Material Optimization for a High Power Thermoelectric Generator in Wearable Applications
Thermoelectric power generation using human body heat can be applied to wearable sensors, and various applications are possible. Because the thermoelectric generator (TEG) is highly dependent on the thermoelectric material, research on improving the performance of the thermoelectric material has bee...
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| Format: | Article |
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MDPI AG
2017-09-01
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| Series: | Applied Sciences |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/7/10/1015 |
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| author | Gyusoup Lee Garam Choi Choong Sun Kim Yong Jun Kim Hyeongdo Choi Seongho Kim Hyo Seok Kim Won Bo Lee Byung Jin Cho |
| author_facet | Gyusoup Lee Garam Choi Choong Sun Kim Yong Jun Kim Hyeongdo Choi Seongho Kim Hyo Seok Kim Won Bo Lee Byung Jin Cho |
| author_sort | Gyusoup Lee |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Thermoelectric power generation using human body heat can be applied to wearable sensors, and various applications are possible. Because the thermoelectric generator (TEG) is highly dependent on the thermoelectric material, research on improving the performance of the thermoelectric material has been conducted. Thus far, in developing thermoelectric materials, the researchers have focused on improving the figure of merit, ZT. For a TEG placed on the human body, however, the power density does not always increase as the material ZT increases. In this study, the material properties and ZT of P-type BiSbTe3 were simulated for carrier concentration ranging from 3 × 1017 to 3 × 1020 cm−3, and the power density of a TEG fabricated from the material dataset was calculated using a thermoelectric resistance model for human body application. The results revealed that the maximum ZT and the maximum power density were formed at different carrier concentrations. The material with maximum ZT showed 28.8% lower power density compared to the maximum obtainable power density. Further analysis confirmed that the mismatch in the optimum carrier concentration for the maximum ZT and maximum power density can be minimized when a material with lower thermal conductivity is used in a TEG. This study shows that the ZT enhancement of materials is not the highest priority in the production of a TEG for human body application, and material engineering to lower the thermal conductivity is required to reduce the optimum point mismatch problem. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-13T02:59:54Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-fa85b9fe476246f79d34c9c58d3694b9 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2076-3417 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-13T02:59:54Z |
| publishDate | 2017-09-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Applied Sciences |
| spelling | doaj.art-fa85b9fe476246f79d34c9c58d3694b92022-12-22T00:01:53ZengMDPI AGApplied Sciences2076-34172017-09-01710101510.3390/app7101015app7101015Material Optimization for a High Power Thermoelectric Generator in Wearable ApplicationsGyusoup Lee0Garam Choi1Choong Sun Kim2Yong Jun Kim3Hyeongdo Choi4Seongho Kim5Hyo Seok Kim6Won Bo Lee7Byung Jin Cho8School of Electrical Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), 291 Daehak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34141, KoreaSchool of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Seoul National University (SNU), 1 Gwanak-ro, Gwanak-gu, Seoul 08826, KoreaSchool of Electrical Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), 291 Daehak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34141, KoreaSchool of Electrical Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), 291 Daehak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34141, KoreaSchool of Electrical Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), 291 Daehak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34141, KoreaSchool of Electrical Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), 291 Daehak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34141, KoreaSchool of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Seoul National University (SNU), 1 Gwanak-ro, Gwanak-gu, Seoul 08826, KoreaSchool of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Seoul National University (SNU), 1 Gwanak-ro, Gwanak-gu, Seoul 08826, KoreaSchool of Electrical Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), 291 Daehak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34141, KoreaThermoelectric power generation using human body heat can be applied to wearable sensors, and various applications are possible. Because the thermoelectric generator (TEG) is highly dependent on the thermoelectric material, research on improving the performance of the thermoelectric material has been conducted. Thus far, in developing thermoelectric materials, the researchers have focused on improving the figure of merit, ZT. For a TEG placed on the human body, however, the power density does not always increase as the material ZT increases. In this study, the material properties and ZT of P-type BiSbTe3 were simulated for carrier concentration ranging from 3 × 1017 to 3 × 1020 cm−3, and the power density of a TEG fabricated from the material dataset was calculated using a thermoelectric resistance model for human body application. The results revealed that the maximum ZT and the maximum power density were formed at different carrier concentrations. The material with maximum ZT showed 28.8% lower power density compared to the maximum obtainable power density. Further analysis confirmed that the mismatch in the optimum carrier concentration for the maximum ZT and maximum power density can be minimized when a material with lower thermal conductivity is used in a TEG. This study shows that the ZT enhancement of materials is not the highest priority in the production of a TEG for human body application, and material engineering to lower the thermal conductivity is required to reduce the optimum point mismatch problem.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/7/10/1015thermoelectric generatorhuman body heatdevice simulationfirst-principles calculationmaterial engineering |
| spellingShingle | Gyusoup Lee Garam Choi Choong Sun Kim Yong Jun Kim Hyeongdo Choi Seongho Kim Hyo Seok Kim Won Bo Lee Byung Jin Cho Material Optimization for a High Power Thermoelectric Generator in Wearable Applications Applied Sciences thermoelectric generator human body heat device simulation first-principles calculation material engineering |
| title | Material Optimization for a High Power Thermoelectric Generator in Wearable Applications |
| title_full | Material Optimization for a High Power Thermoelectric Generator in Wearable Applications |
| title_fullStr | Material Optimization for a High Power Thermoelectric Generator in Wearable Applications |
| title_full_unstemmed | Material Optimization for a High Power Thermoelectric Generator in Wearable Applications |
| title_short | Material Optimization for a High Power Thermoelectric Generator in Wearable Applications |
| title_sort | material optimization for a high power thermoelectric generator in wearable applications |
| topic | thermoelectric generator human body heat device simulation first-principles calculation material engineering |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/7/10/1015 |
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