System thermoelectric

The AEG sponsored research ia the program known as Systems for Nuclear AuxiHary Power (SNAP) as early as the 1950s. Most of the systems developed iavolved the radioisotope plutonium-238 as a heat source for a thermoelectric generator. Such electrical suppHes permitted radio transmission to earth from spacecraft such as Pioneer and l qyager. 

In thermoelectric cooling appHcations, extensive use has been made of cascaded systems to attain very low temperatures, but because the final stage is so small compared to the others, the thermal flux is limited (Eig. 3). The relative sizes of the stages ate adjusted to obtain the maximum AT. Thus, for higher cooling capacity, the size of each stage is increased while the area ratios ate maintained. 

In extremely cold environments, engines can quickly become difficult, sometimes nearly impossible, to start. If ordinary gasoline- or diesel-oil-fired heaters are used, the coolant circulation pump, air fan, etc, must be powered from the vehicle s batteries, thus curtailing the time the system can be used, especially at very low temperatures when it is needed the most. By adding PbTe thermoelectrics to such heater systems, about 2% of their thermal output can be turned into electricity to mn the heater s electronics, fuel pump, combustion fan, and coolant circulation pump, with stiH sufficient power left over to keep the vehicle s battery fliUy charged. The market for such units is in the hundreds of thousands if manufacturing costs can be reduced. 

Small refrigerators were developed by several companies and some were even installed in hotel rooms in Chicago. Borg-Wamer and other companies produced many compact systems for laboratory uses (23). Air-Industry in Erance built an air conditioning system for a passenger railway coach that was stiH in daily use after 10 years of operations without a single thermoelectric failure (24). 

Thermocouples Temperature measurements using thermocouples are based on the discovery by Seebeck in 1821 that an electric current flows in a continuous circuit of two different metalhc wires if the two junctions are at different temperatures. The thermocouple may be represented diagrammaticaUy as shown in Fig. 8-60. A and B are the two metals, and T and To are the temperatures of the junctions. Let T and To be the reference junction (cold junction) and the measuring junc tion, respectively. If the thermoelectric current i flows in the direc tion indicated in Fig. 8-60, metal A is customarily referred to as thermoelectricaUy positive to metal B. Metal pairs used for thermocouples include platinum-rhodium (the most popular and accurate), cmromel-alumel, copper-constantan, and iron-constantan. The thermal emf is a measure of the difference in temperature between To and T. In control systems the reference junction is usually located at... 

Further specific information and recent results of the electrodeposition of Bi and Sb binary and ternary systems as well as of other thermoelectric materials can be found in the review of Xiao et al. [232],... 

Rare earth sulfides, selenides, and tellurides show semiconducting properties and have potential for application in thermoelectric generation. Thin film chalcogenides of various rare earths have been prepared by multisource evaporator systems [233]. 

Tittes K, Plieth W (2007) Electrochemical deposition of ternary and binary systems from an alkaline electrolyte—a demanding way for manufacturing p-doped bismuth and antimony teUurides for the use in thermoelectric elements. J Solid State Electrochem 11 155-164... 

The charge transport and optical properties of the [Si(Pc)0]-(tos)y)n materials as y=0 -+ 0.67 are reminiscent of the [Si(Pc)0]-(BF4)y)n system, but with some noteworthy differences. Again there is an insulator-to-metal transition in the thermoelectric power near y 0.15-0.20. Beyond this doping stoichiometry, the tosylates also show a continuous evolution through a metallic phase with decreasing band-filling. However, the transition seems somewhat smoother than in the BF4 system for y)>0.40, possibly a consequence of a more disordered tosylate crystal structure. Both [Si(Pc)0]-(tos)y)n optical reflectance spectra and four-probe conductivities are also consistent with a transition to a metal at y 0.15-0.20. Repeated electrochemical cycling leads to considerably more decomposition than in the tetrafluoroborate system. 

Thermoelectric flame failure detection Analog burner control systems Safety temperature cut-out Mechanical pressure switch Mechanic/pneumatic gas-air-ration control Thermoelectric flame supervision Thermal combustion products, discharge safety devices Electronic safety pilot Electronic burner control systems Electronic cut-out with NTC Electronic pressure sensor/transmitter Electronic gas-air-ration control with ionisation signal or 02 sensor Ionisation flame supervision Electronic combustions product discharge safety device... 

As a working example consider the thermoelectric system consisting of two reservoirs of energy and electrons, in which the temperatures are 7 and T2 and the electrochemical potentials are fj, 1 and fj,2-... 

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