Use of the Harman Technique for Figure of Merit Measurements of Cascade Thermoelectric Converters

摘要

The diagnostic capabilities of the high-speed Harman technique were investigated for measurements of the figure of merit Z in cascade thermoelectric converters with nonuniform legs (inhomogeneous or of an irregular shape). It was shown that, for multistage modules (two stages and more) and for any module with inhomogeneous legs (segmented or graded), the application of the standard Harman technique may lead to incorrect results. Some modifications of the Harman technique are proposed that make it suitable for testing of one-and multistage modules with homogeneous and nonuniform legs.