Temperature dependent thermoelectric material power factor measurement system.

Thermoelectric materials can be used for cooling/heating applications, or converting waste heat into electricity. Novel thermoelectric materials have been discovered in recent years. Characterization of an electrical conductivity and thermopower of a sample from room temperature to > or = 900 K is often necessary for thermoelectric materials.

Characterization of thermoelectric elements and devices by impedance spectroscopy.

This article describes a new measurement technique that utilizes impedance spectroscopy for the characterization of thermoelectric materials and devices. Two circuit models were developed and used to help explain the impedance spectroscopy data using transmission line theory and a coupled electrothermal model. Two testing configurations have been investigated including one based on a sinusoidal source (ac lock-in technique) and one based on a pulsed wave source.

Nanostructures versus solid solutions: low lattice thermal conductivity and enhanced thermoelectric figure of merit in Pb9.6Sb0.2Te10-xSex bulk materials.

The series of Pb(9.6)Sb(0.2)Te(10)(-)(x)Se(x) compounds with different Se content (x) were prepared, and their structure was investigated at the atomic and nanosized regime level.