Fabrication of Skutterudite-Based Tubular Thermoelectric Generator

• Main Authors: Hanhwi Jang, Jong Bae Kim, Abbey Stanley, Suhyeon Lee, Yeongseon Kim, Sang Hyun Park, Min-Wook Oh
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2020-03-01
• Series: Energies
• Subjects: tubular thermoelectric generator (tteg); skutterudite; joining; specific contact resistance; power density
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/13/5/1106

The conversion efficiency of the thermoelectric generator (TEG) is adversely affected by the quality of thermal contact between the module and the heat source. TEGs with the planar substrate are not suitable for the curved heat sources. Several attempts have been made to tackle this issue by fabricating complex tubular-shaped TEGs; however, all efforts have been limited to low-temperature applications. Furthermore, the electrical contact resistance of the module is critical to achieving a high-power output. In this work, we developed the tubular TEG with significantly low specific contact resistance by optimizing the joining process. We show that the modified resistance welding (MRW) performed by spark plasma sintering (SPS) is an efficient joining method for the fabrication of the TE module, with high feasibility and scalability. This research seeks to suggest important design rules to consider when fabricating TEGs.