Ultra-high temperature synthesis of high-performance Zintl thermoelectrics

超高温合成高性能Zintl热电材料

基本信息

批准号：
EP/J000884/1
负责人：
Jan-Willem Bos
金额：
$ 10.15万
依托单位：
Heriot-Watt University
依托单位国家：
英国
项目类别：
Research Grant
财政年份：
2011
资助国家：
英国
起止时间：
2011 至无数据
项目状态：
已结题

来源：
https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=EP%2FJ000884%2F1
关键词：
Ultra temperature synthesis performance Zintl

项目摘要

Technologies that enable the efficient use of energy could have an enormous impact on the most pressing issues of today: global warming and the reliance on ever-dwindling supplies of fossil fuels.The proposed research addresses this topical challenge through the investigation of the next generation of thermoelectric materials that harvest waste heat and transform it into useful electricity. In particular, the research is focused on thermoelectric materials that can operate at high temperatures, which is essential as the Carnot efficiency (the thermodynamic maximum) increases with temperature difference.The scientific challenge is to optimise three competing material parameters; the Seebeck voltage; the electrical and thermal conductivity, and to do this in a material with good temperature stability.The novelty of the proposed research derives from the use of ultra-high temperature synthesis to achieve temperature stability, and the synergistic exploitation of Zintl chemistry and interfaces in nanocomposites to obtain large thermoelectric figures of merit.Zintl phases are key high-performance thermoelectric materials because the simultaneous presence of ionic and covalent regions enables a more independent optimisation of the thermoelectric parameters compared to electronically homogeneous materials. Two classes of promising Zintl-type phases have been identified, and the performance of outstanding bulk materials will be further enhanced through the use of interfaces in nanocomposites.This ambitious and transformative research programme will contribute towards the development of high-performance thermoelectric materials operating at temperatures most suitable to power generation, enabling 20-30% energy conversion efficiencies. The research will also lead to an increased understanding of the relation between composition, structure and thermoelectric properties.

能够有效利用能源的技术可能会对当今最紧迫的问题产生巨大影响：全球变暖和对化石燃料供应不断减少的依赖。拟议的研究通过调查下一代能源来解决这一热门挑战。热电材料收集废热并将其转化为有用的电力。特别是，该研究的重点是可以在高温下工作的热电材料，这至关重要，因为卡诺效率（热力学最大值）随着温差的增加而增加。科学挑战是优化三个相互竞争的材料参数；塞贝克电压；导电性和导热性，并在具有良好温度稳定性的材料中实现这一点。所提出的研究的新颖性源于使用超高温合成来实现温度稳定性，以及纳米复合材料中 Zintl 化学和界面的协同开发以获得大的热电品质因数。Zintl 相是关键的高性能热电材料，因为与电子均质材料相比，离子区域和共价区域的同时存在使得热电参数能够更独立地优化。已经确定了两类有前景的 Zintl 型相，并且通过使用纳米复合材料中的界面，将进一步增强出色的块体材料的性能。这项雄心勃勃的变革性研究计划将有助于开发在运行温度下运行的高性能热电材料。最适合发电的温度，可实现20-30%的能量转换效率。该研究还将加深对成分、结构和热电性能之间关系的理解。