University, 95, Komsomolskaya Str., Orel, 302026, Russia

Bismuth-antimony alloys are known to be the most efficient materials for low-temperature thermoelectric coolers. As long as with temperature reduction maximum achievable temperature differences drastically drop for thermodynamic reasons, the figure of merit improvement of low-temperature thermoelectrics is highly desirable. In the present paper, this problem was solved for Bi₈₈Sb₁₂ alloys by doping them with 0.01 – 0.1 at.% Gd and Sm. The atomic force microscope (AFM) investigation of cleavage surface of Bi₈₈Sb₁₂