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B7: Device and system performance
We have developed the thermoelectric generators using high-performance nanostructured PbTe bulk thermoelectric materials. In the generators, the sintered samples of PbTe–MgTe doped with Na2Te and those of PbTe–MgTe doped with PbI2 were used for p-type legs and n-type legs, respectively. The samples were prepared first by melting stoichiometric amounts of the constituent elements in the evacuated and sealed quartz tubes at 1323 K, followed by pulsed electric current sintering (SPS) at 773 K to obtain the high density compacts. The ZT of PbTe–MgTe doped with Na2Te was ~1.7 at 850 K and that of PbTe–MgTe doped with PbI2 was ~1.0 at 700 K. The eight-leg generators were fabricated with leg lengths of 2.8 mm and each leg having a cross-sectional area of 2.0 mm by 2.0 mm. We will report the electrical power output and the conversion efficiency of the PbTe-based generators evaluated over the hot-sidetemperature range of 470 K to 673 K in vacuum.
