Technical Operations Support III (TOPS III). Task Order 0061: Fundamental Theory Based Assessment of Thermoelectric Merit Factor for Heusler Alloys

摘要

Intensive previous work (1950-1970) led to discovery of bulk Bi2Te3 and Sb2Te3 type heavy metal, low temperature thermoelectrics having dimensionless figure of merits (ZT's) in the vicinity of 1. Nonetheless, no material having marginally higher performance over Bi-Te and Sb-Te thermoelectrics can yet be commercialized. Moreover, these materials are not very practical due to scarcity of the elements, toxicity and decomposition- evaporation problems at elevated temperatures. Today, there are a number of promising ideas eliminate that can be realized through advanced synthesizing techniques, to increase ZT of more commonplace compounds such as clathrates, skutterudites, disordered heavy metal compounds, Half-Heusler allows and complex oxides.